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Future
Scenarios
|
| By
using a combination of findings from historical analyses of water resouces
data and modeling techniques, we can assess the potential impacts of climate
and land cover change on Upper Midwest water resources. Results will be
posted soon. |
| Climate
Change |
Climate change may
have a variety of effects on water resouces:
- warmer temperatures
may decrease snowfall and increase rainfall in winter, resulting
in more winter runoff and higher river levels in winter
- warmer temperatures
may allow deciduous trees to grow where pines are currently
dominant, resulting in less water infiltrating into aquifers
- increases in weather
extremes may result in more frequent floods and droughts.
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Changes in the types
of plants growing on the land can have large effects on local
hydrology:
- conversion of agricultural
lands to residential can result in contamination of surface
and ground water by lawn chemicals
- conversion of cropped
fields and pastures to forest or prairie can decrease runoff
and increase infiltration
- clear cutting of
forests can increase runoff, increase soil erosion, and decrease
surface water quality
|
Vegetation Change
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| Land
Use Change |
Humans have a great
effect on water resources as a result of how they use and change
the character of the landscape:
- urbanization and
suburbanization results in increase in the amount of ground
surface impervious to water (roads, buildings, etc.) This results
in increased runoff and flooding.
- increased pumping
of groundwater can change lake hydrology and lake levels
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