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The Importance of Climate Change for Future Wildfire Scenarios in the Western United States
December 2007
This report reviews current and projected climate variables that may affect the frequency and severity of wildfires in the Western U. S. for the 21st century. It is one of four case studies in an overall report, titled "Regional Impacts of Climate Change: Four Case Studies in the United States," that examines impacts of particular interest to different regions of the U. S. This section summarizes projections for the 21st century from vegetation models that integrate knowledge of past fire occurrence to simulate changes in fire patterns and their effect on carbon sequestration in western states.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Dominique Bachelet, James M. Lenihan, Ronald P. Neilson
Resource Category: Assessments
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Impacts of Global Warming on New Mexico's Water Resources - An Assessment of the Rio Grande Basin
October 2007
A scientific study was undertaken by researchers at two New Mexico universities to evaluate the potential impacts of future warming on water resources in the Rio Grande basin.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Brian H. Hurd, Julie Coonrod
Resource Category: Assessments
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Colorado River Basin Water Management: Evaluating and Adjusting to Hydroclimatic Variability
February 2007
This brief from the National Research Council of the National Academies summarizes an assessment of existing sources of scientific information - including temperature and streamflow records, tree-ring based reconstructions, and climate model projections - and how they relate to Colorado River Basin water supplies and demands, water management, and drought.
Resource Category: Assessments
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The Impact of Climate Change on New Mexico's Water Supply and Ability to Manage Water Resources
July 2006
The intent of this report is to increase awareness of, and support for, the integration of climate change into existing water management planning efforts and operations. This report reviews the climate science and related impacts on New Mexico's water resources; provides adaptive management strategies for sustainable use of current water supplies; and offers information on integrating effects of climate change into water operations and management planning. .
Author or Affiliated User: John. R. D'Antonio
Resource Category: Planning
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Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future
June 2006
This report, along with the 2008 report, "Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future: Next Steps," include consensus recommendations and action items to both encourage and assist local, state and federal planners and managers and private sector partners to coordinate effectively to prepare for and address challenges of over-appropriated watersheds, population growth, land use changes, water needs for in-stream uses, and water supply and water management strategies in Western states. These reports address six specific issues, including: examining water policies and population growth, providing water supply to meet future demands, maintaining water supply infrastructure, resolving Indian water rights, preparing for climate change, and conserving endangered species.
Author or Affiliated User: Mohd Khawlie
Resource Category: Planning
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TreeFlow
TreeFlow is an online resource for tree-ring reconstructions of stream flow and climate. By providing a longer window into the past, tree-ring reconstructions describe the natural variability of climate (precipitation, drought) more completely than gaged records. While projected changes in precipitation may be uncertain in some area, projections for temperature changes due to climate change are highly useful and relevant when added to the range of natural flow variability seen in the reconstructions.
Resource Category: Data and tools
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Organization
Bureau of Reclamation
Established in 1902, the Bureau of Reclamation is best known for the dams, power plants, reservoirs, and canals it constructed in the 17 western states, including Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and Grand Coulee on the Columbia River. The Bureau of Reclamation is the largest wholesaler of water in the country. They bring water to more than 31 million people, and provide one out of five Western farmers (140,000) with irrigation water for 10 million acres of farmland that produce 60% of the nation's vegetables and 25% of its fruits and nuts.
Organization
New Mexico Climate Center
The Office of the New Mexico State Climatologist is located in Las Cruces at the campus of New Mexico State University (NMSU). The State Climatologist directs the New Mexico Climate Center that is based in the Plant and Environmental Sciences Department. The Center maintains an archive of meteorological data collected throughout the state of New Mexico from many public and private networks. The Center operates a network of 18 automated surface weather stations throughout the state with two of them within walking distance from the NMSU campus.
Organization
New Mexico Climate Change Adaptation and Ecology Program - the Nature Conservancy
New Mexico was the first chapter of the Nature Conservancy to address ecological climate change adaptation by creating the Climate Change Ecology and Adaptation Program. This program provides land and water managers with information about climate change in New Mexico's past, present and future. The program focuses on assessing the impacts of climate change on the state's biodiversity and identifying local level adaptation strategies that can help build ecological resilience.
Organization
New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and Interstate Stream Commission
The NM Office of the State Engineer is charged with administering the state's water resources. The State Engineer has power over the supervision, measurement, appropriation, and distribution of all surface and groundwater in New Mexico, including streams and rivers that cross state boundaries. The State Engineer is also Secretary of the Interstate Stream Commission. The Interstate Stream Commission is charged with separate duties including protecting New Mexico's right to water under eight interstate stream basins, ensuring the state complies with each of those basins, as well as water planning.
