On a hot, dry August afternoon, 16 BWA Streamwatch volunteers collected temperature and conductivity measurements at 66 sites on the streams and creeks of our watershed.
Both temperature and conductivity/salinity impact aquatic life. Trout, particularly Brook Trout, are sensitive to temperature, and may not survive at temperatures above 23o C. The best temperature for growth & feeding is 12 – 18o C.
A summary of temperature data collected on August 1, 2024, shows that at almost every site, stream temperature was stressful to trout. The average of all temperatures collected this year, 22.7 degrees Celcius, was more than a degree higher than the average temperature for all sites (44) in 2023, 21.6 degrees Celcius.
SNAPSHOT SUMMARY:
INDIVIDUAL CREEK REPORTS: