Introduction to Dolores Study
What We're Asking and Discovering, So Far
Background
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Are warm-weather water temperatures the same in tributaries and the main stem?
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Do drought conditions bring significantly higher water temperatures?
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The study area is a mountainous, 500-sq-mi basin in southwestern Colorado.
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Is trout habitat jeopardized by rising temperatures? By dewatering? Is refuge available? Do tributaries have a role?
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What is current water quality in tributaries?
Progress
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Temperatures in tributaries do not have the same patterns as in the main stem.
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Study findings are assisting an informed planning for habitat preservation efforts.
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Initial stream priorities have been set collaboratively for the near-term.
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Tools to judge stream vulnerability and resilience have been developed.
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Candidate response actions are identified.
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See what you think.
Gallery photographs enable visual comparisons of seasonal flows among streams.
