Using Climate and Water Models to Examine Future Water Availability and Biodiversity in California and the Great Basin Completed

As the predicted impacts of climate change are becoming more apparent, natural resource managers are faced with the task of developing climate adaptation plans. These managers need state-of-the-art, scientifically based information upon which to base these management plans and decisions consistently across California and the Great Basin. This project applies historical, current, and projected climate data to a regional water model to examine water availability, biodiversity, and conservation. Analysis of this climate and hydrology data is expected to help managers understand areas in the region and landscape where the effects of climate change are expected to be the most profound. The study also addresses how the environment is likely to change and how certain the scientific community is about these changes. Collaboration among managers, scientists, conservation organizations, and others is expected to guide the utility, understandability, relevance, and accessibility of the findings from this project.