The primary mission of GRDA, as stated in our mission statement, is to provide low cost, reliable electric power and related services to our customers. Additionally, the recreational opportunities associated with the dam's creation in 1940 have become increasingly valuable to communities in and around the Grand River Basin.

Thus, the biological, economic, social and political needs of local communities associated with the Grand River Dam Authority is dependant on our natural resources, the Ecosystems Management Department was established to aid in the development of goals and objectives that are designed to maintain the integrity of the entire ecosystem. Ecosystems are dynamic (always changing) and have the ability to respond to certain stresses.

Many human activities are compatible with ecosystems function (i.e. boating and fishing), while others may jeopardize their integrity and function (i.e. influx of excessive nutrients or heavy metals).

The primary goal of the ecosystems department is to accommodate and minimize the negative impacts of human disturbances within the Grand River Basin. Habitat restoration and ecological conservation of the Grand River Basin is a high priority of the department.

Thus management techniques should be designed to fulfill the goals and objectives that benefit local communities. To accomplish these goals the ecosystems department must simultaneously accommodate a wide variety of public interest (i.e. fisherman, hunters, boaters, lake side homeowners and commercial developers) as well as our own business interest, so that we can continue to provide low cost, reliable electrical power while simultaneously protecting our natural resources for future generations.

The philosophy of ecosystem management is based on the sustain ability of three primary attributes:

1. Composition
2. Structure
3. Function

Composition generally refers to habitats. Most people are familiar with this term and generally conceive habitats as the specific plant characteristics where fish and wildlife conduct their daily activities. However, habitats also include the physical environment. For instance, fish habitat includes water quality, temperature, dissolved oxygen levels, migration routs, spawning ground, feeding sites, resting sites and shelters that provide protection from predators and adverse weather. Habitat characteristics play a key role in dictating ecosystem integrity and susceptibility.

Structure refers to arrangement of biotic (i.e. plant and animals) and abiotic (temperature, water quality) patterns in the environment.

Function depends on the interactions of organisms that influence the capture and flow of energy (i.e. predator and prey or nutrient cycling). The composition, structure, and function of ecosystems are highly interconnected, for instance, disturbance activities that occur on land can have a dramatic influence on water quality and fishery habitat. Further, disturbances that occur upstream are likely to have as great an impact downstream as they have at their source. As a result, failure to understand and manage the ecosystem as a whole can negatively influence management decisions.

Aquatic vegetation plays a critical role in the composition, structure and function of ecosystems. Vegetation can help stabilize shorelines, improve water quality (i.e. increasing dissolved oxygen content), enhance habitat, and can buffer excessive nutrients and phosphorous. Habitat improvements can provide escape cover to increase survival of juvenile fish and increase spawning substrate to enhance natural reproduction. In cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, GRDA has implemented a plan to introduce native aquatic plants in the littoral zone of Grand Lake to enhance our fish and wildlife populations. For more information: Habitat Enhancement Program