Fire and fish: a synthesis of observation and experience

The effects of wildfire on aquatic systems and fishes occurring in them has been linked to the direct or immediate influence of the fire on water quality and the indirect or subsequent effects on watershed characteristics and processes that influence water quality and quantity, stream channels, and aquatic biota (Gresswell 1999). Early research linking fire and aquatic systems focused on effects to soil, erosion, and water yield and quality, with a relatively limited temporal and spatial context (see Gresswell 1999 for a review). Wildfire generally was perceived as a destructive force threatening aquatic resources (e.g., fish populations) and related values (Rieman and Clayton 1997; Kaufman 2004).