Stream Temperature Models for the Anchor-Stariski, Kenai, and Deshka watersheds, Cook Inlet Basin, Alaska

This project links stream temperature monitoring efforts previously funded by the Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat and Kenai Peninsula Fish Habitat partnerships with the USGS National Hydrography Dataset and State of Alaska’s Anadromous Waters Catalog to develop stream temperature models for the Deshka River, Anchor River, Stariski Creek, and Kenai River watersheds. Existing climate, hydrology, and land-cover spatial datasets were used to predict daily stream temperatures. The objectives for this project included (1) building statistical models to predict daily stream temperatures from June 1 to September 15 over the historical period 1980- 2019, (2) predicting future changes in stream temperature based on estimated increases in air temperature, (3) calculating metrics useful for describing stream thermal regimes for historic period and future climate scenarios, (4) and summarizing thermal regimes for Chinook Salmon and Coho Salmon life-history specific habitats.

More information about this project can be found on the Alaska Center for Conservation Science Data Catalog: https://accscatalog.uaa.alaska.edu

About the data

Data required to develop the stream temperature models and model outputs are provided separately as zip files for each watershed: Deshka, Anchor-Stariski, and Kenai. Input data include stream reach and catchment shapefiles, monitoring site locations, temperature data, spatial variables, and climate variables. Output data products include predicted mean daily stream temperatures over a historical period (1980-2019) in addition to predictions for two future climate scenarios. A suite of annual stream temperature metrics was calculated for both sets of predictions. Due to limited empirical temperature data, the stream temperature model for the Kenai River was not used to make predictions. Input data for this watershed are provided in the kenai.zip file.