POTENTIAL CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON WATER RESOURCES IN THE GREAT PLAINS¹

Abstract

This paper reports on the current assessment of climate impacts on water resources, including aquatic ecosystems, agricultural demands, and water management, in the U.S. Great Plains. Climate change in the region may have profound effects on agricultural users, aquatic ecosystems, and urban and industrial users alike. In the central Great Plains Region, the potential impacts of climate changes include changes in winter snowfall and snow‐melt, growing season rainfall amounts and intensities, minimum winter temperature, and summer time average temperature. Specifically, results from general circulation models indicate that both annual average temperatures and total annual precipitation will increase over the region. However, the seasonal patterns are not uniform. The combined effect of these changes in weather patterns and average seasonal climate will affect numerous sectors critical to the economic, social and ecological welfare of this region. Research is needed to better address the current competition among the water needs of agriculture, urban and industrial uses, and natural ecosystems, and then to look at potential changes. These diverse demands on water needs in this region compound the difficulty in managing water use and projecting the impact of climate changes among the various critical sectors in this region.

Sustainable, Just, Equal, and Optimal Groundwater Management Strategies to Cope with Climate Change: Insights from Brazil

“…Finally, the infrastructure used to transport and distribute water supplies exacerbates the reduction in the groundwater recharge, although it may partially compensate for this loss as a result of high leakage rates (White and Howe 2004). Other factors might affect hw, including population or economic growth, and changes in housing density and household size (Ojima et al 1999).…”

Observational relationship of sea surface temperatures and precedent soil moisture with summer precipitation in the U.S. Great Plains

“…Agricultural products in the northern part of GP are worth more than $41.5 billion according to 2002 Census of Agriculture. The GP climate is characterized by a strong north-south temperature gradient and a strong east-west precipitation gradient (Ojima et al, 1999). Annual precipitation ranges from <200 mm in the west to over 1100 mm in the east of GP, but large season-to-season and yearto-year fluctuations are frequent and July and August are often hot and dry (Nuttonson, 1965;Miller et al, 2002;Padbury et al, 2002).…”

High resolution modeling of the regional impacts of climate change on irrigation water demand

“…These changes in temperature may increase evaporation, resulting in more intensive convective storm activity and water shortages. The lack of available water, due to increased temperatures and evaporation, can deplete soil moisture which can greatly reduce agricultural yield Hillel 1993, 1998;Ojima et al 1999). Temperature changes are also expected to affect crop communities by changing the length of the growing season (Alward et al 1999).…”