8276

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8276
• Author: Williss, C. C.
• Title: Documentation of Temperature Model Prepared by the Instream Flow and Aquatic Systems Group, in Cooperation with the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• USFW Year: 1984.
• USFW - Doc Type: Denver, Colorado.
• Copyright Material: NO

The model tended to over-predict mean daily water temperatures
(1961-1982) at the Jensen Gage for the months of January, March,
April, May, June, and July. The absolute mean difference at
Jensen was 1.05 degrees Celsius (Appendix F).
Comparisons were also made between observed and predicted mean
daily maximum temperatures. Maximum temperature information from
USGS gaging stations is limited, but comparisons were made at the
Stateline gage on the Colorado River, the Maybell gage on the
Yampa River, and the White River gage near the Colorado-Utah
State boundary. The absolute average difference between observed
and predicted temperatures was 1 degree Celsius for the Maybell
and Stateline gage data and 2 degrees Celsius for the White River
gage data. Comparisons for the three gages are in Appendix G.
Synthetic Data Runs
In addition to collecting and processing historical data back to
1930, there will be at least five other data sets processed by
the temperature model. The 'present level of development' has
been generated by the CRSS-to-HYDROSS linkage and used to feed
the temperature model. For this scenerio, reservoir release
temperatures (1962-82) at Flaming Gorge have been left intact.
Water temperatures from 1960-62 were not altered. The Temperature
Model sub-regression routine estimated temperatures from 1930 to
is 1959 using the post-dam temperature and discharge information.
The other four scenerios which will be run are a year 2000 level
of development and low, medium, and high estimates of ultimate
development. These scenerios, too, will be derived from the CRSS-
to-HYDROSS linkage. Results are not available at this time.
In addition to initial plans for scenerio runs through the
temperature model, there will likely be a need for management
scenerios.
The output from the temperature model has been used to feed the
stream network habitat model (SHHAB) using techniques developed
by Bartholow and Waddle (1984). This process passes flow,
temperature and other parameters to the habitat model for each
time step at each node of interest in the study area (see flow
chart). The parameters passed allow calculation of minimum and
maximum, as well as average, water temperatures at any point in
the network.
This information is then combined with species preference values
for different temperature regimes to produce total stream habitat
over time. In addition, the stream network habitat model calcu-
lates degree days at specific geographic locations as well as
allowing for adjustment of the main channel temperatures to allow
• for backwater temperatures the fish may be seeking. Please refer
to the program documentation (Bartholow and Waddle, 1984) for
details on these operations.
7