Stream Temperature

Since 2005, GCWIN has monitored Grand County's streams and rivers for temperature. Currently, GCWIN has 55 active monitoring sites spread out across the county. Stream temperature remains a concern particularly in the summer when high temperatures can hurt our valuable cold-water trout fisheries.

April - October

Length of the monitoring season. We deploy our seasonal sensors throughout the month of April and pull them from the river during the month of October. Some sites are visited weekly, others bi-weekly. We have 6 year-round sites.

Every 15 minutes

When temperature data is collected. Our sensors are programmed to collect the temperature of the water every 15 minutes to account for minute changes in temp that may occur with precipitation, sun exposure, or other environmnetal factors.

55 sites total

The 2023 monitoring season saw 55 stream temperature sites spread out over five programs: GCWIN (15 sites), Denver Water (26 sites), Learning by Doing (11 sites), Upper CO Wild & Scenic (3 sites), and Northern Water Temperature and Electric Conductivity (7 sites)

Air temperature

This program includes select air temperature sites. At 6 of our stream temperature sites, an air temperature sensor is deployed as well, the data used to supplement the stream temp data.

GCWIN's Stream Temperature Monitoring Plan:

Provides a baseline of temperature data in the Upper Colorado and Fraser River Basins
Provides information that has been used to support Colorado stream temperature standards
Facilitated Grand County's Stream Management Plan
Supports operational decisions for water diversion projects