Hydrologic Impacts

Projects within the Hydrologic Impacts theme recognize the vital importance of water and are concerned with estimating the effects of climate variability and change on the water resources of British Columbia using global climate model driven hydrologic models and regional climate models.

PCIC work under this theme was initiated in collaboration with BC Hydro and the Ministry of Environment in 2006 and provides valuable input into water resource decision-making processes, including those related to power generation, flood protection and drought preparedness.

Some recent accomplishments of the Hydrologic Impacts theme include:

• A survey and analysis of both the historical and future hydro-climatology in BC, including the projected future impacts of climate variability and change on water resources in the province. This project is described on the Climate Overview 2007: Hydro-Climatology and Future Climate Impacts in British Columbia project page.

• The application of hydrologic models and downscaled global climate model projections to estimate future changes to streamflow for select BC watersheds to the 2050s. This project is described on the Hydrologic Modelling in the Peace, Campbell and Columbia River Watersheds project page.

• The application of regional climate models to estimate future changes to streamflow of select BC watersheds to the 2050s. This project is described on the Regional Climate Model Diagnostics project page.

• A comparison of results from the two different methodologies represented by the Hydrologic Modelling and Regional Climate Model Diagnostics projects. This project is described on the Synthesis Project - Hydrologic Modelling and RCM Diagnostics project page.

While these projects have focused exclusively on the Columbia, Peace and Campbell River watersheds future hydrologic impacts projects will consider other BC watersheds as well.

Projects under this theme were first defined in the Research Plan for Hydrologic Impacts. Results obtained from this work also feed into related studies under the Regional Climate Impacts theme as well as the Climate Analysis and Monitoring theme.

Visit our Projects section for more information on PCIC projects related to the Hydrologic Impacts theme.

Key Personnel:

• Markus Schnorbus, Lead, Hydrologic Impacts

• Arelia Werner, Hydrologist

• Rajesh Shrestha, Hydrologist