Contributions of groundwater to salmon river temperatures: characterization and opportunities.

The project aims to better understand the role of groundwater in regulating the temperature of salmon rivers, as global warming reduces the cold-water refuges essential to the survival of Atlantic salmon. By analyzing provincial data to assess the thermal sensitivity of rivers in southern Quebec and by installing monitoring equipment at two refuges on the Godbout River to measure groundwater-river exchange, the study will identify the most vulnerable regions, quantify the contribution of groundwater to thermal refuges, and predict their evolution under various warming scenarios. The results will support the development of management tools and guide habitat conservation and restoration strategies in the context of climate change.