Modeled riparian stream shading: Agreement with field measurements and sensitivity to riparian conditions

Shading by riparian vegetation and streambanks reduces incident solar radiation on channels, and accurate estimation of riparian shading through the sun’s daily arc is a critical aspect of water temperature and dissolved oxygen modeling. However, riparian trees exhibit complex shapes, often leaning and growing branches preferentially over channels to utilize the light resource. As a result, riparian vegetation cast complex shadows with significant variability at the scale of meters. Water quality models necessarily simplify factors affecting shading at the expense of accuracy. All models must make simplifying assumptions about tree geometry. Reach-based models must average channel azimuth and riparian conditions over each reach, and GIS models must also accept errors in the channel-riparian relationships caused by the DEM grid detail. We detail minor improvements to existing shade models and create a model (SHADE2) that calculates shading ratio (%) by riparian canopy at any time and location for given stream characteristics including stream azimuth, stream width, canopy height, canopy overhang, and height of maximum canopy overhang. Sensitivity of simulated shade to these variables is explored. We also present a new field photographic technique for quantifying shade and use this technique to provide data to test the SHADE2 algorithm. Twenty-four independent shade measurements were made in eight channels with mature hardwood riparian trees at different times of the summer and at different times of the day. Agreement between measured and modeled shade was excellent, with r2 of 0.90.