Salmon Habitat Temperature Monitoring in Four Clear-Water Upper Tributaries of the Sandy River, Oregon

1. Salmon Habitat Temperature Monitoring in Four Clear-Water Upper Tributaries of the Sandy River, Oregon Ingrid Hannan and Jennifer Tibbals Rev. Ronald J. Wasowski, C.S.C. Special thanks to: The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust Dr. Steven Kolmes Andrew O’Keefe 2 November 2007 Field site location in Oregon The four study streams Temperature sampling locations Abstract The Summer 2007 Murdock research project is both an extension and a refinement of the Murdock-funded project begun during the summer of 2006. One of two foci of the 2007 project was to acquire summer water and air temperatures in order to evaluate potential impacts on salmonid spawning success. At the end of June, micro-T temperature loggers were placed at 15 locations in all four streams and in adjacent trees to record water and air temperatures every hour. Retrieved in early September, Micro-T logger data were acquired during the most critical period for thermal stress on salmonid eggs, fry and juveniles. Critical temperatures are 13°C for egg incubation and spawning, 14°C for Steelhead smoltification, and 16°C for juvenile growth. Using the State of Oregon Seven-Day Average Maximum (7DAM), the 13°C limit was exceeded on one creek on 24 days and the 14°C limit was exceeded on that same creek on three days. Locator Maps • Laboratory and Field Methods • The sensors selected for recording both water and air temperatures along all four streams were micro-T model DS1921G temperature loggers. These have +/– 1 °C accuracy, 0.5°C resolution, a range of – 40°C to + 85°C, and can record a maximum of 2,048 temperature measurements (a total of 85 days at one reading per hour). • Measuring 16 mm in diameter and 8 mm thick, the micro-T loggers are based on iButton technology. The micro-T sensors are self-contained, self-powered, field-rugged, and each one has a unique identification number. They are also relatively inexpensive at about $20 each, less than $0.01 per reading. • All micro-T loggers were calibrated in both air and water before deployment using a calibrated laboratory-quality alcohol thermometer. • In preparation for deployment, the micro-T temperature loggers were programmed to record measurements in Celsius degrees every hour on the hour. They were deployed on 29 June 2007 and retrieved on 4 September 2007, thus providing data for 7DAM’s (1) beginning on 2 July 2007 and ending on 4 September 2007. By definition, a 7DAM is the average of the maximum water temperature for seven consecutive days. • Each micro-T logger was encased in Parafilm® M barrier film to protect from water damage, which was experienced with several micro-T loggers during the 2006 field season. • In a typical deployment, three micro-T loggers were used: two in the water and one in the air. The water temperature measurements were considered critical data, and therefore two loggers were used for redundancy. • For water deployment, two Parafilm® M-wrapped micro-T loggers were encased in a perforated plastic golf ball sealed with a zip tie (informally called a “water ball”). This insured that the two loggers would remain together and be fully exposed to the current. The micro-T loggers used to monitor water were attached to cord-wrapped rocks coated with a layer of rubber on the bottom to prevent slipping. • For air deployment, one Parafilm® M-wrapped micro-T logger was encased in a perforated plastic golf ball sealed with a zip tie (informally called an “air ball”). In turn, this air ball was attached to a tree branch in full shade at approximately eye level along the stream bank near the corresponding water ball. Results, Continued • Figure 3: Camp Creek 7DAM The 7DAM’s in Camp Creek are slightly higher than in Lost Creek. The lowest elevation recording location (at the Camp Creek Campground) has a maximum 7DAM of 12.86°C on two consecutive days. This is the only instance of any of the other recording locations coming close to the 13°C threshold of concern for egg incubation and spawning. • Figure 4: Still Creek 7DAM Still Creek is by far the coolest of the four monitored streams. It has only two recording locations because one of the water balls could not be found. Very well hidden but in a relatively heavily populated reach of Still Creek, this is the only place where a water ball was lost, and this occurred during both the 2006 and 2007 field years. • Figure 5: Lost Creek Air & Water