Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
In general:
Warmer weather will affect seasonal availability of water
by increasing evaporation and reducing snowpacks. The
Columbia River and other heavily used water systems in west-
ern North America will be especially vulnerable.
Higher variability of precipitation will make water manage-
ment more diffi cult.
By region:
Alaska:
Glacial retreat/disappearance in south, advance in
north; impacts on fl ows, stream ecology
Pacifi c Northwest:
Earlier snowmelt, more frequent rain or
snow, changes in seasonal stream fl ow, possible reductions in
summer stream fl ow, and reduced summer soil moisture
West and Southwest:
A likely reduction in snowpacks and sea-
sonal shifts in runoff patterns, possible declines in groundwa-
ter recharge, and reduced water supplies
Midwest:
Big declines in summer stream fl ow and increased
likelihood of severe droughts
Great Lakes:
Possible lake-level declines, reduced hydropower
production, shallower ship channels, and reduced water quality
Northeast:
Generally adequate water supplies but limited total
reserve capacity, decreased snow cover amount and duration,
possible large reduction in stream fl ow, and possible elimina-
tion of bog ecosystems
Southeast, Gulf, and Mid-Atlantic:
Possible longer droughts,
increases or decreases in runoff/river discharge, and
increased fl ow variability
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The very real and very local effects of climate change were further
detailed in a more recent study from the U.S. Global Change Research
Program, a consortium of 13 government science agencies and sev-
eral major universities and research institutes. The report, “Global
Climate Change Impacts in the United States,” was released in June
2009.
“Observations show that warming of the climate is unequivocal
,” the
study says in its summary. “Climate-related changes have already been
