Trout Brook: A Tale of Temperatures...

As part of a recent site visit to better understand the impact of three areas of impounded water on upper Trout Brook, NFC took manual temperature readings using a handheld infrared thermometer at 8 locations on the stream and 8 small spring tributaries.

After analyzing the data, NFC was able to identify the source of an increase in stream temperature of more than 15 degrees over a distance of just 1/4 of a mile. While the temperature decreased by 5 degrees less than 100 feet downstream due to spring activity, it is clearly impacting the overall temperature of the stream.

The source of the thermal stress is a section of the stream that has widened and lost its canopy as a result of an old piped earthen berm that is now acting as a dam due to blockage. Breaching the berm would have a positive impact on the stream in regard to both temperature and fish-passage.