Implications of climate change for the water balance of the Columbia River Basin, USA

Technical Report · Tue Jul 27 04:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:7297545

Marks, D; King, G A; Dolph, J

Here the authors summarize application of a spatially distributed water balance model that was tested using historical data from the U.S. portion of the Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest for a very dry (1977) and very wet (1972) water year. The model adequately partitions incoming precipitation into evapotranspiration and runoff. Because precipitation in the basin is underestimated from measured data, modeled runoff is less than measured runoff from the basin during both the wet and dry years. The predicted future climate conditions significantly increase potential evapotranspiration, causing a 20% reduction in runoff relative to input precipitation, and a 58% reduction in soil moisture storage. If these changes in regional water balance are realized, the distribution and composition of forests in the Northwest would change markedly, and water resources would become more limited. (Copyright (c) Inter-Research 1993.)

• Research Organization: ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc., Corvallis, OR (United States)
• OSTI ID: 7297545
• Report Number(s): PB-94-159365/XAB; CNN: EPA-68-C8-0006
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540320 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AIR-BIOSPHERE INTERACTIONS
CLIMATIC CHANGE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS