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The data allowed the researchers to assess changes in streams nationwide. They found that riverine heat waves in 2022 were happening more often than in 1980 — with an average of 1.8 additional heat wave events taking place per year. The heat waves were also more intense, with temperatures during heat events about .8 degrees Fahrenheit higher, on average, in 2022 in comparison to 1980. Heat wave events lasted more than three days longer than in the past.

Li said the additional heat is causing about 12 more days of heat stress, on average, for species that need cold water. The study’s authors used 59 degrees F as its threshold for heat stress because some species, like bull trout, struggle to survive at about that marker.

“When we think about water, there’s a lot more attention about what quantity, because we can see it,” Li said. “We’re hoping this kind of study will increase the public awareness of the water quality issue related to climate change.”