Identification of Thermal Refuges and Water Temperature Patterns in Salmonid-Bearing Subarctic Rivers of Northern Quebec

Milad Fakhari (), Jasmin Raymond, Richard Martel, Stephen J. Dugdale and Normand Bergeron
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Milad Fakhari: Institute National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Quebec City, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
Jasmin Raymond: Institute National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Quebec City, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
Richard Martel: Institute National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Quebec City, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
Stephen J. Dugdale: School of Geography, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Normand Bergeron: Institute National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Quebec City, QC G1K 9A9, Canada

Geographies, 2022, vol. 2, issue 3, 1-21

Abstract: In summer, salmonids can experience thermal stress during extreme weather conditions. This may affect their growth and even threaten their survival. Cool water zones in rivers constitute thermal refuges, allowing fish to be more comfortable to grow and survive in extreme events. Therefore, identifying and understanding the spatiotemporal variability of discrete thermal refuges and larger scale cooling zones in rivers is of fundamental interest. This study analyzes thermal refuges as well as cooling zones in two salmonid rivers in a subarctic climate by use of thermal infrared (TIR) imagery. The two studied rivers are the Koroc and Berard Rivers, in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada. On the 17 km studied section of the Berard River, four thermal refuges and five cooling zones were detected, covering 46% of the surveyed section of the river. On the 41 km section studied for the Koroc River, 67 thermal refuges and five cooling zones were identified which represent 32% of the studied section of the river. 89% of identified thermal refuges and about 60% of cooling zones are groundwater-controlled. Continuity of permafrost and shape of the river valley were found to be the main parameters controlling the distribution of refuges and cooling zones. These data provide important insights into planning and conservation measures for the salmonid population of subarctic Nunavik rivers.

Keywords: surface water–groundwater interaction; thermal infrared imagery; thermal refuges; cooling zones; permafrost (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q15 Q5 Q53 Q54 Q56 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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