Impact of climate change on western US water resources

A new report submitted to Congress (and the subject of this article) details climate risks and impacts on water resources in the western United States.  The report focuses on how changes in temperature and precipitation have the potential to effect water operations and ecosystems in the west, a region where water supplies are already strained due to drought in recent years.

Projected climate changes include rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation.  As a result, stream flow in several western river basins is also projected to decline in the future.   Together, these changes will limit water availability for agricultural and urban usage, energy (hydropower) generation, and fish and wildlife.

Given that water is an essential resource for our lives and the environment, taking action to ensure it’s availability in the future with climate change is necessary.  The article discusses programs that have started in the western United States and are designed to promote water conservation.

Water Resources Group