Continue Monitoring and Data Analysis of the Aquatics Program Thermograph Network in the Upper Klamath Basin FY2014

The Klamath Tribes Aquatics Program has been conducting long-term monitoring of water temperature at 16 sites in the Sprague River since 2007. In 2012 the network was expanded to include 10 sites in the Wood and Williamson Rivers and five sites in Spencer Creek. This monitoring program will continue to provide several benefits to salmonid recovery and reintroduction efforts in the entire Klamath River watershed, by adding an additional nine thermographs to the Wood River sub-basin. First, this data set helps identify and quantify potential salmonid habitat in three major river basins. Second, program efforts are a tool to focus and direct upper basin restoration efforts and to guide reintroduction efforts. Finally, additional data set refining will encourage more widespread use of this data set by all restoration practitioners. The daily temperature information will guide the selection of Chinook Salmon strains to be introduced following the removal of four dams on the Klamath River. The temperature data will also assist restoration scientists in determining priority actions to remove constraints (such as diversions, dikes, riparian desecration, entrainment) that will be detrimental to salmon reintroduction. Project will collect data for the 2014-2015 water year.

This project will provide several benefits to salmonid recovery and reintroduction efforts in the entire Klamath River watershed. The project is considered a crucial step towards achieving a tribal goal of reintroduction and restoration of the Klamath Tribes historic salmonid fisheries, including Spring Chinook, Coho, and Steelhead species that have been extirpated from the Upper Klamath Basin.