Temperature This is a typical graph of air and water temperatures acquired at the same location. As expected, the diurnal variations in temperature are far more extreme than the changes in water temperature. • Discussion • In general, the 7DAM values are inversely related to elevation for any particular stream: the higher the elevation, the cooler the water temperature. However, there are some notable exceptions to this pattern. • Although separated by approximately equal distances, all four recording locations on Clear Fork (Figure 1) have nearly identical 7DAM’s yet nonetheless fall into two distinct groups. The coolest pair were placed at either end of a very narrow and deeply shadowed channel. The warmest pair were at either end of a relatively unshadowed channel reach. The fact that all four 7DAM’s are close in temperature suggests that groundwater may be an important influence on stream water temperature. • The two lowest elevation recording locations on Lost Creek (Figure 2) also have nearly identical 7DAM’s. Much like Clear Fork, this channel reach is very deeply shadowed. However, unlike Clear Fork, this channel reach crosses a relatively wide floodplain. • The three recording locations on Camp Creek (Figure 3) have very distinctly different 7DAM values. The lowest elevation recording location is at the upstream end of the Camp Creek Campground. At some places, Camp Creek is adjacent to U.S. Highway 24 between Rhododendron and Government Camp, Oregon. • Much like Camp Creek, the two recording locations on Still Creek (Figure 4) have distinctly different 7DAM values. The variations in 7DAM values seem to be slightly exaggerated at the highest elevation recording location, but that difference is probably not statistically significant. • The sample air and water temperature graph from a recording location on Lost Creek (Figure 5) shows two patterns very clearly: • First, there is a very strong correlation between air and water temperature. Special care was taken to place the air balls in total shade so that the air temperature readings would not be influenced by direct solar heating. One as yet incomplete analysis is to statistically compare the air and water temperatures at all the recording locations in an attempt to determine whether direct solar heating may be a significant factor in heating the water. • Second, there is a strong visual correlation between the diurnal temperature range of the air and water. Another as yet incomplete analysis is to gather data on cloud cover and precipitation for the four drainage basins in an attempt to determine their potential influence. Results Figures 1 through 4 are all displayed with the same temperature range in order to make visual comparisons as easy as possible to make. The 7DAM (1) seasonal maxima occurred for all streams and all recording locations in each stream on 12 July 2007 + 1 day. The 7DAM’s rather abruptly decrease during the following week, then rise and fall in stet in all four streams for the duration of the summer. • Figure 1: Clear Fork 7DAM The 7DAM’s in Clear Fork are substantially higher than in any of the other three streams. The 7DAM’s recorded at the two lowest-elevation recording locations reached or exceeded the 13°C threshold of concern for egg incubation and spawning on two occasions: once for 13 consecutive days and a few days later for another 11 consecutive days. The 7DAM’s recorded at the two lowest-elevation recording locations reached or exceeded the 14°C threshold of concern for Steelhead smoltification on one occasion for 3 consecutive days. • Figure 2: Lost Creek 7DAM The 7DAM’s in Lost Creek are substantially lower than in Clear Fork. The two highest elevation recording locations have very nearly identical 7DAM’s. References 1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2003. EPA Region 10 Guidance for Pacific Northwest State and Tribal Temperature Water Quality Standards. EPA 910-B-03-002. Region 10 Office of Water, Seattle, WA. 2. Kolmes and Richter. 2005. Maximum temperature limits for Chinook, Coho, and Chum Salmon, and Steelhead Trout in the Pacific Northwest. Reviews in Fisheries Science, 13:23-49. 3. Sandy River Basin Working Group. 2006. Salmon and steelhead conservation: an assessment of anchor habitat on the Sandy River, Oregon. Oregon Trout. Portland, Oregon. 4. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: Fish Division. 2005. Progress reports 2005 with 1996-2004 summaries: Spring Chinook in the Willamette and Sandy Rivers. F-163-R-10.