2015 was an extraordinary drought year in the Northwest as higher than average winter temperatures in 2014/2015 caused a transition in precipitation from snow to rain and the snow that did accumulate melted much earlier than normal, causing reservoir levels and stream flows to drop below long-term averages. At high elevations, headwater streams fared no better, with numerous streams experiencing periods of “no flow” for the first time in recorded history. These periods of low to no water flow can cause major water availability problems for wildlife and human communities, especially if they are not anticipated.

In order for land and resource managers to anticipate and prepare for future droughts, they need scientific information on water availability now and in the future at a landscape-scale and they need to know which headwater streams are particularly resilient to drought in order to place limited funds and resources into management of those streams. However, this scientific information is currently lacking and incomplete.

The objectives of this project are to: 1) develop a Headwaters Intermittency Prediction (HIP) tool that will provide managers with a prediction map of the expected permanence of water flows in streams; 2) utilize citizen-science techniques to gather steamflow data across the Northwest region; and 3) apply stream flow predictions to existing assessments of the vulnerability of aquatic species, such as the native bull trout, redband trout, and Lahontan cutthroat trout.