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 |