HR: 0800h
AN: H31C-0397    [Abstracts]
TI: Understanding Hydrologic Processes in Semi-Arid Cold Climates
AU: * Barber, M E
EM: meb@wsu.edu
AF: Washington State University, PO Box 643002, Pullman, WA 99164-3002
AU: Beutel, M
EM: mbeutel@mail.wsu.edu
AF: Washington State University, PO Box 643002, Pullman, WA 99164-3002
AU: Lamb, B
EM: blamb@wsu.edu
AF: Washington State University, PO Box 643002, Pullman, WA 99164-3002
AU: Watts, R
EM: rjwatts@wsu.edu
AF: Washington State University, PO Box 643002, Pullman, WA 99164-3002
AB: Water shortages destabilize economies and ecosystems. These shortages are caused by complex interactions between climate variability, ecosystem processes, and increased demand from human activities. In the semi-arid region of the northwestern U.S., water availability during drought periods has already reached crisis levels and the problems are expected to intensify as the effects of global climate change and population growth continue to alter the supply and demand patterns. Many of the problems are critical to this region because hydropower, agriculture, navigation, fish and wildlife survival, water supply, tourism, environmental protection, and water-based recreation are vital to state economies and our way of life. In order to assess the spatial and temporal nature of hydrologic responses, consistent and comprehensive long-term data sets are needed. In response to these needs, we would like to propose the Spokane River drainage basin as a long-term hydrologic observatory. The Spokane River basin is located in eastern Washington and northern Idaho and is a tributary of the Columbia River. The watershed consists of several major surface water tributaries as well as natural and man-made lakes and reservoirs. With headwaters beginning in the Rocky Mountains, the drainage area is approximately 6,640 mi2. In addition to providing an excellent study area for examining many conventional water resource problems, the Spokane River watershed also presents a unique opportunity for investigating many of the hydrologic processes found in semi-arid cold climates. Snowfall in the watershed varies spatially between 35 inches near the mouth of the basin to over 112 inches at the headwaters. These varied hydrologic uses provide a unique opportunity to address many common challenges faced by water resource professionals. This broad array of issues encompasses science, engineering, agriculture, social sciences, economics, fisheries, and a host of other disciplines. In addition, because precipitation patterns in this semi-arid region tend to be temporally distributed, storage and global climate change issues are significant.
DE: 1829 Groundwater hydrology
DE: 1836 Hydrologic budget (1655)
DE: 1845 Limnology
DE: 1863 Snow and ice (1827)
DE: 1871 Surface water quality
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting