Cold‐Water Thermal Refuge Enhancement and Creation for Salmonids: Successes, Failures, and Lessons Learned
Renaud Quilbé, Valérie Ouellet, Danielle M. Frechette, Barret L. Kurylyk, Christopher J. Sullivan, Edmund A. Halfyard, Kathryn A. Smith, Nathan M. Wilbur, Carole‐Anne Gillis
Abstract
ABSTRACT As rivers continue to warm due to climate change, there is an urgent need for coordinated approaches to enhance the thermal resiliency of riverscapes. Cold‐water refuges (CWRs) serve as critical habitats for temperature‐sensitive aquatic species, yet efforts to enhance or create these refuges often lack a unified framework, risking a fragmented and ineffective approach. To address this challenge, we convened a workshop bringing together experts, practitioners, and stakeholders to develop best practices for CWR enhancement. This manuscript synthesizes the workshop outcomes, presenting a flowchart of overarching conceptual approaches to CWR enhancement, emphasizing factors such as refuge density and type. Case study summaries highlight examples across different CWR types, providing practical insights into site‐specific challenges and solutions. Key recommendations include prioritizing CWRs for maximum ecological benefit, integrating thermal refuge enhancement into broader riverscape management plans, and adopting a catchment‐based perspective to address upstream influences. We also identify critical knowledge gaps, such as the need for improved methods to assess CWR usage, including tools like drones and thermal infrared imaging. These gaps underscore the importance of continued innovation and collaboration to refine best practices. By providing a clear, actionable framework, this work aims to guide practitioners toward more effective, coordinated efforts to safeguard aquatic ecosystems under a warming climate.