Provide Support for Midwest National Parks to Prepare for Natural Hazards and Infrastructure Management
Project Overview
Climate and weather hazards are increasingly impacting National Park Service infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and visitor use in the Midwest, with projected increases in precipitation and stormflow heightening risks to park assets and public safety. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will assess infrastructure vulnerability and climate risk to support targeted adaptation decisions, providing park managers with actionable information to prioritize investments and protect recreational access and visitor safety.
Project Summary
Climate and weather hazards are increasingly affecting National Parks Service infrastructure, as well as natural and cultural resources, and visitor use. In the Midwest, parks are experiencing increases in precipitation, temperature, and runoff, with some projected to experience nearly a 40% increase in 100-year stormflow by 2070. Understanding the vulnerability of park infrastructure to these changes will help managers make climate adaptation decisions that safeguard recreational access and public safety. The goal of this project is to provide information, analysis, and technical assistance to park managers to identify climate hazards, evaluate risk, and reduce vulnerability of infrastructure assets within national parks of the Midwest.
In the first stage of this project, researchers will assess the risks that future climate hazards, such as extreme heat or flooding, pose to park infrastructure, including roads, trails, parking areas, electrical systems, and wastewater systems. This analysis will identify the most vulnerable assets within each park, as well as the parks with the greatest concentration of at-risk infrastructure, helping park managers prioritize investments in repair, replacement, or decommissioning. In the second stage of this project, researchers will evaluate future flood risks to culvert and stormwater systems. This analysis will identify which culverts are most likely to fail under future scenarios, providing managers with actionable information to support decisions about resizing, replacement, or redesign of susceptible culverts.
Together, this two-stage project will expand understanding of climate hazard exposure in national parks and provide critical information for park facilities and resource managers. Outputs will include park-specific summaries with clear graphical or map-based representations of current and future risks to infrastructure, supporting actionable decision-making. The project will also serve as a model for other parks and researchers seeking to conduct similar assessments in other locations.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 69baac83b66b010f61c6ab9a)
Project Overview
Climate and weather hazards are increasingly impacting National Park Service infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and visitor use in the Midwest, with projected increases in precipitation and stormflow heightening risks to park assets and public safety. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will assess infrastructure vulnerability and climate risk to support targeted adaptation decisions, providing park managers with actionable information to prioritize investments and protect recreational access and visitor safety.
Project Summary
Climate and weather hazards are increasingly affecting National Parks Service infrastructure, as well as natural and cultural resources, and visitor use. In the Midwest, parks are experiencing increases in precipitation, temperature, and runoff, with some projected to experience nearly a 40% increase in 100-year stormflow by 2070. Understanding the vulnerability of park infrastructure to these changes will help managers make climate adaptation decisions that safeguard recreational access and public safety. The goal of this project is to provide information, analysis, and technical assistance to park managers to identify climate hazards, evaluate risk, and reduce vulnerability of infrastructure assets within national parks of the Midwest.
In the first stage of this project, researchers will assess the risks that future climate hazards, such as extreme heat or flooding, pose to park infrastructure, including roads, trails, parking areas, electrical systems, and wastewater systems. This analysis will identify the most vulnerable assets within each park, as well as the parks with the greatest concentration of at-risk infrastructure, helping park managers prioritize investments in repair, replacement, or decommissioning. In the second stage of this project, researchers will evaluate future flood risks to culvert and stormwater systems. This analysis will identify which culverts are most likely to fail under future scenarios, providing managers with actionable information to support decisions about resizing, replacement, or redesign of susceptible culverts.
Together, this two-stage project will expand understanding of climate hazard exposure in national parks and provide critical information for park facilities and resource managers. Outputs will include park-specific summaries with clear graphical or map-based representations of current and future risks to infrastructure, supporting actionable decision-making. The project will also serve as a model for other parks and researchers seeking to conduct similar assessments in other locations.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 69baac83b66b010f61c6ab9a)