Climate Shield Cold-Water Refuge Streams For Native Trout: ArcGIS Online map

Populations of many cold-water species are likely to decline this century with global warming, but declines will vary spatially and some populations will persist even under extreme climate change scenarios. Especially cold habitats could provide important refugia from both future environmental change and invasions by non-native species that prefer warmer waters. The Climate Shield website hosts geospatial data and related information that describes specific locations of cold-water refuge streams for native Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) and Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) across the American West. Forecasts about the locations of refugia could enable the protection of key watersheds, inform support among multiple stakeholders, and provide a foundation for planning climate-smart conservation networks that improve the odds of preserving native trout populations through the 21st century.

The Northern Rockies Adaptation Partnership provided a valuable forum that accelerated this work. The Great Northern and North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperatives generously funded the NorWeST project, which serves as the foundation for Climate Shield.

The Climate Shield Cutthroat Trout and Bull Trout models were developed from fish surveys conducted at more than 4,500 locations in over 500 streams, as described in the cited peer-reviewed studies and agency reports.

• Resource Title: Digital Maps and ArcGIS Shapefiles.

  File Name: Web Page, url: https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/AWAE/projects/ClimateShield/maps.html

  Information is available here to download as easy-to-use digital maps (.pdf files) and ArcGIS shapefiles for all streams within the historical ranges of native trout across the northwestern U.S. The geographic areas match the NorWeST production units because those stream temperature scenarios are integral to Climate Shield.