Impacts of small dams on stream temperature

Small, surface-release dams are ubiquitous features of the landscape that typically slow water flow and decrease canopy cover through impounded reaches, potentially increasing stream temperatures. However, reported effects of small dams on water temperature are variable, likely due to differences in...

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Autores principales:	Peter A. Zaidel, Allison H. Roy, Kristopher M. Houle, Beth Lambert, Benjamin H. Letcher, Keith H. Nislow, Christopher Smith
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Elsevier 2021
Materias:	Thermal regime Coldwater habitat Dam removal River restoration Water quality Ecology QH540-549.5
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/4093dd8f53174d9db8e3a74b13f0fe0e
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:4093dd8f53174d9db8e3a74b13f0fe0e2021-12-01T04:28:13ZImpacts of small dams on stream temperature1470-160X10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106878https://doaj.org/article/4093dd8f53174d9db8e3a74b13f0fe0e2021-01-01T00:00:00Zhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X20308165https://doaj.org/toc/1470-160XSmall, surface-release dams are ubiquitous features of the landscape that typically slow water flow and decrease canopy cover through impounded reaches, potentially increasing stream temperatures. However, reported effects of small dams on water temperature are variable, likely due to differences in landscape and dam characteristics. To quantify the range of thermal effects of small dams, we deployed continuous temperature loggers for one to four years at 30 dam sites across a range of environmental settings throughout Massachusetts (USA). Most dams (67%) warmed downstream waters, with August mean temperatures 0.20–5.25 °C higher than upstream. Downstream temperatures cooled with increased distance from the dam at 68% of sites, such that the warmest temperatures were observed closest to the dam. Where there was both a significant downstream warming effect and cooling pattern (seven sites), elevated temperatures persisted for an average of 1.31 km downstream of the dam. Dams with impoundments that caused the greatest relative widening of the stream channel and those on coldwater streams had the most warming, while streams with short dams in forested watersheds cooled most quickly downstream of the dam. Flow had a homogenizing effect on water temperatures at over half of the sites, whereby summer thermal impacts were more pronounced (e.g., more warming, faster cooling rates) under periods of lower flows. Downstream warming may reduce habitat for coldwater fishes and invertebrates, particularly where dams shift coldwater/coolwater habitat to warmwater. These results suggest that dam removal may mitigate elevated stream temperatures and increase ecosystem resilience in the face of a changing climate via restoration of critical coldwater habitats.Peter A. ZaidelAllison H. RoyKristopher M. HouleBeth LambertBenjamin H. LetcherKeith H. NislowChristopher SmithElsevierarticleThermal regimeColdwater habitatDam removalRiver restorationWater qualityEcologyQH540-549.5ENEcological Indicators, Vol 120, Iss , Pp 106878- (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Thermal regime Coldwater habitat Dam removal River restoration Water quality Ecology QH540-549.5
spellingShingle	Thermal regime Coldwater habitat Dam removal River restoration Water quality Ecology QH540-549.5 Peter A. Zaidel Allison H. Roy Kristopher M. Houle Beth Lambert Benjamin H. Letcher Keith H. Nislow Christopher Smith Impacts of small dams on stream temperature
description	Small, surface-release dams are ubiquitous features of the landscape that typically slow water flow and decrease canopy cover through impounded reaches, potentially increasing stream temperatures. However, reported effects of small dams on water temperature are variable, likely due to differences in landscape and dam characteristics. To quantify the range of thermal effects of small dams, we deployed continuous temperature loggers for one to four years at 30 dam sites across a range of environmental settings throughout Massachusetts (USA). Most dams (67%) warmed downstream waters, with August mean temperatures 0.20–5.25 °C higher than upstream. Downstream temperatures cooled with increased distance from the dam at 68% of sites, such that the warmest temperatures were observed closest to the dam. Where there was both a significant downstream warming effect and cooling pattern (seven sites), elevated temperatures persisted for an average of 1.31 km downstream of the dam. Dams with impoundments that caused the greatest relative widening of the stream channel and those on coldwater streams had the most warming, while streams with short dams in forested watersheds cooled most quickly downstream of the dam. Flow had a homogenizing effect on water temperatures at over half of the sites, whereby summer thermal impacts were more pronounced (e.g., more warming, faster cooling rates) under periods of lower flows. Downstream warming may reduce habitat for coldwater fishes and invertebrates, particularly where dams shift coldwater/coolwater habitat to warmwater. These results suggest that dam removal may mitigate elevated stream temperatures and increase ecosystem resilience in the face of a changing climate via restoration of critical coldwater habitats.
format	article
author	Peter A. Zaidel Allison H. Roy Kristopher M. Houle Beth Lambert Benjamin H. Letcher Keith H. Nislow Christopher Smith
author_facet	Peter A. Zaidel Allison H. Roy Kristopher M. Houle Beth Lambert Benjamin H. Letcher Keith H. Nislow Christopher Smith
author_sort	Peter A. Zaidel
title	Impacts of small dams on stream temperature
title_short	Impacts of small dams on stream temperature
title_full	Impacts of small dams on stream temperature
title_fullStr	Impacts of small dams on stream temperature
title_full_unstemmed	Impacts of small dams on stream temperature
title_sort	impacts of small dams on stream temperature
publisher	Elsevier
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/4093dd8f53174d9db8e3a74b13f0fe0e
work_keys_str_mv	AT peterazaidel impactsofsmalldamsonstreamtemperature AT allisonhroy impactsofsmalldamsonstreamtemperature AT kristophermhoule impactsofsmalldamsonstreamtemperature AT bethlambert impactsofsmalldamsonstreamtemperature AT benjaminhletcher impactsofsmalldamsonstreamtemperature AT keithhnislow impactsofsmalldamsonstreamtemperature AT christophersmith impactsofsmalldamsonstreamtemperature
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Impacts of small dams on stream temperature

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