Landscape influence on small‐scale water temperature variations in a moorland catchment

We monitored temperatures in stream water, groundwater and riparian wetland surface water over 18 months in a 3.2‐km² moorland catchment in the Scottish Highlands. The stream occupies a glaciated valley, aligned east–west. It has three main headwater tributaries with a large north facing catchment, a south facing catchment and the smallest east facing headwater. The lower catchment sampling locations begin after the convalescence of all three headwaters. Much of the stream network is fringed by riparian peatlands. Stream temperatures are mainly regulated by energy exchanges at the air–water interface. However, they are also influenced by inflows from the saturated riparian zone, where surface water source areas are strongly connected with the stream network. Consequently, the spatial distribution of stream temperatures exhibits limited variability. Nevertheless, there are significant summer differences between the headwaters, despite their close proximity to each other. This is consistent with aspect (and incident radiation), given the south and east facing headwaters having higher temperatures. The largest, north‐facing sub‐catchment shows lower summer diurnal temperature variability, suggesting that lower radiation inputs dampen temperature extremes. Whilst stream water temperature regimes in the lower catchment exhibit little change along a 1‐km reach, they are similar to those in the largest headwater; probably reflecting size and comparable catchment aspect and hydrological flow paths. Our results suggest that different parts of the channel network and its connected wetlands have contrasting sensitivity to higher summer temperatures. This may be important in land management strategies designed to mitigate the impacts of projected climatic warming. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling temperature change downstream of forest harvest using Newton's law of cooling

We adapted Newton's law of cooling to model downstream water temperature change in response to stream‐adjacent forest harvest on small and medium streams (average 327 ha in size) throughout the Oregon Coast Range, USA. The model requires measured stream gradient, width, depth and upstream control reach temperatures as inputs and contains two free parameters, which were determined by fitting the model to measured stream temperature data. This model reproduces the measured downstream temperature responses to within 0.4 °C for 15 of the 16 streams studied and provides insight into the physical sources of site‐to‐site variation among those responses. We also use the model to examine how the pre‐harvest to post‐harvest change in daily maximum stream temperature depends on distance from the harvest reach. The model suggests that the pre‐harvest to post‐harvest temperature change approximately 300 m downstream of the harvest will range from roughly 82% to less than 1% of that temperature change that occurred within the harvest reach, depending primarily on the downstream width, depth and gradient. Using study‐averaged values for these channel characteristics, the model suggests that for a stream representative of those in the study, the temperature change approximately 300 m downstream of the harvest will be 56% of the temperature change that occurred within the harvest reach. This adapted Newton's law of cooling procedure represents a highly practical means for predicting stream temperature behaviour downstream of timber harvests relative to conventional heat budget approaches and is informative of the dominant processes affecting stream temperature. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Base flow‐driven shifts in tropical stream temperature regimes across a mean annual rainfall gradient

Climate change is expected to affect air temperature and watershed hydrology, but the degree to which these concurrent changes affect stream temperature is not well documented in the tropics. How stream temperature varies over time under changing hydrologic conditions is difficult to isolate from seasonal changes in air temperature. Groundwater and bank storage contributions to stream flow (i.e., base flow [BF]) buffer water temperatures against seasonal and daily fluctuations in solar radiation and air temperature, whereas rainfall‐driven runoff produces flooding events that also influence stream temperature. We used a space‐for‐time substitution to examine how shifts in BF and runoff alter thermal regimes in streams by analyzing hydrological and temperature data collected from similar elevations (400–510 m above sea level) across a 3,500‐mm mean annual rainfall gradient on Hawai'i Island. Sub‐daily water temperature and stream flow gathered for 3 years were analyzed for daily, monthly, and seasonal trends and compared with air temperature measured at multiple elevations. Results indicate that decreases in median BF increased mean, maximum, and minimum water temperatures as well as daily temperature range. Monthly and daily trends in stream temperature among watersheds were more pronounced than air temperature, driven by differences in groundwater inputs and runoff. Stream temperature was strongly negatively correlated to BF during the dry season but not during the wet season due to frequent wet season runoff events contributing to total flow. In addition to projected increases in global air temperature, climate driven shifts in rainfall and runoff are likely to affect stream flow and groundwater recharge, with concurrent influences on BF resulting in shifts in water temperature that are likely to affect aquatic ecosystems.     

Influence of a rock glacier spring on the stream energy budget and cold‐water refuge in an alpine stream

The thermal regimes of alpine streams remain understudied and have important implications for cold‐water fish habitat, which is expected to decline due to climatic warming. Previous research has focused on the effects of distributed energy fluxes and meltwater from snowpacks and glaciers on the temperature of mountain streams. This study presents the effects of the groundwater spring discharge from an inactive rock glacier containing little ground ice on the temperature of an alpine stream. Rock glaciers are coarse blocky landforms that are ubiquitous in alpine environments and typically exhibit low groundwater discharge temperatures and resilience to climatic warming. Water temperature data indicate that the rock glacier spring cools the stream by an average of 3 °C during July and August and reduces maximum daily temperatures by an average of 5 °C during the peak temperature period of the first two weeks in August, producing a cold‐water refuge downstream of the spring. The distributed stream surface and streambed energy fluxes are calculated for the reach along the toe of the rock glacier, and solar radiation dominates the distributed stream energy budget. The lateral advective heat flux generated by the rock glacier spring is compared to the distributed energy fluxes over the study reach, and the spring advective heat flux is the dominant control on stream temperature at the reach scale. This study highlights the potential for coarse blocky landforms to generate climatically resilient cold‐water refuges in alpine streams.     

Identifying and linking source areas of flow and P transport in dairy‐grazed headwater catchments,North Island,New Zealand

We examined the applicability of the critical‐source area (CSA) concept to the dairy‐grazed 192‐ha Upper Toenepi catchment and its 8·7‐ha Kiwitahi sub‐catchment, New Zealand. We evaluated if phosphorus (P) transport from land into stream is dominated by saturation‐excess (SE) and infiltration‐excess (IE) runoff during stormflow and by sub‐surface (<1·5 m depth) flows during baseflow. We measured stream flow and shallow groundwater levels, collected monthly stream, tile drain (TDA) and groundwater samples, and flow‐proportional stream samples from the Kiwitahi sub‐catchment, and determined their dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations. In the Kiwitahi sub‐catchment, during storm events, IE contributions were significant. Contributions from SE appeared significant in the Upper Toenepi catchment. However, in both catchments, sub‐surface contributions dominated stormflow and baseflow periods. Absence of water table at the surface and the water table gradient towards the stream indicated that P transport during events was not limited to surface runoff. The dynamics of the groundwater table and the occurrence of SE areas were influenced by proximity to the stream and hillslope positions. Baseflow accounted for 42% of the annual flow in the Kiwitahi sub‐catchment, and contributed 37 and 52% to the DRP and TP loads, respectively. The P transport during baseflow appeared equally important as P losses from CSAs during stormflow. The close resemblance in P levels between groundwater and stream samples during baseflow demonstrates the importance of shallow groundwater for stream flow. In the Upper Toenepi catchment, contributions from effluent ponds (EFFs) dominated P loads. Management strategies should focus on controlling P release from EFFs, and on decreasing Olsen P concentrations in soil to minimize leaching of P via sub‐surface flow to streams. Research is needed to quantify the role of sub‐surface flow as well as to expand management strategies to minimize P transfers during stormflow and baseflow conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Diurnal timing of warmer air under climate change affects magnitude,timing and duration of stream temperature change

Stream temperature will be subject to changes because of atmospheric warming in the future. We investigated the effects of the diurnal timing of air temperature changes – daytime warming versus nighttime warming – on stream temperature. Using the physically based model, Heat Source, we performed a sensitivity analysis of summer stream temperatures to three diurnal air temperature distributions of +4 °C mean air temperature: i) uniform increase over the whole day, ii) warmer daytime and iii) warmer nighttime. The stream temperature model was applied to a 37‐km section of the Middle Fork John Day River in northeastern Oregon, USA. The three diurnal air temperature distributions generated 7‐day average daily maximum stream temperatures increases of approximately +1.8 °C ± 0.1 °C at the downstream end of the study section. The three air temperature distributions, with the same daily mean, generated different ranges of stream temperatures, different 7‐day average daily maximum temperatures, different durations of stream temperature changes and different average daily temperatures in most parts of the reach. The stream temperature changes were out of phase with air temperature changes, and therefore in many places, the greatest daytime increase in stream temperature was caused by nighttime warming of air temperatures. Stream temperature changes tended to be more extreme and of longer duration when driven by air temperatures concentrated in either daytime or nighttime instead of uniformly distributed across the diurnal cycle. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A multicatchment analysis of headwater and downstream temperature effects from contemporary forest harvesting

