Riverkeeper Data Used in Regional Temperature Model

By Lorri Epstein, Water Quality Director—

The U.S. Forest Service recently contacted Riverkeeper requesting stream temperature data from the Columbia River Basin for a regional database and modeling effort. Riverkeeper volunteers have collected temperature data since 2006, and we were happy to share our data for this project.

The project is an interagency, collaborative effort that is compiling data from federal, state, tribal, and private sources to develop a comprehensive regional database. Modelers will then use the data in spatial statistical models that will develop stream temperature predictions for both future and historic scenarios. These predictions are incredible important in assessing the vulnerability of sensitive fish species to thermal habitat shifts and understanding how climate change may affect aquatic resources in the Northwest.

Riverkeeper volunteers recognize the time and effort that goes into collecting this data, and we are so excited to be part of such a collaborative and efficient effort. Simply sharing data is far more prudent than going to the field to collect redundant data, and by the end of the year, the database will be posted online where all the datasets can be accessed and downloaded. We’re proud to be one of the individual, state, federal, tribal and private partners sharing our data.

Learn more about our monitoring program