Empirical modelling of maximum weekly average stream temperature in British Columbia, Canada, to support assessment of fish habitat suitability

The objective of this study was to characterize the spatial variability of stream thermal regimes in British Columbia, Canada, with the specific goal of developing a predictive model to assist in provincial-scale assessment of fish habitat. It is part of a broader study to develop an approach to support the designation of “Temperature Sensitive Streams”, particularly in relation to the potential effects of forest harvesting and climate change. Stream temperature data were collected from researchers, consultants and government agencies. After checking for data quality, the annual maximum of a seven-day running average of mean daily water temperature (MWAT) was extracted for each station-year. A multiple regression model for the mean MWAT for each station was fitted for stations having basin areas between 1 and 104 km2. Predictor variables included the logarithm of catchment area, normal July–August air temperature for the location, the square root of the percentage of glacier cover in the catchment, the sq...