Name
Nechako Watershed stream temperature monitoring and research, 2019-2023
Description
Forming the second largest tributary watershed to the Fraser River Basin, the Nechako Watershed spans 47,200 km2 in north-central British Columbia. At least 15 First Nations have traditional, ancestral and unceded territories covering the entire Nechako, and who rely on the basin’s abundant fish species as vital food sources. Starting in the early 1950s, the main stem Nechako River has been regulated through an inter-basin diversion for hydroelectricity production at Rio Tinto’s Kemano Powerhouse. Water releases from the Nechako Reservoir at the Skins Lake Spillway are partly to cool water temperatures to ≤20°C along the main stem Nechako River during summer salmon migrations. The Nechako Watershed also comprises a vast network of unregulated waterways including the Nadina, Stellako and Stuart rivers that form additional habitats for white sturgeon, rainbow trout, and sockeye salmon.
In response to rising concerns on the impacts of flow regulation and climate change on water temperatures, aquatic habitat and fish health, we initiated in 2019 a stream temperature monitoring network across the Nechako Watershed. This presentation will provide information on the site selection process, including consultation with First Nations, an industry partner, and various stakeholders. An overview of the stream temperature monitoring network, currently at 29 active sites, will then be provided. Comparisons with hourly data from other monitoring networks in proximity to our sites will follow. We will share an example of the relevance of our data as illustrated by the capture of the thermal response of freshwaters to the 2021 early summer heat dome. The presentation will close with a summary of the data quality assurance and control process, long-term data archiving, outreach efforts, and plans for future research.
In response to rising concerns on the impacts of flow regulation and climate change on water temperatures, aquatic habitat and fish health, we initiated in 2019 a stream temperature monitoring network across the Nechako Watershed. This presentation will provide information on the site selection process, including consultation with First Nations, an industry partner, and various stakeholders. An overview of the stream temperature monitoring network, currently at 29 active sites, will then be provided. Comparisons with hourly data from other monitoring networks in proximity to our sites will follow. We will share an example of the relevance of our data as illustrated by the capture of the thermal response of freshwaters to the 2021 early summer heat dome. The presentation will close with a summary of the data quality assurance and control process, long-term data archiving, outreach efforts, and plans for future research.