November 2018 Upper Region

Construction Begins on Green River Canal Fish Screen By Andrew Limbach, Western Colorado Area Office

On November 5, NW Construction began work on the Green River Canal Fish Screen project in Green River, . Two weeks before, members of the Western Colorado Area Office and the contracting officer met with NW Construction and their subcontractor Mays Concrete for a partnering workshop conducted by Jacques & Associates.

Image above includes members of Reclamation, NW Construction, and Mays Concrete after the completion of the workshop.

For the last 18 years, the WCAO has used partnering workshops like this to build a successful platform for breaking the ice between parties and to open lines of communication. This workshop, through various team building exercises and discussions, focused on identifying the expectations, goals, and potential risks, as well as finding commonality and building trust. Through this process, each party gets the opportunity to see and understand the roles and perspectives of the individuals working on the project. Overall, it creates a foundation and sets the tone for a successful project.

The Green River Canal Fish Screen project is another step toward endangered species recovery and conservation. It is designed to prevent endangered fish species losses in the canal system and return them to the Green River. Construction is scheduled to be complete by March 31, 2019.

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Four Corners Construction Office recognizes office Veterans From Twyla Begay, Four Corners Construction Office

On November 8 the Four Corners Construction Office held a lunch time potluck to honor those that have served working in the construction office.

• Carol Mescharik, U.S. Air Force from 1989 to 2011 • Cliff Drayton, U.S. Navy • Byron Rowland, U.S. Navy from 1982 to 1992 • Robert J. Robinson, U.S. Army from 2003 to 2008 • Twyla Begay, U.S. Army from 1982 to 1992 • Kassey Lincoln, U.S. Army from 2006 to 2012 • Beth Fox’s father Joe Wilkins, U.S. Marine Corps from 1966 to 1968

Underwater Dive Inspections take place at Silver Jack and Taylor Park Dams By Justyn Liff, Western Colorado Area Office

On October 9 and 10, a dive team with members from the Pacific Northwest Region in Idaho and Technical Services Center in Denver, Colorado, inspected Silver Jack and Taylor Park Dams. Both dams are in Gunnison County, Colorado.

Silver Jack Dam is part of the Bostwick Park Project and is a rolled earth fill dam that is 173 feet high and 1,050 feet long completed in 1971. Taylor Park Dam is part of the Uncompaghre Project and is a zoned earth fill dam 206 feet high and 675 feet long completed in 1937.

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation

The inspections are part of the Dam Safety Program that requires comprehensive review every eight years. Part of the comprehensive review involves inspecting normally inaccessible features, such as the outlet works intake structure, outlet works stilling basin, and spillway stilling basin. When performing the inspections, divers observe the current condition of the structures and look for any damage.

The dives and inspections went well despite rain and snow storms.

High Flow Experiment at Dam By Marlon Duke, Upper Colorado Regional Office

The Department of the Interior initiated a high-flow release of water on November 5 from . Octavia Patno, 13 years old, was on hand to pull the lever that opened the first by-pass tube at 11 a.m. Octavia’s mother Heather Patno works in the Power Office as a hydraulic engineer.

This is the first high-flow release under the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan, which was approved in December 2016. This experiment will help rebuild beaches, sandbars and other environmental resources in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and National Park. It continues important scientific research and monitoring along the while preserving crucial water and power deliveries for the nearly 40 million people who rely on the river.

“This high-flow experiment is an important opportunity to learn more about the Grand Canyon’s resources,” said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman. “I applaud the partnership and collaboration Octavia Patno prepares to open the first by-pass tube to begin the among the Department agencies and 2018 High Flow Experiment at Glen Canyon Dam in Page, bureaus, all seven basin states and other stakeholders to continue our successful adaptive approach to managing Glen Canyon Dam.”

During this 60-hour high-flow release, the increased river flow will carry sediment deposited on the bed of the Colorado River from tributaries below Glen Canyon Dam in recent months through the Grand Canyon. Scientists and other researchers will also use this high flow experiment to gather important information which will help inform future operational and management decisions at the dam and along the Colorado River. In fact, this high flow experiment continues and supports more than 20 years of extensive scientific research, experimentation and analysis conducted through the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Glen Canyon Dam at night. This year lights were installed on the four Management Program. The Glen Canyon by-pass tubes and can be seen from the Carl Hayden Visitor Center. Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan is a 20-year plan that updates protocols for continued experiments and provides a framework for adaptive management of Glen Canyon Dam.

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation

The decision to conduct this experiment was based on input from a collaborative team, including Department of the Interior agencies—Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs—the Department of Energy’s Western Area Power Administration, and representatives from all seven Colorado River Basin States. Before proceeding with the experiment, experts determined there would be no unacceptable adverse impacts on other resource conditions. Technical experts with the Department of the Interior have coordinated the experiment’s design to optimize benefits to sediment resources throughout the Grand Canyon while meeting all water delivery requirements and minimizing negative impacts to hydropower production.

This high flow experiment will not change or impact the total annual amount of water released from to . Releases from Glen Canyon Dam, both before and after the experiment and through the remainder of the year, will be adjusted to compensate for the high volume released during this high-flow experiment.