Stream temperature is a key physical water‐quality parameter, controlling many biological, chemical, and physical processes in aquatic ecosystems. Maintenance of cool stream temperatures during summer is critical for high‐quality aquatic habitat. As such, transmission of warm water from small, nonfish‐bearing headwater streams after forest harvesting could cause warming in downstream fish‐bearing stream reaches with negative consequences. In this study, we evaluate (a) the effects of contemporary forest management practices on stream temperature in small, headwater streams, (b) the transmission of thermal signals from headwater reaches after harvesting to downstream fish‐bearing reaches, and (c) the relative role of lithology and forest management practices in influencing differential thermal responses in both the headwater and downstream reaches. We measured summer stream temperatures both preharvest and postharvest at 29 sites—12 upstream sites (4 reference, 8 harvested) and 17 downstream sites (5 reference, 12 harvested)—across 3 paired watershed studies in western Oregon. The 7‐day moving average of daily maximum stream temperature (T_7DAYMAX) was greater during the postharvest period relative to the preharvest period at 7 of the 8 harvested upstream sites. Although the T_7DAYMAX was generally warmer in the downstream direction at most of the stream reaches during both the preharvest and postharvest period, there was no evidence for additional downstream warming related to the harvesting activity. Rather, the T_7DAYMAX cooled rapidly as stream water flowed into forested reaches ~370–1,420 m downstream of harvested areas. Finally, the magnitude of effects of contemporary forest management practices on stream temperature increased with the proportion of catchment underlain by more resistant lithology at both the headwater and downstream sites, reducing the potential for the cooling influence of groundwater.     

Air/water/sediment temperature contrasts in small streams to identify groundwater seepage locations

The need to identify groundwater seepage locations is of great importance for managing both stream water quality and groundwater sourced ecosystems due to their dependency on groundwater‐borne nutrients and temperatures. Although several reconnaissance methods using temperature as tracer exist, these are subjected to limitations related to mainly the spatial and temporal resolution and/or mixing of groundwater and surface water leading to dilution of the temperature differences. Further, some methods, for example, thermal imagery and fiber optic distributed temperature sensing, although relative efficient in detecting temperature differences over larger distances, these are labor‐intensive and costly. Therefore, there is a need for additional cost‐effective methods identifying substantial groundwater seepage locations. We present a method expanding the linear regression of air and stream temperatures by measuring the temperatures in dual‐depth; in the stream column and at the streambed‐water interface (SWI). By doing so, we apply metrics from linear regression analysis of temperatures between air/stream and air/SWI (linear regression slope, intercept, and coefficient of determination), and the daily water temperature cycle (daily mean temperatures, temperature variance, and the mean diel temperature fluctuation). We show that using metrics from only single‐depth stream temperature measurements are insufficient to identify substantial groundwater seepage locations in a head‐water stream. Conversely, comparing the metrics from dual‐depth temperatures show significant differences; at groundwater seepage locations, temperatures at the SWI merely explain 43–75% of the variation opposed to ? 91% at the corresponding stream column temperatures. In general, at these locations at the SWI, the slopes ( < 0.25) and intercepts ( > 6.5 °C) are substantially lower and higher, respectively, while the mean diel temperature fluctuations ( < 0.98 °C) are decreased compared to remaining locations. The dual‐depth approach was applied in a post‐glacial fluvial setting, where metrics analyses overall corroborated with field measurements of groundwater fluxes and stream flow accretions. Thus, we propose a method reliably identifying groundwater seepage locations along streambeds in such settings.     

Application of Distributed Temperature Sensing for coupled mapping of sedimentation processes and spatio‐temporal variability of groundwater discharge in soft‐bedded streams

The delineation of groundwater discharge areas based on Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) data of the streambed can be difficult in soft‐bedded streams where sedimentation and scouring processes constantly change the position of the fibre optic cable relative to the streambed. Deposition‐induced temperature anomalies resemble the signal of groundwater discharge while scouring will cause the cable to float in the water column and measure stream water temperatures. DTS applied in a looped layout with nine fibre optic cable rows in a 70 × 5 m section of a soft‐bedded stream made it possible to detect variability in streambed temperatures between October 2011 and January 2012. Detailed monthly streambed elevation surveys were carried out to monitor the position of the fibre optic cable relative to the streambed and to quantify the effect of sedimentation processes on streambed temperatures. Based on the simultaneous interpretation of streambed temperature and elevation data, a method is proposed to delineate potential high‐groundwater discharge areas and identify deposition‐induced temperature anomalies in soft‐bedded streams. Potential high‐discharge sites were detected using as metrics the daily minimum, maximum and mean streambed temperatures as well as the daily amplitude and standard deviation of temperatures. The identified potential high‐discharge areas were mostly located near the channel banks, also showing temporal variability because of the scouring and redistribution of streambed sediments, leading to the relocation of pool‐riffle sequences. This study also shows that sediment deposits of 0.1 m thickness already resulted in an increase in daily minimum streambed temperatures and decrease in daily amplitude and standard deviation. Scouring sites showed lower daily minimum streambed temperatures and higher daily amplitude and standard deviation compared with areas without sedimentation and scouring. As a limitation of the approach, groundwater discharge occurring at depositional and scouring areas cannot be identified by the metrics applied. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal regimes in a large upland salmon river: a simple model to identify the influence of landscape controls and climate change on maximum temperatures

Temperature observations at 25 sites in the 2000 km² Dee catchment in NE Scotland were used, in conjunction with geographic information system (GIS) analysis, to identify dominant landscape controls on mean monthly maximum stream temperatures. Maximum winter stream temperatures are mainly controlled by elevation, catchment area and hill shading, whereas the maximum temperatures in summer are driven by more complex interactions, which include the influence of riparian forest cover and distance to coast. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate the catchment‐wide distribution of mean weekly maximum stream temperatures for the hottest week of the 2‐year observation period. The results suggested the streams most sensitive to high temperatures are small upland streams at exposed locations without any forest cover and relatively far inland, while lowland streams with riparian forest cover at locations closer to the coast exhibit a moderated thermal regime. Under current conditions, all streams provide a suitable thermal habitat for both, Atlantic salmon and brown trout. Using two climate change scenarios assuming 2·5 and 4 °C air temperature increases, respectively, temperature‐sensitive zones of the stream network were identified, which could potentially have an adverse effect on the thermal habitat of Atlantic salmon and brown trout. Analysis showed that the extension of riparian forests into headwater streams has the potential to moderate changes in temperature under climate change. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paired‐basin comparison of hydrological response in harvested and undisturbed hardwood forests during snowmelt in central Ontario: I. Streamflow,groundwater and flowpath behaviour

Impacts of forest harvesting on groundwater properties, water flowpaths and streamflow response were examined 4 years after the harvest using a paired‐basin approach during the 2001 snowmelt in a northern hardwood landscape in central Ontario. The ability of two metrics of basin topography (Beven and Kirkby's ln(a/tan β) topographic index (TI) and distance to stream channel) to explain intra‐basin variations in groundwater dynamics was also evaluated. Significant relationships between TI and depth to potentiometric surface for shallow groundwater emerged, although the occurrence of these relationships during the melt differed between harvested and control basins, possibly as a result of interbasin differences in upslope area contributing to piezometers used to monitor groundwater behaviour. Transmissivity feedback (rapid streamflow increases as the water table approaches the soil surface) governed streamflow generation in both basins, and the mean threshold depths at which rapid streamflow increases corresponded to small rises in water level were similar for harvested (0·41 ± 0·05 m) and forested (0·38 ± 0·04 m) basins. However, topographic properties provided inconsistent explanations of spatial variations in the relationship between streamflow and depth to water at a given piezometer for both basins. Streamflow from the harvested basin exceeded that from the forested basin during the 2001 melt, and hydrometric and geochemical tracer results indicated greater runoff from the harvested basin via surface and near‐surface pathways. These differences are not solely attributable to harvesting, since the difference in spring runoff from the harvested basin relative to the forested control was not consistently larger than under pre‐harvest conditions. Nevertheless, greater melt rates following harvesting appear to have increased the proportion of water delivery to the stream channel via surface and near‐surface pathways. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of wildfire on source water contributions in Devil Creek,CA: evidence from end‐member mixing analysis

