Six decades of research on river temperature in Canada

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River temperature is a key water quality variable in rivers and streams, as it modulates many other water quality variables as well as the metabolism, dispersion, and behavior of lotic biota. This paper reviews the key research milestones related to river temperature in Canada. The text focuses mostly on how research has been centrally motivated by the need to better understand and mitigate anthropogenic impacts on the thermal regime of rivers. The need for enhanced water temperature monitoring, both in situ and via remote sensing, especially in the Canadian North, is highlighted.