In 2019-2020, FOMR member Steve Rudolph did a personal project to satisfy his own curiosity about what affects the water temperatures of Middle River.
He collected a whole year of water temperature data just upstream of the Route 11 bridge in Verona. He visited every day with some help from his friend, Tom Howell. They measured water temperatures, air temperatures, soil temperatures, humidity, water depth and factored in the UV index which is a measurement of ultraviolet radiation. What were some of the general findings from Steve’s study?
Steve reports, “I have learned that a flooded river stays between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit no matter what time of year. And also a flooded river causes the humidity to be 7-12 % above what is observed elsewhere. I have found that the water temperature is mostly affected by the UV index. Flooding (as well as a cold overnight temperature) will cause the water’s high temperature for the next day to be lower.”
Here is the graph of Steve’s water temperature findings for Middle River at Verona:
