NorWeST

Database Summaries

Datasets can be viewed in ArcGIS Online (line data; point data) or in the interactive NorWeST map (Norwest ArcGIS online map help document); they are also available from the FSGeodata Clearinghouse, or for individual processing units in the appropriate tabs "Observed Temperature Summaries",  "Modeled Full Year Stream Temperatures", and "Modeled Summer Stream Temperatures". A shapefile of the processing unit boundaries is also available.

Temperature data are posted to the website after application of QA/QC procedures, assembly of the data into a functional database, and fitting of the final stream temperature model for a river basin.

Supplemental Information  

• NorWeST Stream Temperature Data Processing Procedures
• NorWeST Observed Stream Temperature Points General Metadata

Upper Columbia-Yakima Stream Temperature Data Records

These are a revised set of stream temperature scenarios within the interior Columbia River basin that were commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Forest Service, Region 6. The scenarios are based on an updated and larger set of interagency temperature monitoring records for the period of 1993 through 2020. Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST website and by Isaak et al. 2017, but a broader array of 14 temperature metrics and 41 scenarios were modeled for this update. These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below. More details about this project are contained in this BPA report and the General Metadata document.

Note that these scenarios are updated from the previous Upper Columbia-Yakima production unit and are different than the UCY processing unit on the Data Summaries and Modeled Scenarios tabs that can be merged with surrounding HUCs. The Annotated R script is also available. 

Mid-Columbia East Watershed Stream Temperature Data Records

These are a revised set of stream temperature scenarios within the interior Columbia River basin that were commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Forest Service, Region 6. The scenarios are based on an updated and larger set of interagency temperature monitoring records for the period of 1993 through 2020. Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST website and by Isaak et al. 2017, but a broader array of 14 temperature metrics and 41 scenarios were modeled for this update. These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below. More details about this project are contained in this BPA report and the General Metadata document.

Note that these scenarios are updated from the previous Mid-Columbia East Watershed production unit on the Data Summaries and Modeled Scenarios tabs that can be merged with surrounding HUCs.

Mid-Columbia West Watershed Stream Temperature Data Records

These are revised set of stream temperature scenarios within the interior Columbia River basin that were commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Forest Service, Region 6. The scenarios are based on an updated and larger set of interagency temperature monitoring records for the period of 1993 through 2020. Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST website and by Isaak et al. 2017, but a broader array of 14 temperature metrics and 41 scenarios were modeled for this update. These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below. More details about this project are contained in this BPA report and the General Metadata document.

Salmon River Watershed Stream Temperature Data Records

Salmon river watershed stream temperature scenarios contain data for a revised set of stream temperature scenarios within the interior Columbia River basin that were commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Forest Service, Region 6. The scenarios are based on an updated and larger set of interagency temperature monitoring records for the period of 1993 through 2020.  

Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST website and by Isaak et al. 2017, but a broader array of 14 temperature metrics and 41 scenarios were modeled for this update.  

These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below. More details about this project are contained in this BPA report and the Modeled Stream Temperature for the Salmon (170602) Watershed document.

Note that these scenarios are updated from the previous Salmon River Watershed production unit and are different than the "Salmon" processing unit on the NorWeST Data Summaries and NorWeST Modeled Scenarios that can be merged with surrounding HUCs. 

Utah State-Wide Stream Temperature Data Records

These are a revised set of stream temperature scenarios that were commissioned by the Bureau of Land Management. The scenarios are based on a larger set of temperature monitoring records that run through 2019, compared to a relatively small set of records that were used through 2015 for the original model fit and scenario creation. Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST website, but a broader array of 13 temperature metrics and scenarios were modeled for this update. These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below. This large format poster shows a statewide scenario of mean August stream temperatures for perennial streams in Utah during a historical climate period to show the data extent and thermal patterns during a warm portion of the year.

Note that these scenarios are for the entire state of Utah and have slightly different watershed boundaries than the "Utah" processing unit on the Data Summaries and Modeled Scenarios tabs that can be merged with surrounding HUCs. Please see the General Metadata document.

Salmon River Watershed Stream Temperature Scenarios

Salmon river watershed stream temperature scenarios contain data for a revised set of stream temperature scenarios within the interior Columbia River basin that were commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Forest Service, Region 6. The scenarios are based on an updated and larger set of interagency temperature monitoring records for the period of 1993 through 2020.  

Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST website and by Isaak et al. 2017, but a broader array of 14 temperature metrics and 41 scenarios were modeled for this update.  These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below. More details about this project are contained in this BPA report and the Modeled Stream Temperature for the Salmon (170602) Watershed document.

Note that these scenarios are updated from the previous Salmon River Watershed production unit and are different than the "Salmon" processing unit on the NorWeST Data Summaries and NorWeST Modeled Scenarios that can be merged with surrounding HUCs.

Upper Columbia-Yakima Stream Temperature Scenarios

Upper Columbia-Yakima stream temperature scenarios contains data for a revised set of stream temperature scenarios within the interior Columbia River basin that were commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Forest Service, Region 6. The scenarios are based on an updated and larger set of interagency temperature monitoring records for the period of 1993 through 2020.  

Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST project page and by Isaak et al. 2017, but a broader array of 14 temperature metrics and 41 scenarios were modeled for this update.  These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below.  

Note: These scenarios are updated from the previous Upper Columbia-Yakima production unit and are different than the UCY processing unit on the Data Summaries and Modeled Scenarios tabs that can be merged with surrounding HUCs. More details about this project are contained in this BPA report and the Modeled Stream Temperature for the “Upper Columbia-Yakima" Processing Unit document. 

Mid-Columbia East Watershed Stream Temperature Scenarios 

This NorWeST subpage contains data for a revised set of stream temperature scenarios within the interior Columbia River basin that were commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Forest Service, Region 6. The scenarios are based on an updated and larger set of interagency temperature monitoring records for the period of 1993 through 2020. Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST website and by Isaak et al. 2017, but a broader array of 14 temperature metrics and 41 scenarios were modeled for this update. These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below. More details about this project are contained in this BPA report and the General Metadata document.

Note that these scenarios are updated from the previous Mid-Columbia East Watershed production unit on the Data Summaries and Modeled Scenarios tabs that can be merged with surrounding HUCs..

Mid-Columbia West Watershed Stream Temperature Scenarios 

This NorWeST subpage contains data for a revised set of stream temperature scenarios within the interior Columbia River basin that were commissioned by the Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Forest Service, Region 6. The scenarios are based on an updated and larger set of interagency temperature monitoring records for the period of  1993 through 2020. Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST website and by Isaak et al. 2017, but a broader array of 14 temperature metrics and 41 scenarios were modeled for this update. These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the tables below. More details about this project are contained in this BPA report and the General Metadata document.

Note that these scenarios are updated from the previous Mid-Columbia West Watershed production unit on the Data Summaries and Modeled Scenarios tabs that can be merged with surrounding HUCs.

Utah state-wide stream temperature scenarios 

Utah state-wide stream temperature scenarios were commissioned by the Bureau of Land Management. The scenarios are based on a larger set of temperature monitoring records that run through 2019, compared to a relatively small set of records that were used through 2015 for the original model fit and scenario creation.  

Data cleaning and modeling procedures were identical to those described on the NorWeST project page, but a broader array of 13 temperature metrics and scenarios were modeled for this update.  

These scenarios, as well as the temperature dataset used to create them, are available for download in a variety of user-friendly formats from the table below. The NorWeST thermal map for all Utah streams shows a statewide scenario of mean August stream temperatures for perennial streams in Utah during a historical climate period to show the data extent and thermal patterns during a warm portion of the year.

Note that these scenarios are for the entire state of Utah and have slightly different watershed boundaries than the "Utah" processing unit on the Data Summaries and Modeled Scenarios tabs that can be merged with surrounding HUCs. 

NorWeST stream temperature scenario maps were developed at a 1-kilometer resolution using spatial statistical stream network models. Stream temperature data used to fit the temperature model that created the scenario maps were screened using a consistent set of criteria to ensure the use of accurate temperature measurements.

Application of these techniques in previous research has yielded accurate and unbiased stream temperature models and predictions (R2 ~ 0.90; RMSE < 1.0 ˚C). Multiple historical scenarios from 1993 to 2015 are available, as are future scenarios for mid-century (2030–2059), end-of-century (2070–2099), and date agnostic temperature increases (e.g., +1C relative to historical baseline periods).  

The stream temperature scenarios can be viewed in the interactive interactive NorWeST Stream Temperature ArcGIS Map or they can be downloaded as geospatial data, which enables the display and querying of stream temperatures for river basins and other areas of interest across the western U.S.

Salmon River Basin Processing Unit

"MidColumbia" Processing Unit

"Washington Coast" Processing Unit

"Upper Columbia-Yakima" Processing Unit

Supplemental Information

• Stream Temperature and Native Trout – Office of Sustainability and Climate
• NorWeST Stream Temperature Modeling Procedures
• Description of NorWeST Historic and Future Stream Temperature Climate Scenarios
• NorWeST Modeled Stream Temperature Stream Lines
• NorWeST Observed Stream Temperature Points

Citation

Citation to use with these scenarios: Isaak, D.J.; Wenger, S.J.; Peterson, E.E.; Ver Hoef, J.M.; Hostetler, S.W.; Luce, C.H.; Dunham, J.B.; Kershner, J.L.; Roper, B.B.; Nagel, D.E.; Chandler, G.L.; Wollrab, S.P.; Parkes, S.L.; Horan, D.L. 2016. NorWeST modeled summer stream temperature scenarios for the western U.S. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2016-0033.

Scenario Maps – NorWeST Processing Units

Data are added as basins are completed and are subject to periodic revision. 

SSN File directories on this page contain the temperature datasets and associated files created using the STARS software that were used to fit SSN models for each of the processing units in the NorWeST project. These files can be used to replicate the analyses or as a starting point for creating new temperature models. This annotated R script (NorWeST SSN example code.R) can be modified for use with any of the .ssn.zip files below.