This Data Release provides records of fish species abundance collected during summer 2015 using single pass backpack electrofishing within sections of Owens Creek, Big Hunting Creek, and Blue Blazes Creek (a tributary to Big Hunting Creek) in Maryland (USA). We also provide water and air temperature data collected during at 30 minute increments summers of 2015 and 2016. Stream physical habitat data are also reported for fish sampling sites.

The dataset is composed of two data tables containing information from electrofishing surveys conducted in the Catskill and Adirondack regions. The first data table contains fish collection information and the second data table contains information on the sampled reaches. First posted September 25, 2018, ver. 1.0 Revised July 2019, ver. 2.0 Revised November 2020, ver. 3.0 Revised March 2022, ver. 4.0 Revised September 2022, ver. 5.0 Revised February 2023, ver. 6.0 Revised December 2023, ver. 7.0 Version 7.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 6.0, 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in 2023 at 8 sites in the Catskill Mountain region and 2 sites in the Adirondack Mountain region. All data in Version 6.0 have been retained in Version 7.0 and are unchanged. Version 6.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in 2022 at 8 sites in the Catskill Mountain region and 1 site in the Adirondack Mountain region. All data in Version 5.0 have been retained in Version 6.0 and are unchanged. Version 5.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in 2021 at 11 sites in the Catskill Mountain region. All data in Version 4.0 have been retained in Version 5.0 and are unchanged with one exception: the USGS Station Number associated with the site ID ‘ElkBRest’ has been changed from 0136219205 to 420312074273701. Version 5.0 data are available upon request. Version 4.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in 2020 at 40 sites in the Adirondack Mountain region and 11 sites in the Catskill Mountain region. All data in Version 3.0 have been retained in Version 4.0 and are unchanged with two exceptions: 1) the species identification of 4 fish captured in Browns Creek on 7/29/14 have been changed from Northern Pearl Dace (Margariscus nachtriebi) to Allegheny Pearl Dace (Margariscus margarita) as a result of subsequent expert assessment of archived specimens, and 2) the USGS Station Number associated with the site ID ‘Windfall’ has been changed from 434813074505701 to 04253660. Version 4.0 data are available upon request. Version 3.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 2.0 and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in the upper Neversink River and upper Rondout Creek and their tributaries in the Catskill region during the period 1988-2019. All data in Version 2.0 have been retained in Version 3.0 and are unchanged with two exceptions: 1) the “Year” column in both data tables has been replaced with a “Date” column providing the exact date a survey was conducted, and 2) the USGS Station Number associated with the site ID ‘Slide’ on the West Branch Neversink River has been changed from 420034074253201 to 0143402120. Version 3.0 data are available upon request. Version 2.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Version 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted on the Esopus Creek and its tributaries in the Catskill region during the period 2009-2018. All data in Version 1.0 have been retained and are unchanged with the exception of a correction to the USGS Station Number associated with Wheeler Creek. Version 2.0 data are available upon request. Version 1.0: This version of the dataset

This Data Release provides stream temperature data (13 sites) and fish community data (3 sites) in Big Hunting Creek, Maryland. Data were collected during summer baseflow conditions in 2023. This product supports brook trout conservation and restoration research needs identified by Maryland Department of Natural Resources. We collected temperature data with Onset ProV2 water temperature gages in slotted PVC housings mounted to the stream substrates with rebar. Gages recorded temperature every 15 minutes from July 11, 2023 (midnight) until July 15, 2023 (midnight) (337 observations per site). We collected fish community data following Maryland Department of Natural Resources protocols (Maryland Biological Stream Survey) with 2-pass backpack electrofishing and dipnets. All fishes were identified to species and released. Sites include locations upstream and downstream of an impoundment (Frank Bentz Pond) in Big Hunting Creek.

This Data Release provides stream temperature data (13 sites) and fish community data (3 sites) in Big Hunting Creek, Maryland. Data were collected during summer baseflow conditions in 2023. This product supports brook trout conservation and restoration research needs identified by Maryland Department of Natural Resources. We collected temperature data with Onset ProV2 water temperature gages in slotted PVC housings mounted to the stream substrates with rebar. Gages recorded temperature every 15 minutes from July 11, 2023 (midnight) until July 15, 2023 (midnight) (337 observations per site). We collected fish community data following Maryland Department of Natural Resources protocols (Maryland Biological Stream Survey) with 2-pass backpack electrofishing and dipnets. All fishes were identified to species and released. Sites include locations upstream and downstream of an impoundment (Frank Bentz Pond) in Big Hunting Creek.

