Water temperatures are rising in European mountain streams

Water temperatures in European mountain streams have been rising for decades. Climate change is affecting water quality, fish, industry and electricity production. These are the findings of a study by the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF). The increasingly warmer air caused by climate change is warming water bodies, the SLF reported on Monday. Extreme water temperatures could trigger ecological tipping points. For example, the mortality rate of trout increases at temperatures above 23°C. The entire biodiversity of the aquatic ecosystem is threatened. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The high temperatures can also reduce the quality of the water, which could become a problem for the supply of clean drinking water to the population in some regions, the report continued. Industrial and utility companies would also no longer be able to cool their power plants sufficiently, forcing them to reduce or even shut down operations. An upward trend ...