Adopt A Beach

Hard to believe how time flies…it’s been eight busy years since we commenced our Adopt-a-Beach photo-matching program, monitoring changes to Grand Canyon camping beaches. The program is still going strong, thanks to the dedication of our principal investigator and all of the wonderful “adopters” we’ve had over the years—a combination of commercial guides, nps personnel, science folks and private boaters. Truly a unique cooperative effort!
We’ve provided a list here of all the 2003 season adopters. Coverage looks to be very thorough, although we always need additional adopters (double adoption is fine!). The more photos and data we have, the better! The integrity of our program hinges upon it. So, give me a call at (928) 773-1075 and let me know if you’re interested. I’ll send you everything you need.
Our program provides an ever-evolving “picture” of sediment deposition, along with trends and causalities, for selected beaches in five critical reaches in Grand Canyon. The results are disseminated to the National Park Service, to Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, the Adaptive Management Program governing flows from Glen Canyon Dam and other interested parties. Kate Thompson, the principal investigator for the program, is hard at work on the analysis of the 2002 season and the effects of the January–March 2003 high fluctuating flows. We’ll have a summary of those results in the next issue of the bqr, and once completed they’ll be posted on our website, www.gcrg.org.
The Adopt-a-Beach program provides the necessary documentation to effectively voice our concerns about the effects of dam flows on Grand Canyon beaches. The data and photographs generated by the program are also being used in other important ways—they have proved to be an important tool for researchers. The data are being utilized to help determine the carrying capacity of the river corridor, and the program has even become a model for other river monitoring efforts in the West!

Our thanks go out to all of you who help make this happen—our adopters, the interested members who support our efforts, and our funders, the Grand Canyon Conservation Fund (a non-profit grant-making program established and managed by the Grand Canyon river outfitters) and the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center.
Sediment (or the lack thereof) has become one of the most pressing issues in Grand Canyon, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Think about “giving back” to the Canyon by becoming an adopter today!

Lynn Hamilton
Gcrg Executive Director

–13.5R Dam Beach Lunch Crew–WRA
–8.0L Lunch Beach Lunch Crew–WRA
11.0R Soap Creek Jeff Sorensen
12.2L Salt Wash Andre Potochnik
13.5R Lunch Beach Lunch
16.0 L Hot Na Na Chris Parks, Kimo Nelson
19.1L 19 Mile Kevin Johnson
20.4R North Canyon Erica Fareio, Charly Heavenrich
23.0L 23 Mile Bryan Edwards
29.3L Silver Grotto Amy Jo Reeves
34.7L Lower & Middle Nautiloid Kristin Downing
37.7L Tatahatso Nancy Redfern, John Toner
38.3L Bishop (Martha’s) Nicole Brown
41.0R Buck Farm Nancy Helin, Marijka Billingsly
75.6L Nevills Walker Mackay
76.6L Hance Larry Hopkins
81.3L Grapevine Shoshanna Jensen
84.0R Clear Creek Tim Whitney
84.5L Zoroaster BJ Boyle
91.6R Trinity Andre Potochnik
96.1L Schist Camp Dave Stratton
96.7L Boucher Jo Johnson, Greg Woodall
98.0R Crystal Amber Skye Meyer
99.7L Lower Tuna Leslie Diamond
107.8L Ross Wheeler Bob Dye, Jeff Sorensen
108.3R Bass Bert Jones
109.4R 110 Mile Keith Bunnie
114.3R Upper Garnet Ed Hench
114.5R Lower Garnet Ed Hench
131.1R Below Bedrock Nicole Corbo
132.0R Stone Creek Arthur Thevenin
133.0L Talking Heads Adam Bringhurst
133.5R Racetrack Shoshanna Jensen
133.7R Lower Tapeats Jo Johnson, Greg Woodall
134.6L Owl Eyes Charly Heavenrich
137.0L Backeddy Jeff Sorensen
143.2R Kanab Drifter Smith
145.6L Olo Wes Neal
148.5L Matkat Hotel Brenton White
155.7R Last Chance Nicole Brown
164.5R Tuckup Susan Hamilton
166.4L Upper National Larry Hopkins
166.6L Lower National Christian Anguish
230.0L Travertine Falls Wayne Peterson
236.0R Gneiss Camp Kyle George