New research finds only a small portion of the nation’s rivers may be able to maintain today’s diversity of fish and other aquatic wildlife as the climate warms. The study, published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, mapped waterways across the Lower 48 to identify places that could give species more options as temperatures and water conditions change. … Some Western waterways stand out. Mountain rivers in Idaho and Montana and headwaters of the Colorado River system are among the more resilient areas identified by researchers. Desert rivers in New Mexico, Arizona and southern Nevada are more vulnerable, where water is already scarce and a warming climate is putting additional pressure on freshwater ecosystems. … Dams and other barriers can leave fish with fewer options as warming water pushes them toward cooler or more suitable habitats.

Other rivers and habitat news:

• The New York Times: Salmon are thriving after Klamath dam removals, study finds
• Oroville Mercury-Register (Calif.): Oroville Salmon Festival celebrates return of chinook salmon on Saturday​
• The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.): Rescued Healdsburg mink returns to the wild along Russian River