Effects of dams on water temperature : example of the Ain River (France)

The aim of this paper is to illustrate with a lot of data series on the Ain river the changes observed on water temperatures, especially for summer values. Models are calibrated and used to simulate water temperatures under different assumptions of flow management to deduct effects of dams. Projections on the period 1950-2099 were made on the basis of a climate scenario, a hydrological model and models of water temperature. This simulation confirms the risk of a sharp rise in water temperatures in summer related to rising air temperatures and lower low flows.