A geochemical and end‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) is undertaken in Devil Canyon catchment, located in southern California, to further understanding of watershed behaviour and source water contributions after an acute and extensive wildfire. Physical and chemical transformations in post‐fire watersheds are known to increase overland flow and decrease infiltration, mainly due to formation of a hydrophobic layer at, or near, the soil surface. However, less is known about subsurface flow response in burned watersheds. The current study incorporates EMMA to evaluate and quantify source water contributions before, and after, a catchment affected by wildfires in southern California during the fall of 2003. Pre‐ and post‐fire stream water data were available at several sampling sites within the catchment, allowing the identification of contributing water sources at varying spatial scales. Proposed end‐member observations (groundwater, overland flow, shallow subsurface flow) were also collected to constrain and develop the catchment mixing model. Post‐fire source water changes are more evident in the smaller and faster responding sub‐basin (interior sampling point). Early post‐fire storm events are dominated by overland flow with no significant soil water or groundwater flow contribution. Inter‐storm streamwater in this smaller basin shows an increase in groundwater and a decrease in soil water. In the larger, baseflow‐dominated system, source water components appear less affected by fire. A slight increase in lateral flow is observed with only a slight decrease in baseflow. Changes in the post‐fire flow regimes affect nutrient loading and chemical response of the basin. Relatively rapid recovery of the chaparral ecosystem is evidenced, with active re‐growth and evapotranspiration evidenced by the fourth post‐fire rainy season. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal regime of a headwater stream within a clear‐cut,coastal British Columbia,Canada

This study examined the thermal regime of a headwater stream within a clear‐cut. The stream had a complex morphology dominated by step–pool features, many formed by sediment accumulation upstream of woody debris. Maximum daily temperatures increased up to 5 °C after logging, and were positively associated with maximum daily air temperature and negatively with discharge. Maximum daily temperatures generally increased with downstream distance through the cut block, but decreased with distance in two segments over distances of tens of metres, where the topography indicated relatively concentrated lateral inflow. Localized cool areas within a step–pool unit were associated with zones of concentrated upwelling. Bed temperatures tended to be higher and have greater ranges in areas of downwelling flow into the bed. Heat budget estimates were made using meteorological measurements over the water surface and a model of net radiation using canopy characteristics derived from fisheye photography. Heat exchange driven by hyporheic flow through the channel step was a cooling effect during daytime, with a magnitude up to approximately 25% that of net radiation during the period of maximum daytime warming. Heat budget calculations in these headwater streams are complicated by the heterogeneity of incident solar radiation and channel geometry, as well as uncertainty in estimating heat and water exchanges between the stream and the subsurface via hyporheic exchange and heat conduction. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contributions of bedrock groundwater to the upscaling of storm‐runoff generation processes in weathered granitic headwater catchments

We examined the contributions of bedrock groundwater to the upscaling of storm‐runoff generation processes in weathered granitic headwater catchments by conducting detailed hydrochemical observations in five catchments that ranged from zero to second order. End‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) was performed to identify the geographical sources of stream water. Throughfall, hillslope groundwater, shallow bedrock groundwater, and deep bedrock groundwater were identified as end members. The contribution of each end member to storm runoff differed among the catchments because of the differing quantities of riparian groundwater, which was recharged by the bedrock groundwater prior to rainfall events. Among the five catchments, the contribution of throughfall was highest during both baseflow and storm flow in a zero‐order catchment with little contribution from the bedrock groundwater to the riparian reservoir. In zero‐order catchments with some contribution from bedrock groundwater, stream water was dominated by shallow bedrock groundwater during baseflow, but it was significantly influenced by hillslope groundwater during storms. In the first‐order catchment, stream water was dominated by shallow bedrock groundwater during storms as well as baseflow periods. In the second‐order catchment, deeper bedrock groundwater than that found in the zero‐order and first‐order catchments contributed to stream water in all periods, except during large storm events. These results suggest that bedrock groundwater influences the upscaling of storm‐runoff generation processes by affecting the linkages of geomorphic units such as hillslopes, riparian zones, and stream channels. Our results highlight the need for a three‐dimensional approach that considers bedrock groundwater flow when studying the upscaling of storm‐runoff generation processes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Significance of processes in the near‐stream zone on stream water acidity in a small acidified forested catchment

