Climate Change Preparedness of Oregon Municipal Water Providers in Snow-Transient Basins
Loading...
Date
2007-11-30
Authors
Climate Leadership Initiative
Bartleson, Becca
Doppelt, Bob
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Institute for a Sustainable Environment, University of Oregon
Abstract
In summer of 2007 the Climate Leadership Initiative (CLI) at the University of Oregon surveyed municipal water providers serving populations of over 4,500 people located within snow-transient basins in Oregon about their preparedness for the potential effects of climate change. Prior to the survey, maps were produced for CLI identifying low elevation watersheds in the state where slight temperature increases were likely to turn snow into rain, thus reducing snowpack and causing earlier snowmelt.1 Municipal water supplies in these "snow-transient basins" could experience changes to their water supply regimes if storage systems were not situated in locations capable of capturing rain runoff or if snowmelt occurring earlier in the year. The goals of the CLI survey were threefold: 1) to determine which water supply systems could potentially be at risk; 2) to determine the extent to which local providers were aware of the potential risks to their systems posed by rising temperatures; and 3) to ascertain how many providers had developed climate preparation plans or policies.
Description
8 p.
Keywords
Water-supply -- Oregon, Global warming, Climate change, Climatic changes