NorEaST: A stream temperature web portal for evaluating climate-change effects on streams of the USGS Northeast Climate Science Center region

Climate change is expected to alter stream temperature and flow regimes over the coming decades, and, in turn, will influence distributions of aquatic species in freshwater ecosystems. To better anticipate these changes, there is a need to collect and compile both short- and long-term stream temperature data so managers can understand baseline conditions, historic trends, and future projections. The NorEaST Web Portal (NorEaST) was developed to serve as a regional framework and provide a means for coordinating and connecting stream-temperature sampling efforts and data across multiple agencies in the 22 states that comprise the USGS Northeast Climate Science Center (NECSC) region. The NorEaST Web Portal consists of a mapper where the public can view locations and metatdata for current and historic stream temperature monitoring sites, and a database where data stewards can upload, store, and manage stream temperature data. To date, NorEaST displays over 10,000 locations where continuous stream temperature data have been collected by 47 different organizations. Web services have been built to provide users with tabular and graphical output using WaterML2 data exchange standards. For those agencies with existing databases, web services can be built to connect their time-series data with NorEaST. The NorEaST Web Portal provides a way to view site information; coordinate and leverage monitoring efforts; generate data standards; manage data; use data for regional analyses and comparisons; and develop stream temperature models. This information is crucial for assessing the effects of and planning for climate change on streams throughout the NECSC region.