The dataset is composed of two data tables containing information from electrofishing surveys conducted in the Catskill and Adirondack regions. The first data table contains fish collection information and the second data table contains information on the sampled reaches. First posted September 25, 2018, ver. 1.0 Revised July 2019, ver. 2.0 Revised November 2020, ver. 3.0 Revised March 2022, ver. 4.0 Revised September 2022, ver. 5.0 Revised February 2023, ver. 6.0 Revised December 2023, ver. 7.0 Version 7.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 6.0, 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in 2023 at 8 sites in the Catskill Mountain region and 2 sites in the Adirondack Mountain region. All data in Version 6.0 have been retained in Version 7.0 and are unchanged. Version 6.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in 2022 at 8 sites in the Catskill Mountain region and 1 site in the Adirondack Mountain region. All data in Version 5.0 have been retained in Version 6.0 and are unchanged. Version 5.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in 2021 at 11 sites in the Catskill Mountain region. All data in Version 4.0 have been retained in Version 5.0 and are unchanged with one exception: the USGS Station Number associated with the site ID ‘ElkBRest’ has been changed from 0136219205 to 420312074273701. Version 5.0 data are available upon request. Version 4.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 3.0, 2.0, and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in 2020 at 40 sites in the Adirondack Mountain region and 11 sites in the Catskill Mountain region. All data in Version 3.0 have been retained in Version 4.0 and are unchanged with two exceptions: 1) the species identification of 4 fish captured in Browns Creek on 7/29/14 have been changed from Northern Pearl Dace (Margariscus nachtriebi) to Allegheny Pearl Dace (Margariscus margarita) as a result of subsequent expert assessment of archived specimens, and 2) the USGS Station Number associated with the site ID ‘Windfall’ has been changed from 434813074505701 to 04253660. Version 4.0 data are available upon request. Version 3.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Versions 2.0 and 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted in the upper Neversink River and upper Rondout Creek and their tributaries in the Catskill region during the period 1988-2019. All data in Version 2.0 have been retained in Version 3.0 and are unchanged with two exceptions: 1) the “Year” column in both data tables has been replaced with a “Date” column providing the exact date a survey was conducted, and 2) the USGS Station Number associated with the site ID ‘Slide’ on the West Branch Neversink River has been changed from 420034074253201 to 0143402120. Version 3.0 data are available upon request. Version 2.0: This version of the dataset has the same structure (two data tables containing the same column headings) as Version 1.0 but includes the addition of data from electrofishing surveys conducted on the Esopus Creek and its tributaries in the Catskill region during the period 2009-2018. All data in Version 1.0 have been retained and are unchanged with the exception of a correction to the USGS Station Number associated with Wheeler Creek. Version 2.0 data are available upon request. Version 1.0: This version of the dataset

The Cameron Peak Fire and East Troublesome Fire of 2020 were the two largest wildfires in Colorado history. They burned approximately 9% of the Rocky Mountain National Park, raising a concern for trout populations that currently support recreational fishing and success of on-going and future efforts to conserve native trout populations. In this study, we surveyed habitat characteristics and biological communities at 19 sites in summer of 2021 and a subset of 11 sites in summer of 2022 to characterize wildfire impacts on aquatic resources. We were primarily interested in trout population structure and abundance, which were compared to available pre-fire data. In addition, we collected information on physical habitat, water quality, algae and benthic macroinvertebrates because wildfire effects are complex and this array of data helps assist identifying ecological mechanisms that affect aquatic top predators (i.e., trout). The greenback cutthroat trout is listed as state and federally threatened and is the Colorado State Fish. The Colorado River cutthroat trout is a state species of concern and two distinct lineages occur in the burned areas of ROMO. Quantifying wildfire effects on stream ecosystems and trout populations is needed for ROMO to decide whether (1) ongoing conservation actions should continue including the Poudre Headwaters Project, (2) recreational fishing should be regulated, and (3) waters should require trout stocking or will naturally recover via trout immigration from connected populations.For more information see the report here: https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2304877