Lake Mead Science Symposium Numerous monitoring efforts have been conducted, are ongoing, or are in the planning stages for Lakes Mead and Mohave. This state-of-the-science symposium will provide the opportunity to share information and synthesize these efforts. It also will provide insight to assist with lake management and the development of an overall ecological monitoring strategy for the lakes. The symposium features six concurrent sessions for which we invite papers and poster presentations. An overarching goal of these sessions is to identify data gaps, increase coordination of the various efforts, and provide a foundation for future research endeavors. Selected papers will be considered for publication in a special issue of Lake and Reservoir Management. |
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The primary goal of this session is to document current management plans, initiatives, and frameworks for the overall programmatic management of resources within Lakes Mead and Mohave and their incorporating lower Colorado River region. This is an opportunity to aid in the development of an integrated understanding of the range of such activities underway by multiple agencies and organizations. Outcomes of this session are intended to support an interagency needs assessment of mutually beneficial management objectives and actions. A second goal of this session to disseminate information that will increase public understanding of the overall management objectives for Lakes Mead and Mohave and enhance the state of the knowledge in reservoir management. Presentation topics include overall reservoir planning and management, including recreational planning, environmental planning, and water use and management planning. Examples of pertinent ongoing projects include, but are not limited to, the Systems Conveyance Operations Program Adaptive Management Plan process, the Lake Mead NRA Lake Management Plan, recreational economic and use studies, development of long term monitoring and research goals under the “Assessment of Limnological and Aquatic Resources of Lakes Mead and Mohave” program funded by the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, and quagga mussel management and response planning. Please contact Kent Turner or Chris Holdren for further details. Limnology and Water Quality Session Lake Mead has been described as the most studied reservoir in the world. Although many reservoirs have a much longer record of limnological and water quality data, the intensity of investigations during the past 15 years likely justifies this claim. Results from some of the investigations are found in peer-reviewed publications, others in agency reports, but a majority of data has not been formally presented. This session provides an opportunity for anyone who has or is collecting data on the limnology and/or water quality of Lake Mead and/or Lake Mohave to present their findings. This is an important step in coordinating investigations and integrating findings. There are many recent examples of how the results of investigations have been used. Examples include the use of limnological data for (1) the three-dimensional model developed to assist decisions for the Systems Conveyance Operation Program (SCOP), (2) positioning new SNWA water-supply intakes in Boulder Basin, and (3) providing timely information on various parameters to water resource managers from all agencies prior to actions related to both planning and operations. The existing and future data becomes even more important in light of the presence of the invasive quagga mussel. Information from other locations where quagga mussel introductions have occurred indicates that the limnology and water quality parameters of Lake Mead could be significantly altered due to the presence of this organism. A major intent of this session is to provide a forum for anyone to present information on the limnology and water quality of Lakes Mead and Mohave. Please contact Jim LaBounty or Mike Lico for further details. Aquatic Biota and Fisheries Session Lakes Mead and Mohave support dynamic aquatic ecosystems, which provide a variety of habitats that sustain unique and economically important populations of aquatic dependent wildlife. Substantive ecosystem changes are occurring as a result of recent and ongoing stressors including invasive species, altered storage regimes, and other factors. This session is intended to address research and management topics on native fishes, sport fisheries, and other aquatic biota within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Research that describes the abundance and distribution of native/non-native aquatic fauna, fauna-relevant limnology, sensitive or federally listed species, recovery goals, management findings and recommendations, and other related topics for Lakes Mead and Mohave are areas of interest for this session. Please contact Jon Sjoberg or Erik Orsak for further details. Riparian and Shoreline Resources Session Riparian and shoreline areas interact with the lotic ecosystems of Lakes Mead and Mohave. Rivers and washes provide inputs to these lakes, in the form of water, sediment, nutrients, propagules of exotic invasive species, and others. Shorelines interface with these lakes, inputting vegetative matter, soil, and minerals, and as focal points for human recreational activities. Riparian and shoreline areas also provide unique habitat for plants and animals of management interest. For example, sand dunes on the shorelines of Lakes Mead and Mohave support populations of several rare plant and animal species, some endemic to this region, and rare bird species such as the southwestern willow flycatcher occupy and breed in riparian zones. The shoreline, shallow waters, as well as the nutrient-rich inflows from adjacent rivers and washes are important migratory habitat for numerous waterfowl, aquatic birds, and shorebirds. The riparian and shoreline resources session invites presentations on the ecology and ecological management of the shorelines of Lakes Mead and Mohave and associated riparian areas. Example topics could include, but are not limited to, riparian and shoreline utility and restoration as wildlife or native plant habitat, exotic plant distribution monitoring and treatment, mesquite ecology and management, effects of changes to washes leading into these lakes and management of these changes, effects of changing lake water levels on wildlife and plant habitat, and endangered species surveys and monitoring efforts within riparian and shoreline habitats. Please contact Scott Abella or Jef Jaeger for further details. Environmental Contaminant Session This session provides the opportunity for a diverse group of researchers to identify emerging issues at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area related to human and ecological health. One of the main objectives of this session is to facilitate communication among state, local, and federal government, private industry, environmental groups, municipalities, and the academic community regarding emerging issues. Information from this symposium will be useful in formulating collaborative investigations that contribute to enhancing the management of the resource. Specific examples of emerging issues include, but are not limited to, the recent introduction of the quagga mussel and gizzard shad, infrastructure changes in Lake Mead, and drought. Please contact Peggy Roefer or Shawn Gerstenberger for further details. |
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