How Climate Change affect CA's watersheds and water resources?

Question 1

River Flow

Answer 1

Changes in river flow impacts water supply, water quality, fisheries and recreation activities

Question 2

Snow pack

Answer 2

reduction in snow pack due to increasing temperatures in snow dominated areas will change water supply

Question 3

Hydroelectric power

Answer 3

changes in stream flow decrease clean power generation

Question 4

Floods

Answer 4

increase in extreme weather will lead to higher winter river flows, runoff, and flooding

Question 5

Droughts

Answer 5

higher temperatures and changes in precipitation will lead to droughts

Question 6

Agriculture

Answer 6

increased demand on irrigation

Question 7

Groundwater

Answer 7

lower groundwater tables due to hydrologic changes and greater demand cause some shallow wells to go dry.

Question 8

Water use

Answer 8

demand for agriculture, urban, and environmental water will increase

Question 9

Water Quality

Answer 9

salt water intrusion from rising seal levels will affect the Delta and coastal aquifers

Question 10

Delta levees

Answer 10

sea level rise will threaten Delta levees structural integrity by imposing higher hydro-static loads on the levee and reducing the design freeboard.

Question 11

Habitat

Answer 11

warmer river temperatures stress cold-water species such as salmon