The present study resulted in the compilation of a computer data base containing historical fish distribution data with accompanying water temperature data from about 1930-1972 for over 300 species of freshwater fish from 574 locations in the United States and provides the first nationwide compendium that describes freshwater fish population habitats in relation to water temperature regimens. Data collected from many unrelated sources were edited, formatted and assembled into a meaningful presentation. The transformation of the encoded data into magnetic characters on a computer data tape was accomplished with a Honeywell 702 Keytape machine. Computer programs developed were written in the Fortran IV language and implemented on the Univac 1108 computer system. The present data system was implemented primarily as a computer data storage and retrieval method. As such, the computer programs were largely designed to format, sort, store and recall selected records, or groupings of data. For analyzing data, computer programs were developed for: (1) determining the frequency of occurrence of certain types and classes of data; (2) determining the number of fish temperature data sets (fish present at the same time and place water temperatures were taken) by: (a) major and minor river basins, (b) thermal characteristics, (c) sampling method, and (d) temperature and fish catching equipment type; (3) compiling fish species data and correlating these with water-temperature records; (4) producing tables with minimum, maximum and mean temperatures with corresponding fish counts; and (5) producing cumulative percentiles of weekly water temperatures for each fish species. Suggestions as to possible uses for the data and programs are given. Also included are some case example studies. A section is included describing the limitations of the encoded fish and temperature data and a critique of the: (1) data quality, (2) environmental quality, (3) quality of the work performed, (4) materials and methods used to collect fish and temperature data, and (5) data reporting and analysis.

May 1979 (volume 1). Includes bibliographical references.

v. 1. Data management techniques, output examples and limitations / Kenneth E. Biesinger, Robert P. Brown, Carl R. Bernick, Glenn A. Flittner and Kenneth E.F. Hokanson -- v. 2. Temperature requirement data for thirty fishes / Kenneth E.F. Hokanson.