Inferring air–water temperature relationships from river and catchment properties

Water temperature (Tw) is a key determinant of freshwater ecosystem status and cause for concern under a changing climate. Hence, there is growing interest in the feasibility of moderating rising Tw through management of riparian shade. The Loughborough University Temperature Network (LUTEN) is an array of 36 water and air temperature (Ta) monitoring sites in the English Peak District set‐up to explore the predictability of local Tw, given Ta, river reach, and catchment properties. Year 1 of monitoring shows that 84%–94% of variance in daily Tw is explained by Ta. However, site‐specific logistic regression parameters exhibit marked variation and dependency on upstream riparian shade. Perennial spring flows in the lower River Dove also affect regression model parameters and strongly buffer daily and seasonal mean Tw. The asymptote of the models (i.e. maximum expected Tw) is particularly sensitive to groundwater inputs. We conclude that reaches with spring flows potentially offer important thermal refuges for aquatic organisms against expected long‐term warming of rivers and should be afforded special protection. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.