According to a new study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment water temperatures are increasing in many streams and rivers throughout the United States.
“Warming waters can impact the basic ecological processes taking place in our nation’s rivers and streams,” said Dr. Sujay Kaushal of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and lead author of the study. “Long-term temperature increases can impact aquatic biodiversity, biological productivity, and the cycling of contaminants through the ecosystem.”
The study focused its attention on 40 streams and rivers throughout the US, and found that 20 showed “statistically significant long term warming trends.” The annual mean water temperature increased by 0.02-0.14°F (0.009-0.077°C) per year and could often be correlated with increases in air temperature. Rates of warming in these streams were found to be most speedy in urbanized areas.