Variable wildfire impacts on the seasonal water temperatures of western US streams: A retrospective study.

ABSTRACT: Recent increases in the burn area and severity of wildfires in the western US have raised concerns about the impact on stream water temperature-a key determinant of cold-water fish habitats. However, the effect on seasonal water temperatures of concern, including winter and summer, are not fully understood. In this study, we assessed the impact of wildfire burns at Boulder Creek (Oregon), Elk Creek (Oregon), and Gibbon River (Wyoming) watersheds on the downstream winter and summer water temperatures for the first three post-fire years. To obtain results independent of the choice of the analytical method, we evaluated the consequence of each burn using three different statistical approaches that utilize local water temperature data. Our results from the three approaches indicated that the r

SUBMITTER: Beyene MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9299304 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature