Stream or river water temperatures

[bikehikeskifish]

Anyone ever measure, or know if there are records of, the temperatures of the brooks/streams in the Whites? I know that the USGS water data sites have air temperature on some of the gauges, but not water temps. I know they can be colder than the Atlantic Ocean in Maine, and that can be in the high 50s/low 60s even in the hottest part of summer.

Tim

 

[Rainman]

There is a wter temperature graphed for many of the USGS stream gauges. If you select the gauge, then the hydrograph tab, click on the image for a "larger image". Scroll within this window for several graphs, one of which is the water temperature. Here is the one for the wild river in Gilead ME.
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/me/nwis/uv?site_no=01054200

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Interesting... I've never looked at that gauge before, and the ones I usually check don't have water temps - only air temps. Was wondering how cold 19MBT might have been on Saturday. Cold enough that even though we went for a dip, it was only a 10-15 second dip.

Tim

 

[peakbagger]

While hiking the downes brook slide trail the other day I was quite impressed at the water temp was at the "swimming pool". The water runs over a large area of rock slabs that are in the sun most of the day so the water warms up quite a bit before it cascades down to the pool. In general many of the streams tend cascade down shady valleys so they dont pick up much sun, this the cold temps.