Water Quality
Parameters
Temperature

Water temperature affects the ability of water to hold oxygen, the rate of photosynthesis by aquatic plants and the metabolic rates of aquatic organisms.

Causes of temperature change include weather, removal of shading streambank vegetation, impoundments, discharge of cooling water, urban storm water, and groundwater inflows to the stream.

The measurement of temperature is critical in environmental monitoring.

Even small changes in the ambient temperature, either atmospheric or aquatic can have dramatic effects on flora and fauna.

It affects the speed of naturally occuring chemical reactions and can dramatically influence the measurement of many key parameters such as conductivity, dissolved oxygen and pH. For this reason, most instruments for monitoring water quality have a built in compensation function.

Tracking longer term changes in temperature can help with environmental modelling.