Primer for Identifying Cold-Water Refuges to Protect and Restore Thermal Diversity in Riverine Landscapes

Abstract or Description

USGS Highlight: In aquatic ecology, the term "thermal refuge" refers to a cold or warm area in which organisms are protected from unfavorable water temperatures. Since the release of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance for temperature water quality standards in 2003, Oregon and Washington have adopted the standards for waters designated to protect coldwater salmonids. In a new report, USGS landscape ecologist Christian Torgersen and EPA co-authors recently published a basic guide for identifying coldwater refuges in rivers and streams of the Pacific Northwest. The guide provides a summary of the current science and is intended to assist Pacific Northwest states, tribes, and local groups to implement the water quality temperature standards for protecting and restoring coldwater habitats for salmonids.