Water Temperature and Level Monitoring in Newfoundland and Labrador Rivers

Water temperature and water level are significant environmental factors affecting ecology of anadromous fish. Large-scale freshwater monitoring networks remain sparse, yet environmental protocols rely heavily on water temperature and water levels to assist decision making on river closures. Our river monitoring project in Newfoundland and Labrador provides river water temperature and river water level for salmon rivers across the province. 72 temperature loggers are deployed across 24 river systems in Newfoundland and Labrador. Temperature loggers are deployed in approximately 30 cm of water and remain in river year-round. Loggers consist of Onset level loggers, tidbit loggers, and pendants or Innovasea minilogs. Some loggers are deployed in duplicate at locations to provide data redundancy in event of equipment loss or failure. Equipment is monitored throughout the season to ensure proper placement in water columns, with downloads taking place during monitoring trips.