Stream temperature as vital indicator
Stream temperature as vital indicator
Stream temperature is a vital indicator variable for stream health and morphology
Project Details
- Keywords: Stream temperature, salmon habitat, hydrology, climate change, southeast Alaska
- UAS Program Area: Environmental Science
- Principal Investigator: Eran Hood, Ph.D.
- Co-Principal Investigator: Sanjay Pyare, Ph.D.
- Project Period: June 2017–December 2020
Funding Sources
- U.S. Forest Service: $22,600
Abstract
The University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Southeast Alaska Watershed Council (SAWC) to monitor stream temperature across southeast Alaska. The Southeast Alaska Freshwater Temperature Monitoring Network currently contains around 60 active stream temperature sites managed by UAS, USFS, SAWC, and other partner agencies and tribes. Stream temperature is a vital indicator variable for stream health and morphology, particularly in the context of predicted climate warming in the region. UAS researchers provide oversight of all aspects of data collection and archiving for the network. A UAS research technician coordinates directly with USFS and external collaborators to maintain and download data from existing stream temperature network sites. The goal of the network is to collect stream temperature data that meet the information needs of individual cooperators while simultaneously generating data that contributes to an understanding of regional stream temperature patterns and trends.