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	Westfield River Watershed Temperature Monitoring Program by Michael Vorwerk Students at Westfield State College, under the guidance of WRWA board member and Westfield State College faculty member Michael Vorwerk, are conducting research on river temperatures in the Westfield River watershed. Nine undergraduate students are studying river temperatures to determine the suitability of the watershed for salmon habitat (in regards to temperature), and the effects of development on river temperatures. To carry out the study, students are using 23 Onset Instruments Hobo temperature loggers. The loggers have been deployed through much of the watershed since spring. Students George Durante, Adam Cote, and Gary Krasinski are studying the effects of Route 9 on the river. Route 9 runs across the northern section of the watershed, adjacent to or near the Westfield River for about 5 miles near Cummington, MA. The team wants to determine the effects of the road on temperatures. Their hypothesis is that the clearing caused by the road and resultant increased exposure to sunlight is warming the river temperature. Additionally, they are considering the impact of warmed runoff water from the road being a source of hot water to the river during the critical summer low-flow season. In this scenario, a summer rainstorm drops water on the heated pavement. This water is warmed and quickly runs off into the river. During summer, river temperatures are often already at critical levels for salmon. The students are studying if there is an impact from the road heating. To date, the group determined that the heating in this river section is significantly greater than heating over the entire river from Cummington to the lowest gauging station downstream of the Westfield Walmart. A second team with Amanda Perron and Kristel Allen has loggers deployed upstream and downstream of the reservoirs created by the Russell (Lynch) dam and the Strathmore Paper Dam. Their hypothesis is that the impoundments result in warmer river temperatures. This is because the lakes are shallow and the water slows, exposing it to greater solar heating. Most loggers were removed in early November, except one that was buried by sediments during recent heavy flows. To date, this group has determined that there is significantly greater heating in the portion of the river impounded by the Strathmore dam than over the entire river. Surprisingly, the group also found that the impoundments serve to cool the river during the fall, in effect amplifying the effects of weather. The third team is aggregating all information from the loggers to create a general picture of suitable salmon habitat throughout the late spring, summer, and fall. Understanding and visualizing these data is somewhat more difficult than it sounds, because all told the students will collect around 150,000 temperature observations this year. Students Andrea Palpini and Christine Verdolino created monthly maps showing the portion of the river that was suitable habitat (defined as having average temperatures above 3º C and less than 15º C). They found that during July and August, there was no suitable habitat for salmon. They hypothesize that the river has micro-habitats where the water is cooler, perhaps in deeper pools, areas with significant groundwater inflow, or shaded banks. Also, they found a range of values in the scientific literature regarding the actual limits on temperature limits for salmon habitat. Many of the values they found were greater than 15º C, so it may be that the actual suitable habitat is greater than predicted. The students are conducting this research as part of their senior capstone experiences at Westfield State College. They presented their preliminary results at the Bridgewater State College Undergraduate Environmental Science Research Symposium on November 15th. Abstracts can be viewed at the conference website.