Abstract: Changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of reservoir water temperature pose a significant impact on the environment and aquatic ecosystem in the reservoir area and its downstream rivers. We first made a review on the history of reservoir water temperature research in China and abroad, and introduced the methods of researching reservoir water temperature and discriminating the structure of reservoir water temperature. In particular, we expounded the latest developments and frontier progress of mechanism-based models and intelligent algorithm models for reservoir water temperature, and summarized the latest research findings in stratification characteristics and eco-environmental impacts of water temperature as well as improvement measures. Furthermore, we put forward some key research directions in future: the rules of water and heat transfer between reservoir and river, the flow-temperature coupling calculation based on non-static pressure, and the ecological scheduling of layered water withdrawal to improve downstream water temperature.

Key words: reservoir water temperature, mathematical model of water temperature, water temperature prediction, water temperature stratification, ecological and environmental impact