Village water pump and ConocoPhillips's Alpine oil field courtesy of Dan White (left and center).Paul Shewfelt of Ft. Yukon courtesy of Phil Loring (right).
Water Resources
Related ACCAP Webinars
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
SALMON STREAM TEMPERATURES: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE
Sue Mauger, Science Director, Cook Inletkeeper
Will changing air temperature and precipitation patterns influence stream temperatures? Are Alaska's salmon streams warmer than they used to be? And will they get any warmer? Through the Stream Temperature Monitoring Network, Cook Inletkeeper is leading a collaborative effort to collect the data that will help answer these questions. The Temperature Network is a multi-year regional monitoring program designed to capture recent annual variation and will play an important role in identifying the most temperature-sensitive salmon streams in Cook Inlet. With this information, state and federal resource managers can prioritize habitat protection and restoration efforts to ensure Alaska wild salmon endure as thermal change continues.
View the webinar video (52 MB MP4)
Listen to the webinar podcast
Presentation/Slides: Salmon Stream Temperatures: Past, Present and Future
February 23, 2010
HYDROPOWER PLANNING IN ALASKA: DOES CLIMATE CHANGE MATTER?
Jessie Ellen Cherry, International Arctic Research Center & Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks
The supply, demand, and price for hydroelectric power can be strongly influenced by climatic factors such as temperature, precipitation, and water storage by the environment. The climate, in turn, is driven by both natural variability (on a variety of timescales) and anthropogenic forcing. For planning water resource management here in Alaska, particularly for long-lived, large infrastructure projects, it is useful to understand the sources of uncertainty in climate projections and how they influence long-term and short-term decision-making. A case study in Southeast Alaska is described, where most of Alaska’s hydropower facilities are concentrated. Challenges to assessing the regional impacts of climate change here are discussed, as well as our interpretation of the historical record of climate variability. Our analysis concludes that understanding and accounting for natural modes of variability may be as important as planning for long-term climate change when it comes to managing existing hydropower facilities and planning new infrastructure.
Listen to the webinar Podcast
Presentation/Slides: Hydropower planning in Alaska: Does climate change matter?
April 14, 2009
CLIMATE INFLUENCE ON ICE BREAKUP IN ALASKA
Larry Rundquist, NOAA National Weather Service
The National Weather Service Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center has monitored river ice breakup on major rivers in Alaska for decades. The breakup process for large rivers in Interior Alaska can range from dynamic to thermal. The timing and severity of breakup is controlled by both weather and climate. Climate variability influences each of the elements of breakup, but weather patterns control the process. Learn about trends in ice breakup conditions over the past decades and implications of variability in breakup conditions. Listen to the webinar Podcast
Presentation/Slides: Climate Influence on Ice Breakup in Alaska
Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's article
July 29, 2008
UNCERTAINTY IN THE ARCTIC WATER CYCLE
Jessie Cherry , University of Alaska
There are large uncertainties regarding not only the future of the hydrologic cycle and water resources but also their spatial and temporal variability in the present. Many components of the water cycle are difficult to measure accurately, creating one source of uncertainty. Sparse observing networks in the Arctic create another type of uncertainty in that sampling may not be spatially representative. Water-related resource managers must take these uncertainties into account while facing other unknown factors such as the timing of supply and demand and the reliability of infrastructure. This talk discussed techniques for identifying and where possible quantifying various types of uncertainty.
Listen to the webinar Podcast
Presentation/Slides: Uncertainty in the Arctic Water Cycle
Read the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's article: Data gaps bedevil research into Arctic water cycle
June 10, 2008
WATER AVAILABILITY IN ALASKA: USING AND UNDERSTANDING NOAA's DROUGHT MONITOR AND DROUGHT OUTLOOK
Doug LeComte, NOAA Climate Prediction Center
Water is important to communities, industry and ecosystems in Alaska. What are NOAA's Drought Monitor and Drought Outlook? How can we use them in planning and decision-making? This talk addressed these questions and explored ways that these tools can be more useful to Alaskans.
