Low summer river flows associated with low productivity of Chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrology
Abstract Climate change and human activities are transforming river flows globally, with potentially large consequences for freshwater life. To help inform watershed and flow management, there is a need for empirical studies linking flows and fish productivity. We tested the effects of river conditi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Ecological Solutions and Evidence |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12124 |
| _version_ | 1818312708370464768 |
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| author | Luke Warkentin Charles K. Parken Richard Bailey Jonathan W. Moore |
| author_facet | Luke Warkentin Charles K. Parken Richard Bailey Jonathan W. Moore |
| author_sort | Luke Warkentin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Climate change and human activities are transforming river flows globally, with potentially large consequences for freshwater life. To help inform watershed and flow management, there is a need for empirical studies linking flows and fish productivity. We tested the effects of river conditions and other factors on 22 years of Chinook salmon productivity in a watershed in British Columbia, Canada. Freshwater conditions during adult salmon migration and spawning, as well as during juvenile rearing, explained a large amount of variation in productivity. August river flows while salmon fry reared had the strongest effect on productivity—our model predicted that cohorts that experience 50% below average flow in the August of rearing have 21% lower productivity. These contemporary relationships are set within long‐term changes in climate, land use, and hydrology. Over the last century, average August river discharge decreased by 26%, air temperatures warmed, and water withdrawals increased. Seventeen percent of the watershed was logged in the last 20 years. Our results suggest that, in order to remain stable, this Chinook salmon population being assessed for legal protection requires substantially higher August flow than previously recommended. Changing flow regimes—driven by watershed impacts and climate change—can threaten imperilled fish populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:22:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0a11659842cf469fbc457a81c3da3cbe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2688-8319 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T08:22:09Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecological Solutions and Evidence |
| spelling | doaj.art-0a11659842cf469fbc457a81c3da3cbe2022-12-21T23:53:59ZengWileyEcological Solutions and Evidence2688-83192022-01-0131n/an/a10.1002/2688-8319.12124Low summer river flows associated with low productivity of Chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrologyLuke Warkentin0Charles K. Parken1Richard Bailey2Jonathan W. Moore3Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia CanadaFisheries and Oceans Canada Kamloops British Columbia CanadaFisheries and Oceans Canada Kamloops British Columbia CanadaDepartment of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University Burnaby British Columbia CanadaAbstract Climate change and human activities are transforming river flows globally, with potentially large consequences for freshwater life. To help inform watershed and flow management, there is a need for empirical studies linking flows and fish productivity. We tested the effects of river conditions and other factors on 22 years of Chinook salmon productivity in a watershed in British Columbia, Canada. Freshwater conditions during adult salmon migration and spawning, as well as during juvenile rearing, explained a large amount of variation in productivity. August river flows while salmon fry reared had the strongest effect on productivity—our model predicted that cohorts that experience 50% below average flow in the August of rearing have 21% lower productivity. These contemporary relationships are set within long‐term changes in climate, land use, and hydrology. Over the last century, average August river discharge decreased by 26%, air temperatures warmed, and water withdrawals increased. Seventeen percent of the watershed was logged in the last 20 years. Our results suggest that, in order to remain stable, this Chinook salmon population being assessed for legal protection requires substantially higher August flow than previously recommended. Changing flow regimes—driven by watershed impacts and climate change—can threaten imperilled fish populations.https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12124Chinook salmonclimate changecumulative effectsdroughtenvironmental flowsflow regime |
| spellingShingle | Luke Warkentin Charles K. Parken Richard Bailey Jonathan W. Moore Low summer river flows associated with low productivity of Chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrology Ecological Solutions and Evidence Chinook salmon climate change cumulative effects drought environmental flows flow regime |
| title | Low summer river flows associated with low productivity of Chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrology |
| title_full | Low summer river flows associated with low productivity of Chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrology |
| title_fullStr | Low summer river flows associated with low productivity of Chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low summer river flows associated with low productivity of Chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrology |
| title_short | Low summer river flows associated with low productivity of Chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrology |
| title_sort | low summer river flows associated with low productivity of chinook salmon in a watershed with shifting hydrology |
| topic | Chinook salmon climate change cumulative effects drought environmental flows flow regime |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12124 |
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