This year, SICCS researchers played a role in continuing education for professional Grand Canyon river guides. Grand Canyon River Guides, a professional organization for river guides with a membership of more than 1700, provides information to guides through their quarterly publication, Boatman’s Quarterly Review (BQR), and an annual spring training seminar (GTS). Drs Kimberly Samuels-Crow and Kiona Ogle along with graduate student and USGS researcher Emily Palmquist (Biology) wrote an article for BQR entitled “Drought impacts on Southwestern Landscapes.” On March 27, Dr. Samuels-Crow joined other researchers from around the region to present relevant scientific information to the guides at GTS before the river season begins. The BQR article and the GTS talk covered topics including changing temperature and precipitation patterns across the region since the start of the 21st century along with ecosystem impacts, including large-scale tree mortality and impacts on riparian vegetation along dam-controlled rivers. More than 20,000 people raft Grand Canyon annually thanks to the expertise of professional guides. River guides keep their passengers safe as they navigate the biggest white water in the lower 48 states, while also serving as public educators about the Canyon’s natural and human history.
Please contact Dr. Samuels-Crow if you would like a pdf of the BQR article.