Listen to the webinar Podcast
Presentation/Slides: Water Availability in Alaska: Using and Understanding NOAA's Drought Monitor and Drough Outlook
April 8, 2008
THE IMPACTS OF CHANGES IN WATER RESOURCES ON NORTHERN SOCIETIES
Dan White, University of Alaska
Water is critical in Northern Alaska for drinking and residential use in villages, for the construction of ice roads and pads in oil and gas exploration and drilling, and as habitat for migratory birds and water fowl. Find out more about how climate change has and will continue to impact availability of water in Northern Alaska
Listen to the webinar Podcast
Presentation/Slides: The Impacts of Changes in Water Resources on Northern Societies
Webinar Summary:The Impacts of Changes in Water Resources on Northern Societies
Related References: Journal of American Water Resources Association on Water Use from Arctic Lakes: Identification, Impacts and Decision Support
Related ACCAP Research Projects
ACCAP Tundra Lakes Project
This research provides an assessment of the physical, biological and chemical implications of mid-winter pumping of tundra ponds. The oil industry and support services withdraw water from freshwater lakes and ponds to build ice roads and pads in the Arctic for increased access to remote sites. This technique allows oil field development or maintenance while avoiding the environmental disturbance associated with construction of gravel roads and pads. British Petroleum Exploration, Conoco-Phillips Alaska Inc., the Nature Conservancy, and the Northern Alaska Environmental Center have joined this investigation as committed and active partners and the projects is funded by the Department of Energy. Scientists from the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources and Bureau of Land Management work with ACCAP to see the project through completion.
Cross-Regional Dialogue: Climate Change, Water Impacts and Indigenous People.
With global temperatures on the rise, the impact of drought on
water supplies and ecosystems can only be expected to increase in
the coming years. Being prepared by better understanding drought
planning innovations and the array of monitoring and forecasting
resources may help reduce vulnerabilities and avert disasters.
This project, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), aims to use modern communication technologies
to open a dialogue among tribal and indigenous decisionmakers
and resource managers from Alaska, the US Southwest, and
the Pacific Islands as well as climate scientists from these regions.
Links and Resources
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Center for Climate and Health The mission of the ANTHC Center for Climate and Health (CCH) is to help the Alaska Tribal System adapt to the new and emerging risks associated with climate change. The CCH works closely with governments at the local and regional level, academic institutions and public and private organizations to understand local changes and to develop strategies that encourage wellness, resilience and sustainability.
Arctic Climate Impact Assessment An international project of the Arctic Council and the International Arctic Science Committee to evaluate and synthesize knowledge on climate variability, climate change, and increased ultraviolet radiation and their consequences.
Decision-Making for At Risk Communities in a Changing Climate This planning guide prepared by the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy informs decision-makers on issues relating to climate change and uncertainty, risk management, and relocation planning. Special appendices include water and wastewater utilities case studies and an example planning checklist
Impacts of Climate Change and Variability on Hydropower in Alaska The information in this report will be useful for consideration of both short-term climate variability and long-term climate change in the planning process, as well as in the management of existing water resource infrastructure. The report includes a methods 'template' that might be used for other climate impact studies.
National Integrated Drought Information System U.S. Drought Portal The U.S. Drought Portal is part of an interactive system designed to provide early warning about droughts, provide information about risk and impact of droughts, provide information about past droughts for comparison and to understand current conditions, explain how to plan for and manage the impacts of droughts and provide a forum to discuss drought-related issues.
National Weather Service, Alaska- Pacific River Forecast Center Provides flood forecasts, general river forecasts, recreational forecasts, navigation forecasts, reservoir inflow forecasts, water supply outlooks, spring flood outlooks, and various types of flash flood guidance.
Pacific Northwest Regional Water Program Climate Change Portal The site is designed to act as a portal for climate change information for the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest Region Water Quality Program builds on the strengths of the Extension Water Quality Programs at the four Land Grant Universities throughout the Northwest.
The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change in Alaska A Report of the Alaska Regional Assessment Group.
Stream Gauges in Alaska 2009 list from the National Weather Service, Alaska- Pacific River Forecast Center.
UAF's Institute of Northern Engineering Water & Environmental Research Center WERC’s mission is to perform basic and applied research related to water and environmental resources, to train students in this field, and to share research information with the public.
Yukon Water Information about the Canadian Yukon's water resources and how they are used, water management and guiding legislation, and water monitoring. Several reports on water resources & vulnerability to climate change.
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