Stream Temperature Monitoring
For over a decade, PRWC has been installing data loggers at local stream sites to measure stream temperatures as part of CT DEEP's Volunteer Stream Temperature Monitoring Network. As part of this program, PRWC installs stream temperature data loggers (programmed to record hourly stream temperature) at local stream sites of interest each spring (April-May), in order to capture data during the critical summer low flow period (June-August). Loggers are retrieved in the early fall (September-October) so the data can be extracted and analyzed.
PRWC shares its thermal data with CT DEEP to help inform their water quality standards, fish habitat assessments, and stream habitat restoration efforts. When combined with data from their fish community sampling, thermal data can be used by CT DEEP to identify the presence of cold-water habitats, which are essential for supporting cold-water species such as native brook trout.
Water temperature can vary as it is influenced by factors including air temperature, riparian (streambank) characteristics, and groundwater input. Water temperature is also an important factor in determining the biology of a stream segment. Because of this, stream temperature data can help inform initiatives to protect/restore aquatic habitat by identifying warming trends in streams that need to be addressed and the locations of essential cold-water habitats in need of protection.
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Thermal Monitoring Sites
Bullet Hill Brook, Ewald Park, Southbury
Carmel Hill Brook, Marzahl Refuge, Woodbury
East Spring Brook, Nonnewaug Road, Bethlehem
Good Hill Brook, Grassy Hill Road, Woodbury
Nonnewaug River, Route 47, Woodbury
Pomperaug River, Poverty Road, Southbury
Pomperaug River, Bent of the River, Southbury
Pomperaug River, Middle Quarter, Woodbury
Sprain Brook, Papermill Road, Woodbury
Weekeepeemee River, Woodcreek Rd, Bethlehem
Wood Creek, Arch Bridge Road, Bethlehem
Click the link above for a full screen map of PRWC's thermal monitoring sites
Interactive Cold-Water Habitat Map
CT DEEP's analysis of fish and water temperature data from 1988 to 2019 resulted in the identification of 692 cold-water habitat sites across the state. The protection of these sites is essential for the survival of cold-water aquatic species such as native brook trout. To present their findings in a readily accessible and usable format, CT DEEP developed an interactive map of the state's cold-water habitats. The map is updated regularly as new information is collected and analyzed.