Climate and Water: Perspectives from NRDC

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Climate and Water Perspectives from NRDC
U.S. EPA May 24, 2007
Nancy Stoner/Jon Devine on behalf of Natural
Resources Defense Council
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In Hot Water (release pending) Key Contents

• Water-related climate impacts
• Climate-related activities involving water
  decision makers in the West which we wont
  cover today
• Blueprint for incorporating climate issues into
  water and wastewater management

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Water Management Impacts

• Snowpack loss

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Water Management Impacts

• Sea level rise (Golden Gate)

Source USGS Fact Sheet 175-99
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Water Management Impacts

• Earlier and larger peak streamflows
• More extreme weather events

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Water Management Impacts

• Drier Summers
• Potential Reductions in Total Stream Flows

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Water Management Impacts

• Temperature impacts
• ecosystem
• Up to 38 of locations currently suitable for
  trout and salmon expected to be too warm by 2090
• NRDC, Effects of Global Warming on Trout and
  Salmon in U.S. Streams (2002)

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Water Management Impacts

• Temperature impacts demand

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In Hot Water -- Recommendations

• Vulnerability Analysis
• Response Strategies
• Prevention

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Vulnerability AnalysisWater-Climate Links

• Water and wastewater managers needs to assess
  impacts of climate change on water needs,
  supplies, and threats
• Location precipitation predictions based on
  latitude
• Watershed characteristics -elevation, soils,
  aspect, vegetation
• Allocation over allocation/already stressed
• Changes in runoff
• Changes in riverine hydrology
• Diversity of water supply
• Flood control
• Water quality
• Endangered species / aquatic ecosystem impacts
• Sea level rise

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Vulnerability Analysis Water-Climate Links

• Environmental and natural resource agencies need
  to assess water quality impacts of climate change
  
• Flashier streams
• Increase in volume of wet weather flows
• Reduced base flows
• Reduced groundwater flows
• Higher temperatures
• Aquatic ecosystem impacts
• Sea level rise

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Response Strategies Highlights

• Consider climate impacts of future water tools
• Employ integrated water resource management
• Put conservation first
• Incorporate energy and climate issues in water
  management and treatment decisions
• Factor in flood management

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Most Effective Water Management Strategies
Considering Global Warming

• Landscape conservation
• Conservation rate structures
• Agricultural water conservation
• Water marketing
• Floodplain protection
• Urban stormwater management
• Watershed restoration
• Reservoir system reoperation
• Wetlands protection

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Key Strategy Integrated Water Resource
Management

• Cross-agency
• Watershed-based
• Address multiple issues
• Water supply
• Water quality
• Wastewater
• Stormwater
• Flood management
• Ecosystem
• Etc.

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Key Strategy Integrated Water Resource
Management

• Potential multiple benefits (supply, quality,
  wastewater, ecosystem, energy, greenhouse gas
  reductions, flood management)
• Potential cost savings
• Funding and implementation partners (i.e. energy,
  land use, stormwater and wastewater)
• Key tool to maximize new water sources

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Key Strategy Integrating Energy into Water
Management
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Energy Impacts of Water Supply

• The State Water Project represents 2-3 percent of
  CA electricity consumption
• Approximately 3 percent of the total electricity
  generated by the electric power industry in the
  U.S. is consumed by the water and wastewater
  industry and it is expected to grow by more than
  20 over the next 15 years
• Water agencies (Ca. Energy Commission)
• 19 of CA electricity consumption
• 30 of natural gas

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Case Study Electricity Savings from Conservation

• In San Diego, energy savings from relying on
  conservation instead of additional deliveries
  from the Bay-Delta to provide 100,000 acre-feet
  would be approximately 770 million kWh
• Enough electricity for 118,000 households for
  year 25 of the household electricity use in
  the City of San Diego

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Summary Performance of Tools After Considering
Climate Impacts

• Lower future yields from traditional snowpack,
  surface and groundwater sources
• Higher or unchanged yields from efficiency and
  recycling
• Greater emphasis on multiple benefits, energy and
  interagency cooperation

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PreventionWater-Climate Links

• Whats good for water is good for climate
• Protection and restoration of wetlands,
  headwaters, forests, open space
• Use of green roofs, rain gardens, and other green
  infrastructure in urban/suburban areas
• Protection for expanded floodplains, stream
  buffers, coastal dunes

Courtesy of Casey Trees Foundation, Washington, DC
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Conclusions

• The climate is changing
• Serious water resource implications
• Water-related decisions can contribute to or
  mitigate global warming