Freshwater Monitoring Protocols

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Freshwater Monitoring

If your stewardship organization collects temperature and flow data during extreme drought conditions, download the monitoring protocols below for practical support.

Local First Nations and stewardship groups across B.C. collect invaluable data on stream temperature and flow, which can inform salmon conservation and management decisions. To integrate these efforts and help drive action for salmon, PSF has released new resources covering best practices for every budget and capacity level.

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— MARC PORTER, PSF SCIENTIST

Much of the freshwater data collected by community-led monitoring groups in B.C. is not being used effectively. Even small improvements in the way data is collected can make the difference and ensure that this information is accepted by agencies. Then, it can be compiled, shared, and integrated into salmon management decisions and emergency interventions. That distinction matters for the communities investing time and resources into this work, and for the salmon that rely on timely monitoring and interventions when habitat conditions deteriorate.

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EXPLORE PROTOCOLS

Review the suite of monitoring protocols and identify approaches or tools that fit your watershed, budget, and capacity.

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ADAPT MONITORING

Use these resources to make adjustments that improve data quality and ensure your observations can be integrated into province-wide efforts.

SHARE DATA

Submit your data to contribute to salmon management decisions and help fill critical information gaps across B.C. and the Yukon.

Why monitoring protocols?

Monitoring groups across the province operate with different budgets, different technical capacities, and different priorities. These protocols are designed to reflect that reality.

These protocols support data contributions to PSF’s Stream Temperature Database and PSF’s Pacific Salmon Explorer (PSE), consolidating stream temperature and flow records from over 1,500 monitoring sites across B.C. and the Yukon.

Standardized, comparable data helps partners:

  • Inform real-time emergency response decisions
  • Support salmon habitat restoration and recovery planning
  • Build a long-term record of potential climate impacts on salmon habitats

MONITORING PROTOCOLS

Water Temperature Monitoring

Water Level Monitoring

Discharge Monitoring

Supporting References for Monitoring of Stream Temperatures and Flows

CONTACT US
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If your organization monitors stream temperatures or flow conditions in salmon-bearing watersheds, we want to hear from you.

Reach out to mporter@psf.ca to ask questions, share feedback, request support, and more.

News and Updates

Warm winter, low snowpack on B.C.’s south coast put salmon at risk this summer

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With a warmer-than-average summer forecasted and drought conditions already developing, Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) is on high alert for adverse impacts on salmon across British Columbia.
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Smarter Drought Monitoring for Salmon

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The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) and the Province of B.C. are piloting a rapid drought assessment protocol that would help local stewards track and report on stream conditions in a unified way – and accelerate emergency interventions.
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Finding the ‘cold’ in the Coldwater River

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What connects British Columbia’s lush west coast to the arid, dry Nicola Valley in the Southern Interior? Look no further than the Pacific salmon migration. As salmon travel from the coast into the Nicola Valley, they bring an important pulse of nutrients inland. The Coldwater River, the largest tributary of the Nicola River, is critical for both juvenile and adult salmon.
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