Climate Change - Effect On Water Resources

Fresh water, both on the surface of the land and in the ground, is an extremely valuable resource. We drink it, bathe in it, depend on it for transportation and recreation, water our lawns and crops with it, and eat the life that swims in it. Too much or too little water can have disasterous effects on our lives - floods, droughts, erosion, sinkholes, pests, and diseases are all related to the presence of more or less water than we usually experience.

Our water supply is directly tied to climate. The figure below shows annual mean runoff in the Upper Midwest as simulated using weather analyses from 1963 through 1995. Scientists now understand that the climate we experience today is not constant. Climate has been very different in the past and may be quite different from today's climate in our not-too-distant future.

Researchers at the Upper Midwest RESAC are studying how our regional water supply has changed in the past, and how those changes are related to climate. Our researchers are also developing techniques to investigate how future climate changes, such as global warming, may effect the supply of water in our area of the world. This research is intended to alert us regarding potential water resource problems in the future, and guide us in preventing those problems as much as possible.