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Options for Improving Climate Modeling to Assist Water Utility Planning for Climate Change
December 2009
This report, which was commissioned by the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA), considers how federal investments in the science of climate change, and in particular climate modeling, can best be directed to help improve the quality of research so that it may be more useful to water utilities and other possible users in adapting to climate change. It explains how climate models work, describes how some WUCA members have used climate models and downscaling to assess impacts on their systems and develop adaptation options, and makes seven initial recommendations for how climate modeling and downscaling techniques can be improved so that these tools and techniques can be more useful for the water sector.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Joseph Barsugli, Chris Anderson, Joel B. Smith, Jason M. Vogel
Resource Category: Data and tools
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Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future: Next Steps
June 2008
This report, along with the 2006 report, "Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future," and the 2010 report, "Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future: 2010 Progress Report," include consensus recommendations for how the Western states can work with federal, local, and private sector partners to address the challenges of over-appropriated watersheds, population growth, land use changes, water needs for in-stream uses, and of water supply and water management strategies in general.
Resource Category: Planning
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Southeast Florida's Resilient Water Resources - Adaptation to Sea Level Rise and Other Impacts of Climate Change
November 15, 2009
This report examines how, and to what extent, sea-level rise and other climate change impacts are likely to influence Southeast Florida’s water supply, wastewater reuse alternatives, and ground and surface waters. Engineering options and management strategies for enhancing the resilience of the region’s water systems are described in five areas: 1) conservation, 2) protection of existing sources, 3) development of alternative water sources, 4) reclamation and reuse of treated wastewater, and 5) storm water management.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Barry N. Heimlich, Frederick Bloetscher, Daniel E. Meeroff, James Murley
Resource Category: Planning
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Green Infrastructure Approaches to Managing Wet Weather with Clean Water State Revolving Funds
July 2008
This fact sheet provides local governments and stormwater utilities with information on how to use the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) to finance green infrastructure projects. After a quick primer on green infrastructure and the CWSRF, the fact sheet details why the CWSRF is an attractive financing option for green infrastructure and which green infrastructure projects are eligible for CWSRF assistance, and provides case studies of how communities have used the CWSRF to finance green infrastructure projects.
Resource Category: Funding
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Stationarity is Dead: Whither Water Management?
February 1, 2008
Published in the journal 'Science,' this article argues that the current concept of stationarity - the idea that natural systems fluctuate within an unchanging envelope of variability - is made obsolete in water management practices by anthropogenic climate change. The article recommends that the analytic strategies used for planning future investments be updated.
Authors or Affiliated Users: P. C. D. Milly, Julio Betancourt, Malin Falkenmark, Robert M. Hirsch, Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz, Dennis P. Lettenmaier, Ronald J. Stouffer
Resource Category: Planning
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Urban Drought Guidebook 2008 Updated Edition
2008
Updated in 2008, the focus of the guide is to provide water managers a step-by-step process to anticipate and respond to potentially severe drought and other water shortages. Examples of well-conceived and executed plans in California and other parts of the country are provided to illustrate recommendations whenever possible. It also demonstrates that successful programs are commonly the result of a cooperative effort between water suppliers and their customers. This guidebook presents examples of efforts by water suppliers throughout the United States, along with a wide array of approaches to address variable water supply and demand scenarios throughout the state.
Resource Category: Planning
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USGS Groundwater Resources Program
2008
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) GroundWater Resources Program (GWRP) supports applied research into the effects of climate variability on groundwater availability. The purpose of GWRP is to conduct and synthesize groundwater investigations on regional and national scales.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Water Supply and Stress Index Model (WaSSI)
2008
WaSSI is a tool that models historical, current, and future watershed stress for a particular zip code by comparing water supply and demand. Planners can select which of two climate models to use (HadCM2SuL - warm & wet; or CGC1 - hot & dry) to assess possible effects on supply and stress created by climate change under these scenarios. WaSSI uses historical USGS or state water bureau data to estimate past demand; future demand and supply scenarios are based on modeled changes in land use, land management, population, and climate change.
Resource Category: Data and tools
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Climate Change Effects on Stream and River Biological Indicators: A Preliminary Analysis (Final Report)
March 2008
The Clean Water Act mandates that states assess the biological, chemical, and physical condition of their aquatic resources using biological indicators that compare reference and non-reference sites to measure condition. The Office of Water developed guidance documents for establishing biocriteria in rivers and streams, lakes, estuaries, and wetlands, and is developing biocriteria for coral reefs. Climate change is projected to affect aquatic ecosystems through changes in water temperature, hydrological cycles, and degree days.
Resource Category: Monitoring and Reporting
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Climate Change in Colorado: A Synthesis to Support Water Resources Management and Adaptation (2008)
2008
This report is a synthesis of climate change science that is important for evaluating impacts on Colorado's water resources. This document provides scientific analyses to support state and regional efforts to develop a water adaptation plan, while presenting scientific analyses on observed trends, modeling, and projections of hydro-climatic variables - including temperature, precipitation, snowmelt, and runoff. This analysis includes a record of Colorado climate that covers trends in temperature, precipitation, snow and stream flow; a section describing climate models, emissions scenarios, and downscaling; followed by climate attributions, projections, and implications for the state.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Andrea J. Ray, Joseph J. Barsugli, Kristen B. Averyt
Resource Category: Assessments