November 5 thru 12 Drowsy Driving Prevention Week Information and resources from: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/drowsy-driving - presented by the 2018 UCRO Safety Council

Awareness of drowsy driving Although people who fall asleep for more than a few minutes are often aware of those lapses in wakefulness, drivers may not be aware of shorter lapses and microsleeps, which can also have serious consequences when a quick reaction is needed to avoid high-speed crashes. Most people also are not aware of how drowsiness affects their driving performance, even without falling asleep.

Drowsy Driving Facts: • Sleepiness can impair driving performance as much or more so than alcohol • one out of every six (16.5%) deadly traffic accidents, and one out of eight (12.5%) crashes requiring hospitalization of car drivers or passengers is due to drowsy driving. • automobile accidents attributed to sleepiness to be cost and estimated $29.2 to $37.9 billion. • (41%) admitted to having fallen asleep at the wheel at some point.; one in ten drivers (10%) reporting they did so within the past year. • More than one-quarter of drivers (27%) admitting they had driven while they were “so sleepy that [they] had a hard time keeping [their] eyes open” within the past month • All people need between 7 and 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night to feel well rested and function at their fullest • Studies have linked sleepiness and fatigue to decreases in vigilance, reaction time, memory, psychomotor coordination, information processing, and decision making, all of which are needed for safe driving.

Indicators of drowsiness and drowsy driving: • Frequent blinking, longer duration blinks and head nodding • Having trouble keeping one’s eyes open and focused • Memory lapses or daydreaming • Drifting from one’s driving lane or off the road

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Individual prevention of drowsy driving crashes: • There is no substitute for sleep, and drivers should ensure they are well rested to prevent crashes. • Do not drive if you have been up for 24 hours or more, it’s not safe • Take a short, 20-minute nap • Drinking two cups of coffee or other equivalently caffeinated beverages. Caffeine will improve alertness only for a short period of time, and should not be relied upon to make up for a sleep deficit • There is also no evidence for anecdotal reports that opening car windows, stopping to stretch, or turning up the volume of a car radio can prevent drowsy driving crashes

IT Security Corner - Malware By John Strongo, Regional Information System Security Officer

What is Malware? Simply put, malware is software--a computer program--used to perform malicious actions. This term is a combination of the words malicious and software. Cyber criminals install malware on your computers or devices to gain control over them. Once installed, malware can enable criminals to spy on your online activities, steal your passwords or files, or use your system to attack others. Malware can even take control of your own files, demanding that you pay a ransom to get them back. Many people believe that malware is a problem only for Windows computers. Unfortunately, malware can infect any device, from Mac computers and smartphones to DVRs and security cameras. The more computers and devices cyber

criminals infect, the more money they can make. Therefore, everyone is a target, including you.

How to protect yourself from Malware? There are steps you can take to protect the infection of malware on any computer/mobile device/etc. that you might use: • Update software regularly - Cyber criminals often infect computers or devices by exploiting vulnerabilities in your software. The more current your software is, the fewer vulnerabilities your systems have and the harder it is for cyber criminals to infect them. Make sure your operating

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation systems, applications, browser and browser plugins, and devices are always updated and current. The easiest way to ensure this is to enable automatic updating whenever possible. • Be careful what you download and install - Cyber criminals often trick people into installing malware for them. For instance, they might send you an email that looks legitimate and contains an attachment or a link. Perhaps the email appears to come from your bank or a friend. However, if you were to open the attached file or click on the link, you would activate malicious code that installs malware on your system. If a message creates a strong sense of urgency or seems too good to be true, it could be an attack. Be suspicious, common sense is often your best defense. • Backup regularly - Regularly back up your system and files to Cloud-based services, or store your backups offline, such as on disconnected external drives. This protects your backups in case malware attempts to encrypt or erase them. Backups are critical. They are often the only way you can recover from a malware infection. • Don’t click that! – Last but not least, do not click on that email from “your bank”! The bad guys want you to click on that link, so they can direct you to a mirrored site that looks exactly like your bank. You enter in your username and password and BAM! … They got it! (It would have been easier to call them and tell them your login information). If you receive an email that you are not sure if it is a legitimate one or not…. just pick up the phone and call the business instead.

Who’s New

We would like to introduce new employees to the HR Office:

Michael Knowles - Personnel Security Specialist Mike joined Reclamation on August 19 and brings a wealth of personnel security specialist experience having served in the same position with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Salt Lake City.

Renee Mitchell - Human Resources Assistant Renee returned to the HR staff on September 16, with human resources experience in processing, pay, benefits and retirements from prior employment with the VA and Reclamation.

Everett Larson - Human Resources Assistant Everett joined Reclamation on October 28 and brings with him administrative field office experience from the U.S. Forest Service.

Please welcome the new staff to the Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region, Human Resources Division.

In Transition

Robert Henrie – Upper Colorado Region Office - Safety, Security and Dam Safety Division

Robert Henrie has been selected to be the Upper Colorado Regions Dam Safety Coordinator working in the Security and Dam Safety Group of the Safety, Security and Dam Safety Division. His duty station will be the regional office. His starting date will be November 11 with the first day at work after Veterans Day on November 13. He comes from the Provo Area Office Design Group. Prior to that he worked in the regional office Engineering Services Group and Management Services Group. He has also worked on a detail for the Upper Colorado River Commission.

Please join me in congratulating and giving support to Robert in this new assignment

U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation