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Climate Change and Water Resources

Consideration of potential climate change effects on water resources is regularly integrated into many of our investigations, particularly those focused on water availability and use and hydrologic hazards. We often use our hydrology computer models to simulate the potential effects of climate change, and integrate those effects with those from other stressors such as land-use change or population growth to help our partners plan resilient water supply and hazard reduction strategies.

Filter Total Items: 15
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Hydrogeologic Framework for Lower Duwamish River Valley, Washington

Hydrogeologic Framework for Lower Duwamish River Valley, Washington

The Issue: Most of the Lower Duwamish River Valley in Seattle, Washington, is less than 20 feet above sea level; consequently, the river valley is prone to flooding during high tides, extreme rainfall, and high streamflow. In addition, groundwater inundation—localized coastal flooding due to a rise of the groundwater table with global sea-level rise—may compound flooding issues in the area. The...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Hydrogeologic Framework for Lower Duwamish River Valley, Washington

The Issue: Most of the Lower Duwamish River Valley in Seattle, Washington, is less than 20 feet above sea level; consequently, the river valley is prone to flooding during high tides, extreme rainfall, and high streamflow. In addition, groundwater inundation—localized coastal flooding due to a rise of the groundwater table with global sea-level rise—may compound flooding issues in the area. The...
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Channel Change and Sediment Transport in the Puyallup River Watershed

Channel Change and Sediment Transport in the Puyallup River Watershed

The Issue: Sediment loads in the Puyallup River and its major tributaries, the White River and Carbon River, are high and river channels are dynamic. While there is a relatively rich history of sediment transport and channel change studies in the Puyallup River and its tributaries, there has not been an integrated assessment of channel-elevation trends in nearly a decade. This lack of up-to-date...
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Washington Water Science Center, Washington Water Science Center
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Channel Change and Sediment Transport in the Puyallup River Watershed

The Issue: Sediment loads in the Puyallup River and its major tributaries, the White River and Carbon River, are high and river channels are dynamic. While there is a relatively rich history of sediment transport and channel change studies in the Puyallup River and its tributaries, there has not been an integrated assessment of channel-elevation trends in nearly a decade. This lack of up-to-date...
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Water Availability for Tribal Treaty Rights in Western Washington

Water Availability for Tribal Treaty Rights in Western Washington

The Issue: Native American treaty rights depend on the availability of adequate and high-quality streamflow across the Western Washington, which can be degraded by water and land use, reservoir operations, and climate change among other factors. Streamflow during critical low-flow periods depend on groundwater discharge from aquifers, which also is vulnerable to human activities in the Western...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Water Availability for Tribal Treaty Rights in Western Washington

The Issue: Native American treaty rights depend on the availability of adequate and high-quality streamflow across the Western Washington, which can be degraded by water and land use, reservoir operations, and climate change among other factors. Streamflow during critical low-flow periods depend on groundwater discharge from aquifers, which also is vulnerable to human activities in the Western...
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Updated classifications of flow permanence on streams in the Colville National Forest

Updated classifications of flow permanence on streams in the Colville National Forest

The Issue: Streamflow permanence refers to the probability that a stream will lose surface flow (become a dry channel), as well as the timing, duration, and frequency of drying. Patterns of streamflow permanence drive important decisions regarding forest management and other land uses. The Colville National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (2019), for example, specifies riparian management...
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Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Washington Water Science Center
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Updated classifications of flow permanence on streams in the Colville National Forest

The Issue: Streamflow permanence refers to the probability that a stream will lose surface flow (become a dry channel), as well as the timing, duration, and frequency of drying. Patterns of streamflow permanence drive important decisions regarding forest management and other land uses. The Colville National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (2019), for example, specifies riparian management...
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Analysis of USGS Surface Water Monitoring Networks

Analysis of USGS Surface Water Monitoring Networks

The issue: National interests in water information are important but challenging to incorporate into planning and operation of a monitoring network driven by local information needs. These interests include an understanding of the spatial variability in water availability across the United States, anthro-physical factors including climate and land use that affect water availability, and federal...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Analysis of USGS Surface Water Monitoring Networks

The issue: National interests in water information are important but challenging to incorporate into planning and operation of a monitoring network driven by local information needs. These interests include an understanding of the spatial variability in water availability across the United States, anthro-physical factors including climate and land use that affect water availability, and federal...
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USGS

Water Temperature Mapping in the Snoqualmie and Skykomish River Basins

The Skykomish and Snoqualmie River basins in western Washington provide spawning, rearing, and migration habitat for several salmonid species, including Endangered Species Act-listed Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and bull trout. The production, abundance, distribution, and the health of fish and other aquatic life is strongly influenced by water temperature, which affects their physiology and...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Water Temperature Mapping in the Snoqualmie and Skykomish River Basins

The Skykomish and Snoqualmie River basins in western Washington provide spawning, rearing, and migration habitat for several salmonid species, including Endangered Species Act-listed Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and bull trout. The production, abundance, distribution, and the health of fish and other aquatic life is strongly influenced by water temperature, which affects their physiology and...
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Hydrography of the Columbia Plateau

Assess the utility of a regional aquifer system groundwater model to inform the USGS National Hydrologic Model

The Issue: In Washington State, groundwater (GW) inflow to streams, or baseflow, is essential for maintaining aquatic habitats, and for out-of-stream uses such as irrigated agriculture during the typically dry summers. However, the National Hydrologic Model (NHM) currently is most suited to predicting total daily streamflow. This project aims to assess the NHM’s performance in simulating baseflow...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Assess the utility of a regional aquifer system groundwater model to inform the USGS National Hydrologic Model

The Issue: In Washington State, groundwater (GW) inflow to streams, or baseflow, is essential for maintaining aquatic habitats, and for out-of-stream uses such as irrigated agriculture during the typically dry summers. However, the National Hydrologic Model (NHM) currently is most suited to predicting total daily streamflow. This project aims to assess the NHM’s performance in simulating baseflow...
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Chambers-Clover Creek at Kobayashi Park

Southeast Sound Groundwater Flow Model

The Issue: Groundwater is an important resource for domestic, commercial, and industrial usage in the Puyallup River and Chambers-Clover Creek Watersheds, and groundwater discharge helps maintain late-summer and early-fall streamflow (baseflow) in many area streams. Consequently, as the population grows, and commercial and industrial activity increase, so does the demand for groundwater. However...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Southeast Sound Groundwater Flow Model

The Issue: Groundwater is an important resource for domestic, commercial, and industrial usage in the Puyallup River and Chambers-Clover Creek Watersheds, and groundwater discharge helps maintain late-summer and early-fall streamflow (baseflow) in many area streams. Consequently, as the population grows, and commercial and industrial activity increase, so does the demand for groundwater. However...
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Sauk River basin with principal tributaries Suiattle River and White Chuck River

Sauk River Sediment

Fine-grained sediments in the lower reach of the Sauk River are adversely affecting the health and spawning of Chinook salmon. Climate change and forestry practices have been proposed as suspected causes of a reported increase in sediment loading to the river. To determine the amount and timing of suspended-sediment loading to the river and possible connections to adverse effects on Chinook salmon...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Sauk River Sediment

Fine-grained sediments in the lower reach of the Sauk River are adversely affecting the health and spawning of Chinook salmon. Climate change and forestry practices have been proposed as suspected causes of a reported increase in sediment loading to the river. To determine the amount and timing of suspended-sediment loading to the river and possible connections to adverse effects on Chinook salmon...
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Water use: Water Science School

Water use

The Issue: Comprehensive water-use data and analysis of water-use information are needed to quantify the stress on existing supplies and to better model and evaluate possible water-supply management options to supplement traditional water-supply approaches. Advances have been made in the ability to control, divert, and develop water, but little attention has been paid to keeping accurate accounts...
By
Washington Water Science Center
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Water use

The Issue: Comprehensive water-use data and analysis of water-use information are needed to quantify the stress on existing supplies and to better model and evaluate possible water-supply management options to supplement traditional water-supply approaches. Advances have been made in the ability to control, divert, and develop water, but little attention has been paid to keeping accurate accounts...
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Glaciers and Snowpack Study Area

Glaciers and Snowpack

Glaciers, snow, and ice sheets are important components of the Earth's water and climate. They respond to and indicate changes in climate, as well as exerting an influence on global and regional climate. They also have an effect on water resources, serving as natural reservoirs. Measuring changes in the size and volume of glaciers and snowpacks provides one direct way of knowing what kind of...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Glaciers and Snowpack

Glaciers, snow, and ice sheets are important components of the Earth's water and climate. They respond to and indicate changes in climate, as well as exerting an influence on global and regional climate. They also have an effect on water resources, serving as natural reservoirs. Measuring changes in the size and volume of glaciers and snowpacks provides one direct way of knowing what kind of...
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Monitoring Recharge in Areas of Seasonally Frozen Ground in the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain Report Cover

Recharge and frozen ground in the PNW

The Issue: Seasonally frozen ground occurs over approximately one-third of the contiguous United States, and the extent and duration of frozen ground have been decreasing as a result of global warming. In semi-arid regions such as the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain in the Pacific Northwest, nearly all natural recharge occurs between October and March when intermittent or seasonal frozen...
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Washington Water Science Center
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Recharge and frozen ground in the PNW

The Issue: Seasonally frozen ground occurs over approximately one-third of the contiguous United States, and the extent and duration of frozen ground have been decreasing as a result of global warming. In semi-arid regions such as the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain in the Pacific Northwest, nearly all natural recharge occurs between October and March when intermittent or seasonal frozen...
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