GENERAL

River water temperature is arguably one the most significant parameter that influences physical, chemical and biological properties of stream water.  It plays a crucial role in water quality as well as in the overall health of aquatic ecosystems (e.g., distribution and growth rate of aquatic organisms).  Therefore, a good knowledge of the thermal regime of rivers is essential. 

Research focus:

• Understanding and quantifying river thermal regimes
• Better quantification of river heat fluxes (surface and streambed fluxes)
• Development of water temperature models (deterministic / stochastic)
• Study air-water temperature relationships
• Study impact of river thermal regime on water quality and fish habitat
• Study of water temperature dynamics below reservoir

PROJECTS

Projects funded by New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund (ETF):

• Stream water temperature modeling under climate change scenarios- Phase I: modeling stream water temperature and water/air temperature relationships (2011-2012)
  Report & Poster
• Stream water temperature modeling under climate change scenarios- Phase II: study of stream water temperatures under climate change scenarios B1 & A2 (2012-2013)
  Report & Poster
• Water quality index under climate change impact (2013-2014)
  Report & Poster

Project funded by the Center of expertise on hydropower impacts on fish and fish habitat (CHIF):

• Water temperature dynamics downstream of reservoirs

PUBLICATIONS

Caissie, D., N. El-Jabi and N. Turkkan. 2014. Stream water temperature modeling under climate change scenarios B1 & A2. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 3106: ix +51p.

N. El-Jabi, D. Caissie and N.Turkkan (2014) Climate Change Impact on Water Quality Index in New Brunswick. WaterNews, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 13-15.

El-Jabi, N. , Caissie, D. and Turkkan, N. (2014) Water Quality Index Assessment under Climate Change. Journal of Water Resource and Protection, 6, 533-542.

Benyahya, L., D. Caissie, M.G. Satish and N. El-Jabi. (2011) Long-wave radiation and heat flux estimates within a small tributary in Catamaran Brook (New Brunswick, Canada). Hydrological Processes (In press).

Hebert, C., D. Caissie, M.G. Satish and N. El-Jabi. (2011) Study of stream temperature dynamics and corresponding heat fluxes within Miramichi River catchments (New Brunswick, Canada). Hydrological Processes 25(15): 2439–2455.

Benyahya, L., D. Caissie, N. El-Jabi and M.G. Satish. (2010) Comparison of microclimate vs. remote meteorological data and results applied to a water temperature model (Miramichi River, Canada). Journal of Hydrology 380: 247–259.

Caissie, D., M.G. Satish, and N. El-Jabi. (2007) Predicting water temperatures using a deterministic model: Application on Miramichi River catchments (New Brunswick, Canada). Journal of Hydrology 336: 303-315.

Monitoring of Microclimate Data