Reconstructed river water temperature dataset over Canada 1980-2018.

The daily water temperature (°C) dataset is reconstructed using the air2stream model (Toffolon and Piccolroaz 2015) with i) air temperature from ~10 km resolution 1980-2018 Regional Deterministic Reforecast System, version 2.1 (Gasset et al. 2021) and ii) streamflow data from the Water Survey of Canada (WSC) hydrometric stations used as the primary inputs. The reconstructed dataset was calibrated/validated with observed water temperature records from various sources. A detailed description of the methodology, sources of observed water temperature, air temperature, and streamflow datasets used in the model setup are available in Shrestha and Pesklevits (2023a and 2023b).

Gasset, N., and Coauthors, 2021: A 10 km North American precipitation and land-surface reanalysis based on the GEM atmospheric model. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 25, 4917–4945, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4917-2021.

Shrestha, R. R., and J. C. Pesklevits, 2023a: Modelling spatial and temporal variability of water temperature across six rivers in Western Canada. River Research and Applications, 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.4072.

Shrestha, R.R., J. Pesklevits. 2023b. Reconstructed river water temperature data for western Canada 1980-2018, Data 8, 48 doi.org/10.3390/data8030048.

Toffolon, M., and S. Piccolroaz, 2015: A hybrid model for river water temperature as a function of air temperature and discharge. Environ. Res. Lett., 10, 114011, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/11/114011.

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Last Updated April 17, 2026, 18:11 (UTC)
Created April 17, 2026, 18:11 (UTC)
contact_email enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
contact_person {"fr": "Gouvernement du Canada; Environnement et Changement climatique Canada; Direction générale des sciences et de la technologie / Direction des sciences et de la technologie de l'eau / Division de la recherche sur l'hydrologie et l'écologie des bassins hydrographiques, , infodrhebh-wherdinfo@ec.gc.ca", "en": "Government of Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada; Science and Technology Branch / Water Science and Technology Directorate / Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division, , infodrhebh-wherdinfo@ec.gc.ca"}
criticality_level []
data_dictionary []
geographic_scope ["0"]
open_canada_collection primary
open_canada_date_modified 2023-11-28 21:11:58
open_canada_date_published 2022-12-20 00:00:00
open_canada_keywords {"fr": ["Eau", "Température", "température de l'eau simulée", "modèle air2stream"], "en": ["Water", "Temperature", "simulated water temperature", "air2stream model"]}
open_canada_subject ["nature_and_environment"]
sensitivity_level unrestricted
title_fr Ensemble de données reconstruites sur la température de l'eau des rivières au Canada 1980-2018.
update_frequency as_needed