Grantee Research Project Results
1998 Progress Report: Vulnerability of Water Resources to Global Climate Change in the Agricultural Midwest Ecological, Economic and Regulatory Aspects
EPA Grant Number: R824804Title: Vulnerability of Water Resources to Global Climate Change in the Agricultural Midwest Ecological, Economic and Regulatory Aspects
Investigators: Eheart, J. Wayland , Herricks, Edwin E.
Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: October 1, 1995 through September 1, 1998 (Extended to September 30, 1998)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 1997 through September 1, 1998
Project Amount: $380,000
RFA: Regional Hydrologic Vulnerability to Global Climate Change (1995) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Water , Climate Change
Objective:
To assess the vulnerability of Midwestern water resources to the direct effects and indirect (through possible increased irrigation usage) effects of climate change.Progress Summary:
Since our last progress report, we have:
1) completed work in determining altered low flow statistics (1Q10 and 7Q10) under several climate change scenarios
2) completed tasks associated with estimation of the frequency of low streamflow limit violations caused by adoption of irrigation under several climate change scenarios
3) completed tasks associated with estimation of the frequency of water quality standards violations caused by adoption of irrigation under several climate change scenarios
4) completed fisheries habitat modeling using PHABSIM for target watersheds/reaches
5) continued work to determine the effectiveness of alternative withdrawal regulations to maintain low streamflow standards
6) developed and calibrated fish population models for the Sangamon River
7) initiated integrative analysis of water withdrawal and water quality regulations on natural resources impact using long term modeling of fisheries populations.
Future Activities:
We intend to complete the work in 5) above, i.e., assessing the efficacy of various types of water withdrawal restrictions. We are currently considering two types: fixed flow permits and fractional flow permits. Among the issues we are exploring is whether instabilities will ensue from linking allowable withdrawals to extant streamflow, and, if so, how withdrawal restrictions may be modified to prevent such instabilities. We are presently using fish population models to evaluate natural resources impacts of hydrologic variability, and to evaluate the effects of regulatory structures (7).Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 14 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
RFA, Air, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Geographic Area, Water, Ecological Indicators, Ecological Risk Assessment, EPA Region, Ecosystem Protection, Watersheds, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, exploratory research environmental biology, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecological Effects - Human Health, Hydrology, climate change, Chemical Mixtures - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Water & Watershed, precipitation, socioeconomic indicators, toxic environmental contaminants, hydrologic models, precipitation patterns, Global Climate Change, economic models, policy making, risk assessment, environmental monitoring, climate models, climate variability, drinking water supplies, fish habitat, land and water resources, alternative urbanization scenarios, farm income, habitat diversity, regulatory effects, urban growth, Region 5, availability of water resources, climatic models, farming, land use, Midwestern agriculture, toxics, streamflow sensitivity, agricultural watershed, crop production, water resourcesProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.