The near‐stream zone has received increasing attention owing to its influence on stream water chemistry in general and acidity in particular. Possible processes in this zone include cation exchange, leaching of organic matter and redox reactions of sulphur compounds. In this study the influences of processes in the near‐stream zone on the acidity in runoff from a small, acidified catchment in central southern Sweden were investigated. The study included sampling of groundwater, soil water and stream water along with hydrological measurements. An input–output budget for the catchment was established based on data from the International Co‐operative Programme on Integrated Monitoring at this site. The catchment was heavily acidified by deposition of anthropogenic sulphur, with pH in stream water between 4·4 and 4·6. There was also no relationship between stream flow and pH, which is indicative of chronic acidification. Indications of microbial reduction of sulphate were found in some places near the stream, but the near‐stream zone did not have a general impact on the sulphate concentration in discharging groundwater. The near‐stream zone was a source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the stream, which had a median DOC of 6·8 mg L¹. The influence on stream acidity from organic anions was overshadowed by the effect of sulphate, however, except during a spring flow episode, when additional organic matter was flushed out and the sulphate‐rich ground water was mixed with more diluted event water. Ion exchange was not an important process in the near‐stream zone of the Kindla catchment. Different functions of the near‐stream zone relating to discharge acidity are reported in the literature. In this study there was even a variation within the site. There is therefore a need for more case studies to provide a more detailed understanding of the net effects that the near‐stream zone can have on stream chemistry under different circumstances. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of water flux and redox conditions on chlorobenzene concentrations in a contaminated streambed

Significant natural attenuation may occur on the passage of groundwater plumes through streambed sediments because of the transition from anaerobic to aerobic conditions and an increased microbial activity. Varying directions and magnitudes of water flow in the streambed may enhance or inhibit the supply of oxygen to the streambed and thus influence the redox zoning. In a field study at a small stream in the industrial area of Bitterfeld‐Wolfen, we observed the variability of hydraulic gradients, streambed temperatures, redox conditions and monochlorobenzene (MCB) concentrations in the streambed over the course of 5 months. During the observation period, the hydrologic conditions changed from losing to gaining. Accordingly, the temperature‐derived water fluxes changed from recharge to discharge. Redox conditions were highly variable between ? 170 and 368 mV in the shallow streambed at a depth of 0·1 m below the streambed surface. Deeper in the streambed, at depths of 0·3 m and 0·5 m, the redox conditions were more stable between ? 198 and ? 81 mV and comparable to those typically found in the aquifer. MCB concentrations in the streambed at 0·3 and 0·5 m depth increased with increasing upward water flux. The MCB concentrations in the shallow streambed at 0·1 m depth appeared to be independent of the hydrologic conditions suggesting that degradation of MCB may have occured. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and temporal water column and streambed temperature dynamics within an alpine catchment: implications for benthic communities

