Brook Trout Climate Change Refugia: Increasing Aquatic Habitat Knowledge and Stewardship in the Lewis Creek Watershed

Brook Trout Climate Change Refugia: Increasing Aquatic Habitat Knowledge and Stewardship in the Lewis Creek Watershed

Lewis Creek Association (LCA) has been working with Milone & MacBroom, Inc. to identify important refugia locations to conserve or restore the brook trout fisheries of Lewis Creek and its tributaries. Refugia are pools of cooler water temperatures within streams, which enable brook trout and other cold water species to survive periods of higher temperatures during the summer. Refugia can be preserved by leaving logs and other structures in streams, by allowing floodplains and backwaters to exist, and by maintaining riparian shading. These refugia will become especially important with increasing temperatures due to climate change.