HR: 16:00h
AN: H24B-01 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: An overview of Pacific Decadal (climate) Variability impacts on hydroclimate and water resources management in the western US
AU: * Mantua, N J
EM: nmantua@u.washington.edu
AF: Climate Impacts Group, Box 354235 University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-4235 United States
AB: Hydroclimate variations at decadal to interdecadal time scales have proven to be especially problematic for ecosystems and societies by causing multi-year periods of abundance or scarcity in key natural resources. A review of 20th century Pacific Decadal climate variability (PDV) impacts on the hydroclimate of North America highlights watersheds that have been especially sensitive to periods of multi-year abundance and deficits in water resources. PDV causes multi-year variations in the natural surface water supply, and it has had profound impacts on water resources in some of the major river basins in the western US. PDV impacts on water resources were not well-recognized by many hydrologists or water resources planners until late in the 20th century, yet in most western US watersheds allocation agreements and water resources projects had long been completed before this time. The existence of PDV has periodically amplified or reduced conflicts over fully allocated surface water supplies in the western US, and is likely to continue doing so in the future, so bringing the latest understanding of PDV and its impacts on hydroclimate to the water resources planning and management communities has great potential for societal benefits.
UR: http://www.cses.washington.edu/cig
DE: 4215 Climate and interannual variability (3309)
DE: 3309 Climatology (1620)
DE: 1833 Hydroclimatology
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
DE: 1884 Water supply
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting