Fish Responses to Environmental Change - Overview

White SturgeonThe Nechako Watershed hosts a diverse range of economically, culturally, and ecologically vital fish species, including rainbow trout, burbot, sockeye salmon, chinook salmon, and white sturgeon. However, these species face significant challenges due to alterations in water temperature and flow regimes caused by land use changes, river regulation and climate variability. The alterations, particularly in temperature and flow patterns, often exceed the adaptive capacity of these fish populations, leading to declines and an increased risk of extinction, especially for large-bodied species like white sturgeon. Theme 3 of the IWRG focuses on understanding and foreseeing the responses of these fish species to environmental changes, both short-term (within-season) and long-term (interannual), using a combination of data collection through telemetry and analysis of historical datasets.