Despite the significant influence of temperature upon alpine stream benthic communities, thermal regimes of the water column and hyporheic zone of these mountain streams have received limited attention. This paper reports upon a detailed spatio‐temporal study of water column and streambed temperatures undertaken within the Taillon–Gabiétous catchment, French Pyrénées, that aims: (1) to characterize the nature and dynamics of alpine stream water column and streambed thermal patterns; (2) to investigate stream thermal variability under a range of hydroclimatological conditions; and (3) to consider the implications of (1) and (2) for alpine stream benthic communities. The catchment contains four highly dynamic hydrological sources and pathways: (1) two cirque glaciers (Taillon and Gabiétous); (2) seasonal snowpacks; (3) a karst groundwater system; and (4) hillslope aquifers. Water column temperatures were monitored continuously at four sites located along the Taillon glacial stream and at three groundwater springs (two karstic and one hillslope) over the 2002 summer melt season. An eighth site (Tourettes) was established on a predominantly groundwater‐fed stream with limited meltwater input. Bed temperatures (0·05, 0·20 and 0·40 m depth) and river discharge were measured at three sites: (1) the Taillon stream; (2) the Tourettes stream; and (3) below the confluence of (1) and (2). Air temperatures, incoming short‐wave radiation and precipitation were recorded to characterize atmospheric conditions. Glacial stream water column temperatures increased downstream, although groundwater tributaries punctuated longitudinal patterns. Karstic groundwater streams were cooler and more thermally stable than the glacial stream (except at the glacier snout). Hillslope groundwater stream temperatures were most variable and, on average, the warmest of all sites. Streambed temperatures in the glacial stream were coldest and most variable whilst the warmest and least variable streambed temperatures were recorded in an adjacent groundwater tributary. Temperature variability was strongly related to: (1) dynamic water source and pathway contributions; (2) proximity to source; and (3) prevailing hydroclimatological conditions. The high thermal heterogeneity within this catchment may sustain relatively diverse benthic communities, including some endemic Pyrénéan macroinvertebrate taxa. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeologic controls on summer stream temperatures in the McKenzie River basin,Oregon

Stream temperature is a complex function of energy inputs including solar radiation and latent and sensible heat transfer. In streams where groundwater inputs are significant, energy input through advection can also be an important control on stream temperature. For an individual stream reach, models of stream temperature can take advantage of direct measurement or estimation of these energy inputs for a given river channel environment. Understanding spatial patterns of stream temperature at a landscape scale requires predicting how this environment varies through space, and under different atmospheric conditions. At the landscape scale, air temperature is often used as a surrogate for the dominant controls on stream temperature. In this study we show that, in regions where groundwater inputs are key controls and the degree of groundwater input varies in space, air temperature alone is unlikely to explain within-landscape stream temperature patterns. We illustrate how a geologic template can offer insight into landscape-scale patterns of stream temperature and its predictability from air temperature relationships. We focus on variation in stream temperature within headwater streams within the McKenzie River basin in western Oregon. In this region, as in other areas of the Pacific Northwest, fish sensitivity to summer stream temperatures continues to be a pressing environmental issue. We show that, within the McKenzie, streams which are sourced from deeper groundwater reservoirs versus shallow subsurface flow systems have distinct summer temperature regimes. Groundwater streams are colder, less variable and less sensitive to air temperature variation. We use these results from the western Oregon Cascade hydroclimatic regime to illustrate a conceptual framework for developing regional-scale indicators of stream temperature variation that considers the underlying geologic controls on spatial variation, and the relative roles played by energy and water inputs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Local‐scale and watershed‐scale determinants of summertime urban stream temperatures

The influence of urbanization on the temperature of small streams is widely recognized, but these effects are confounded by the great natural variety of their contributing watersheds. To evaluate the relative importance of local‐scale and watershed‐scale factors on summer temperatures in urban streams, hundreds of near‐instantaneous temperature measurements throughout the central Puget Lowland, western Washington State, were collected during a single 2‐h period in August in each of the years 1998–2001. Stream temperatures ranged from 8.9 to 27.5 °C, averaging 15.4 °C. Pairwise correlation coefficients between stream temperature and four watershed variables (total watershed area and the watershed percentages of urban development, upstream lakes, and permeable glacial outwash soils as an indicator of groundwater exchange) were uniformly very low. Akaike's information criterion was applied to determine the best‐supported sets of watershed‐scale predictor variables for explaining the variability of stream temperatures. For the full four‐year dataset, the only well‐supported model was the global model (using all watershed variables); for the most voluminous single‐year (1999) data, Akaike's information criterion showed greatest support for per cent outwash (Akaike weight of 0.44), followed closely by per cent urban development + per cent outwash, per cent lake area only, and the global model. Upstream lakes resulted in downstream warming of up to 3 °C; variability in riparian shading imposed a similar temperature range. Watershed urbanization itself is not the most important determining factor for summer temperatures in this region; even the long‐recognized effects of riparian shading can be no more influential than those imposed by other local‐scale and watershed‐scale factors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.