Limnological Assistance for the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Meeting the Challenge of the Water 2025 Initiative: Quarterly Report, Period Ending December 31, 2008

Project 1: Technical input has been provided at four advisory team meetings attended this quarter. Project 2: A formal report titled, Surface Water Monitoring for Indicator Bacteria in High-use Sites of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, has been prepared; an accompanying poster presentation for the Lake Mead Science Symposium is in preparation. Project 3: A draft document titled, “Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP): Quagga Mussels in Lakes Mead and Mohave” has been presented to an interagency core group to review and input. Six oral presentations related to quagga mussels are in preparation by this group for the Lake Mead Science Symposium. Project 4: Data mining for 1980’s Lake Mead benthos study has been completed. A draft Access database and associated metadata record has been sent to researchers conducting current Benthos studies on Lake Mead (Sudeep Chandra, UNR) for their review and input. A poster presentation summarizing the data-mining and literature database is in preparation for the Lake Mead Science Symposium. Project 5: The Lake Mead Science Symposium is on schedule for delivery at the UNLV Student Union in January 2009. The symposium includes a plenary session of three keynote addresses and four special remarks by water-related agency leadership and six concurrent sessions with 44 talks and 13 posters. As of December 17, 2008 more than 135 individuals are expected to attend. Project 6: Interagency “Water 2025” Team meetings continue to be coordinated and built for eventual input into the ecological monitoring plan for Lakes Mead and Mohave. Day 3 of the symposium (project 5) will launch work on the ecological monitoring pla