Water temperature changes in the upper Esopus Creek watershed

The upper Esopus Creek and its tributary streams located in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State provide habitats for cold-adapted aquatic species. Changes in water temperature caused by the global warming may disturb the persistence of coldwater habitats. The objectives of this study are to measure stream water temperature and analyze thermal variability among tributaries to the Esopus Creek and within Esopus Creek. To More than 100 water temperature loggers were placed within the upper Esopus Creek and its tributaries to measure spatial and temporal changes of water temperature. 30-minute interval water temperatures were collected from August 2017 to August 2018 August. The preliminary results suggest that air temperature and elevations are the main factors controlling the water temperature. The detailed changes of water temperature over time and space within the upper Esopus Creek and its will be evaluated and discussed.