Water Stewardship Information Sources

Citation Zwiers, FW, Schnorbus, MA and Maruszeczka, GD. 2011. Summary report for the Campbell, Columbia and Peace River Watersheds. Pacfic Climate Impacts Consortium.
Organization PCIC
URL https://www.pacificclimate.org/sites/default/files/publications/Zwiers.HydroImpactsSummary-CampbellPeaceColumbia.Jul2011-SCREEN.pdf
Abstract/Description or Keywords British Columbia´s climate has changed substantially over the past century, consistent
with changes that have occurred globally. The authoritative Fourth Assessment Report of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that “warming of the climate
system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average
air and ocean temperature, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average
sea level” (IPCC 2007). Moreover, “most of the observed increase in global average
temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in
anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations” (IPCC 2007). Our climate will continue to
change in the coming decades, both as a result of natural factors that affect the system
and the continued emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Thus, we can
expect that there will be further changes to global, regional and local temperature and
precipitation patterns.
Increasing temperatures and altered patterns of precipitation will impact the hydrology of
western North America, affecting hydroelectric power generation, municipal water supplies,
flood management, fish habitat, agricultural irrigation, recreation and navigation.
The Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium (PCIC) has recently completed several research
projects aimed at assessing the impacts of projected temperature and precipitation
changes on streamflow for three important BC watersheds: the Campbell, the Upper
Columbia and Upper Peace Rivers (Figure 1). Estimates of future streamflow for the 2050s
(2041-2070) period were made for various locations within these watershed study areas.
Detailed results for these projects were published by PCIC in April 2011 as a set of
internally and externally reviewed project reports (see References, p. 13). This summary
report is a distillation of key results presented in those reports. It includes analyses of
climate and hydrologic impacts for each of the selected watersheds as well as a summary
of projected temperature and precipitation changes for all of British Columbia in the 2050s
(Annex I, p. 14) and additional information regarding the research methodologies applied
(Annex II, p. 16).
Information Type report
Regional Watershed Vancouver Island North
Sub-watershed if known Campbell River
Aquifer #
Comments
Project status complete
Contact Name
Contact Email