Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with with Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G22AS00324

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is this funding opportunity?

This opportunity is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) discretionary financial assistance award issued as a cooperative agreement to support long-term research and monitoring of sediment resources in the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park.

What is the main scientific focus of the project?

The central focus is fine sediment, especially sand, including how much sand is stored in the river corridor over time, where it accumulates, and how it moves or is depleted under different river flow conditions.

Is this intended to fund a one-time study or ongoing monitoring?

It is positioned as sustained, trend-oriented monitoring rather than a one-time study, with an emphasis on long-term datasets and analyses that can guide management decisions.

Where will the work take place?

The work concerns the Colorado River corridor through Grand Canyon National Park, with specific attention to sediment storage and sandbar resources within the park.

Why is sand (fine sediment) a priority for this project?

Sand is a key component of sediment resources in the Grand Canyon river corridor. The project seeks to quantify how sand is stored, redistributed, conserved, or depleted, because those patterns influence sandbars and related habitat conditions.

What are high-flow experiments (HFEs) in the context of this grant?

HFEs are controlled high releases from Glen Canyon Dam intended to redistribute sediment and rebuild or maintain sandbars. This opportunity calls for evaluating the effects of these controlled floods on sandbars and overall sand conservation.

What kinds of questions about HFEs is the project expected to answer?

The project is expected to track the impact of individual HFEs on sandbars and sand conservation, and also document cumulative, longer-term effects of multiple HFEs combined with day-to-day dam operations in between experiments.

Does the opportunity require looking at both immediate and cumulative HFE effects?

Yes. The notice emphasizes measuring outcomes after individual HFEs (such as whether sandbars gain or lose sand) and determining whether benefits persist or erode over time, including patterns across repeated HFEs.

What is meant by "sand conservation" in this opportunity?

Based on the notice, sand conservation refers to understanding whether sand is retained and stored in the river corridor (such as in sandbars or on the channel bed) versus being transported downstream or depleted under specific flow conditions and operational patterns.

How does dam operation factor into the research requirements?

The opportunity specifically calls for investigating relationships among dam operations, sand transport, and eddy sandbar dynamics. This implies linking flow releases and resulting river conditions to sediment transport behavior and sandbar responses.

What are eddy sandbars, and why are they included?

Eddy sandbars form and change in recirculating flow zones along riverbanks. The opportunity highlights their stability as closely tied to how sand is supplied and transported downstream, and asks applicants to examine how dam operations influence conditions that build or erode these sandbars.

Is the emphasis only on before-and-after measurements of HFEs?

No. The notice emphasizes mechanisms and interactions, indicating the work should connect hydrology and hydraulics (flow releases and river conditions) with sediment transport processes and sandbar responses, not just simple before-and-after comparisons.

What channel bed monitoring is required?

The opportunity includes monitoring changes in channel bed sediment composition and assessing how much sand is stored on or within the channel bed, how the bed surface texture and composition change over time, and how submerged aquatic vegetation may influence sediment stability, trapping, or exposure.

Why is submerged aquatic vegetation mentioned?

Submerged aquatic vegetation is included because it may affect sediment stability and storage (for example, by trapping, stabilizing, or exposing sediment). The monitoring is intended to help interpret how vegetation interacts with bed composition and sand storage.

How will the project outputs be used beyond sediment accounting?

The monitoring is also meant to support physical habitat suitability modeling used in other related projects, so the outputs are expected to be usable in broader habitat and ecosystem analyses in addition to sediment-focused assessments.

What type of award is this?

This is a cooperative agreement, which means USGS anticipates substantial involvement with the recipient during the project (for example, coordination on study design, data needs, methods, reporting, or integration with agency monitoring programs).

What is the role of the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework here?

The opportunity is issued under the CESU framework, which supports research, technical assistance, and education through established partnerships.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is restricted to organizations that are official partners in the Colorado Plateau CESU. It is not open to all institutions.

Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?

The awarding agency is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

What is the opportunity number?

The opportunity number is G22AS00324.

What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?

The notice lists CFDA number 15.808.

What is the activity category for this opportunity?

The activity category is Science and Technology and Other Research and Development.

What is the posted award ceiling?

The posted award ceiling is $332,000.

When was the notice created and what was the closing date listed?

The notice creation date is April 25, 2022, and the original closing date listed is June 10, 2022.

What management or decision-support purpose is emphasized?

The opportunity emphasizes producing data and analyses that can guide management decisions about river operations and habitat conditions in the Grand Canyon, especially in relation to how controlled high flows and routine dam operations shape sandbar resources and channel substrate over time.