Water Temperature Monitoring in the Eastern Slopes to Aid in the Recovery of Native Trout Populations

Three of Alberta’s native trout species – bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout, and Athabasca rainbow trout – are listed under the Species at Risk Act. Because these species require cold, clean water, their habitat is at risk to warming temperatures from climate change. This project will gather data and build models to assist resource managers in selecting areas for recovery actions and protection.

Unfortunately, the data currently available for stream temperature modelling does not allow for great precision in many areas. More data will help identify thermally suitable habitat for these species, and forecast which watersheds will be most vulnerable in the future.

We are worked with MacHydro to identify areas that most need additional stream temperature monitoring. While predictions for most watersheds would be improved with more data, mainstem rivers and areas in National Parks are most in need of additional monitoring.

We are collating data sources from many different groups, managing the growing dataset, and directing the deployment of additional data loggers based on this analysis. MacHydro is taking the lead on the model creation and has developed a web-based platform for creating their models and outputs that, when finished, will be publicly accessible.

This project is part of the Alberta Native Trout Collaborative. Learn more here.