Dams threaten salmonids by triggering temperature-dependent proliferative kidney disease.

Abstract

Dams provide different services for human society, but they also significantly disrupt ecosystems by altering natural flow and temperature regimes. Here, we describe a novel, unappreciated threat posed by reservoirs to one of the world's most popular game fish, brown trout (Salmo trutta). We show that small river impoundments elevate downstream water temperature during summer, which increases the prevalence and abundance of Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae parasite triggering proliferative kidney disease (PKD), an emerging disorder in salmonids across North America and Europe. Our study highlights the role of reservoirs in creating parasite and disease hotspots, while providing limited evidence that dams act as barriers to parasite spread. This makes downstream areas from reservoirs valuable sentinel sites for monitoring climate impacts on riverine ecosystems. Ultimately, the assessment of dams requires a more holistic approach, where the disease risks are included in the decision-making process balancing human needs with the health of aquatic ecosystems.