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Kaslo & Area D Climate Change Impacts on Water Provision – INITIAL DRAFT March 19, 2010 Remember Mohs Law of Increased Rate of Chemical Reaction: Each degree of temperature increase prompts a 10 fold increase in the rate of chemical reactions Ground water • • • • Status/shortages unknown Ask well drillers As surface water supplies decline and there are more conflicts amongst users, some may turn to wells which will increase groundwater use with possible impacts Do changes in lake levels impact on shallow wells beside lakes? Kaslo & Area D Climate Change Impacts on Water Provision WINTER (Dec. – Feb.) IMPACTS ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE CLIMATE Warmer water temps Warmer air temp. More bugs etc. survive Water quality failures Water conservation Lower creek flows More rain esp. at lower elevations Less water available Lower snowpack 1/3 less demand in winter in Kaslo Lower soil moisture Rain on snow Or frozen ground ?? Increasing # residents?? No flooding risks?? Can’t capture high flows Flashy creek flows Intense rain events Increased run-off Pump from the lake? ?? Competition With Hydro use? Increased land/mud/debris flows Erosion Increased turbidity More difficult & costly to treat Increase storage capacity Kaslo & Area D Climate Change Impacts on Water Provision SPRING (March - May) IMPACTS ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE CLIMATE Warmer air temp. Increase storage capacity Can’t capture high flows Earlier spring peak flow Higher peak flow Changing precip\ patterns with more rain Lower snowpack Lower soil moisture Earlier fire season Uneven water availability Uneven soil moisture More extreme events Increased run-off Kemp Creek fire Meadow Cr. Supply dries up Can’t capture high flows Flashy creek flows Increased land/mud/debris flows Potential water demand to fight interface fire Erosion Increased turbidity More difficult & costly to treat Increase storage capacity Water Conservation earlier Increase storage capacity Kaslo & Area D Climate Change Impacts on Water Provision SUMMER (June – Aug.) CLIMATE Warmer air temp. Warmer water temps. More bugs etc. survive Increased evapotranspiration Drier soils and plants Less rain IMPACTS ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE Higher Wildfire hazard Low summer flows start earlier Potential watershed damage Summer flows become very low Small streams & Wetlands dry up Lower lake levels More extreme events - windstorms Tree windthrow Near water system Erosion in riparian areas Increased turbidity Increase d demand - more people More water quality failures - garden irrigation Higher risk of water borne disease Potential water demand to fight interface fire Increase storage capacity Demand exceeds capacity -Kaslo in Aug. - shallow wells run dry in Aug. - rural folks hauling water in Aug. - user conflicts possible Columbia River Treaty Lake systems fail may reduce lake level Power loss Back-up to plant/pumps power More difficult & costly to treat Kaslo & Area D Climate Change Impacts on Water Provision FALL (Sept. – Nov.) CLIMATE Warmer air temp. ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE Longer fall season Longer fire season Increased rainfall variability Swamps/wetlands dry up Longer period of low streamflow Streams dry up Extreme events Not completed IMPACTS Potential water demand to fight interface fire Water shortages -Kaslo demand exceeds Increase capacity till Oct. storage Meadow Cr. Supply capacity dries up in Nov. Rural supplies dry up In Sept. Haul water (how many now?) Reduced demand as less irrigation