T he hydrology of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) is particularly sensitive to changes in climate because seasonal runoff is dominated by snowmelt from cool season mountain snowpack, and temperature changes impact the balance of precipitation falling as rain and snow. Based on results from 39 global simulations performed for the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR4), PNW temperatures are projected to increase an average of approximately 0.3°C per decade over the 21 st century, while changes in annual mean precipitation are projected to be modest, with a projected increase of 1% by the 2020s and 2% by the 2040s. Based on IPCC AR4 projections, we updated previous studies of implications of climate change on the hydrology of the PNW. In particular, we used results from 20 global climate models (GCMs) and two emissions scenarios from the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES): A1B and B1. PNW 21 st century hydrology was simulated using the full suite of GCMs and 2 SRES emissions scenarios over Washington, as well as focus regions of the Columbia River basin, the Yakima River basin, and those Puget Sound river basins that supply much of the basin's municipal water supply. Using two hydrological models, we evaluated projected changes in snow water equivalent, seasonal soil moisture and runoff for the entire state and case study watersheds for A1B and B1 SRES emissions scenarios for the 2020s, 2040s, and 2080s. We then evaluated future projected changes in seasonal streamflow in Washington. April 1 snow water equivalent (SWE) is projected to decrease by an average of approximately 27-29% across the State by the 2020s, 37-44% by the 2040s and 53-65% by the 2080s, based on the composite scenarios of B1 and A1B, respectively, which represent average effects of all climate models. In three relatively warm transient watersheds west of the Cascade crest, April 1 SWE is projected to almost completely disappear by the 2080s. By the 2080s, seasonal streamflow timing will shift significantly in both snowmelt dominant and transient, rain-snow mixed watersheds. Annual runoff across the State is projected to increase by 0-2% by the 2020s, 2-3% by the 2040s, and 4-6% by the 2080s; these changes are mainly driven by projected increases in winter precipitation.

The Colorado River is the primary water source for much of the rapidly growing southwestern United States. Recent studies have projected reductions in Colorado River flows from less than 10% to almost 50% by midcentury because of climate change-a range that has clouded potential management responses. These differences in projections are attributable to variations in climate model projections but also to differing land surface model (LSM) sensitivities. This second contribution to uncertainty-specifically, variations in LSM runoff change with respect to precipitation (elasticities) and temperature (sensitivities)-are evaluated here through comparisons of multidecadal simulations from five commonly used LSMs (Catchment, Community Land Model, Noah, Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting model, and Variable Infiltration Capacity model) all applied over the Colorado River basin at 1 /88 latitude by longitude spatial resolution. The annual elasticity of modeled runoff (fractional change in annual runoff divided by fractional change in annual precipitation) at Lees Ferry ranges from two to six for the different LSMs. Elasticities generally are higher in lower precipitation and/or runoff regimes; hence, the highest values are for models biased low in runoff production, and the range of elasticities is reduced to two to three when adjusted to current runoff climatology. Annual temperature sensitivities (percent change in annual runoff per degree change in annual temperature) range from declines of 2% to as much as 9% per degree Celsius increase at Lees Ferry. For some LSMs, small areas, primarily at midelevation, have increasing runoff with increasing temperature; however, on a spatial basis, most sensitivities are negative.FIG. 10. Combined precipitation and temperature changes. Maps show the percent difference in Q DTDPest from Q DTDP ; note that the scale is considerably small relative to previous figures (e.g., total range of 2.5% vs the temperature sensitivity range of 40%). Histograms show total difference in flow with the majority of differences in all LSMs being within 60.0005 mm day 21 of zero.

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A synthesis of studies on Colorado River streamflow projections that examines methodological and model differences and their implications for water management.