Warming Stream Temperatures
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Stream temperature is an important component of water quality and is a major driver of biotic processes in aquatic ecosystems. Stream temperature influences aquatic biota in all life stages through feeding, growth, reproduction, emergence, and migration [7]. Stream temperature can also be a limiting factor in salmon distribution, migration, health, and performance, and can be lethal when temperatures exceed suitable thresholds [6]. Bull trout and Westslope cutthroat trout populations in the upper North Fork sub-basin are listed as species of concern [3]. Changes in stream temperature are important from regulatory, ecosystem, and habitat perspectives [5].
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Annual mean stream temper- ature for the North Fork Clearwater River, north-central Idaho. The horizontal line is the 1971–2000 mean for the dataset.
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The data from Canyon Ranger station provide a robust stream temperature record. Data from the site have been used in recent work examining climate change impacts on stream temperature and salmon [4]. The stream temperature record from Canyon Ranger station therefore serves as an important indicator of a changing climate in Idaho. The stream temperature record at Canyon Work Center on the North Fork of the Clearwater River shows a temperature increase of approximately 0.14 °C (0.25 °F) per decade, or just over a 0.55 °C (1 °F) increase for average annual values over the 36 year period of record.
Multiple factors influence stream temperature including atmospheric conditions (solar radiation, air temperature, precipitation), stream discharge (streamflow, volume, friction, turbulence), physiography (slope, aspect, elevation, geology, riparian vegetation), and streambed (sediment, hyporheic exchange, groundwater) [1]. Climate scenarios project a 0.1-0.6 °C warming across the region per decade over the next 50 years which may have a significant impact on stream temperature across Idaho, in turn affecting aquatic species that depend on cold water temperatures.
References
Multiple factors influence stream temperature including atmospheric conditions (solar radiation, air temperature, precipitation), stream discharge (streamflow, volume, friction, turbulence), physiography (slope, aspect, elevation, geology, riparian vegetation), and streambed (sediment, hyporheic exchange, groundwater) [1]. Climate scenarios project a 0.1-0.6 °C warming across the region per decade over the next 50 years which may have a significant impact on stream temperature across Idaho, in turn affecting aquatic species that depend on cold water temperatures.
References
- Caissie, D. "The Thermal Regime of Rivers: A Review." Freshwater Biology 51.8 (August, 2006): 1389-1406. CrossRef. Web. n.d.
- IDDEQ. "Upper North Fork Clearwater River Subbasin Assessment and Total Maximum Daily Loads." October (2003). Print.
- IDEQ Water Quality Standards. 2011. 0102-1.Pdf. Print.
- Isaak, D J, S Wollrab, D Horan, and G Chandler. "Climate Change Effects on Stream and River Temperatures Across the Northwest U.S. From 1980–2009 and Implications for Salmonid Fishes." Climatic Change (November 4, 2011). CrossRef. Web. n.d.
- Isaak, Daniel. "Stream Temperature Monitoring and Modeling: Recent Advances and New Tools for Managers." Stream Temperature Monitoring and Modeling: Recent Advances and New Tools for Managers. Fort Collins, CO: STREAM SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY CENTER USDA Forest Service, July, 2011. CrossRef. Web. n.d.
- Mantua, Nathan, Ingrid Tohver, and Alan Hamlet. "Climate Change Impacts on Streamflow Extremes and Summertime Stream Temperature and Their Possible Consequences for Freshwater Salmon Habitat in Washington State." Climatic Change 102.1-2 (September, 2010): 187-223. CrossRef. Web. n.d.
- Morrill, J.C., R.C. Bales, and M.H. Conklin. "Estimating Stream Temperature From Air Temperature: Implications for Future Water Quality." Journal of Environmental Engineering 131 (2005): 139. Print.
