Hydrothermal impacts of water release on early life stages of white sturgeon in the Nechako river, B.C. Canada.

Water temperature plays a crucial role in the physiology of aquatic species, particularly in their survival and development. Thus, resource programs are commonly used to manage water quality conditions for endemic species. In a river system like the Nechako River system, central British Columbia, a water management program was established in the 1980s to alter water release in the summer months to prevent water temperatures from exceeding a 20 °C threshold downstream during the spawning season of Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka).

Slow heating rates increase thermal tolerance and alter mRNA HSP expression in juvenile white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus).

Freshwater fish such as white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) are particularly vulnerable to the effects of anthropogenically induced global warming. Critical thermal maximum tests (CT) are often conducted to provide insight into the impacts of changing temperatures; however, little is known about how the rate of temperature increase in these assays affects thermal tolerance. To assess the effect of heating rate (0.

Identification of upper thermal thresholds during development in the endangered Nechako white sturgeon with management implications for a regulated river.

Climate change-induced warming effects are already evident in river ecosystems, and projected increases in temperature will continue to amplify stress on fish communities. In addition, many rivers globally are impacted by dams, which have many negative effects on fishes by altering flow, blocking fish passage, and changing sediment composition. However, in some systems, dams present an opportunity to manage river temperature through regulated releases of cooler water.