Identifying trout refuges in the Indian and Hudson Rivers in northern New York through airborne thermal infrared remote sensing
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Abstract
The locations and sizes of potential cold-water refuges for trout were examined in 2005 along a 27-kilometer segment of the Indian and Hudson Rivers in northern New York to evaluate the extent of refuges, the effects of routine flow releases from an impoundment, and how these refuges and releases might influence trout survival in reaches that otherwise would be thermally stressed. This river segment supports small populations of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), brown trout (Salmo trutta), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and also receives regular releases of reservoir-surface waters to support rafting during the summer, when water temperatures in both the reservoir and the river frequently exceed thermal thresholds for trout survival. Airborne thermal infrared imaging was supplemented with continuous, in-stream temperature loggers to identify potential refuges that may be associated with tributary inflows or groundwater seeps and to define the extent to which the release flows decrease the size of existing refuges. In general, the release flows overwhelmed the refuge areas and greatly decreased the size and number of the areas. Mean water temperatures were unaffected by the releases, but small-scale heterogeneity was diminished. At a larger scale, water temperatures in the upper and lower segments of the reach were consistently warmer than in the middle segment, even during passage of release waters. The inability of remote thermal infrared images to consistently distinguish land from water (in shaded areas) and to detect groundwater seeps (away from the shallow edges of the stream) limited data analysis and the ability to identify potential thermal refuge areas.
Suggested Citation
Ernst, A.G., Baldigo, B.P., Calef, F.J., Freehafer, D.A., and Kremens, R.L., 2015, Identifying trout refuges in the Indian and Hudson Rivers in northern New York through airborne thermal infrared remote sensing: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1078, 17 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151078.
ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)
Study Area
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Study Area
- Methods
- Results Discussion
- Study Limitations
- Summary
- References Cited
Publication type | Report |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
Title | Identifying trout refuges in the Indian and Hudson Rivers in northern New York through airborne thermal infrared remote sensing |
Series title | Open-File Report |
Series number | 2015-1078 |
DOI | 10.3133/ofr20151078 |
Year Published | 2015 |
Language | English |
Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
Publisher location | Reston, VA |
Contributing office(s) | New York Water Science Center |
Description | vii, 17 p. |
Country | United States |
State | New York |
Other Geospatial | Hudson River and Indian River, Adirondack Park |
Online Only (Y/N) | Y |
Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |