Grantee Research Project Results

2012 Progress Report: Prediction of Effects of Changing Precipitation Extremes on Urban Water Quality

EPA Grant Number: R835195
Title: Prediction of Effects of Changing Precipitation Extremes on Urban Water Quality
Investigators: Lettenmaier, Dennis P. , Yearsley, John
Current Investigators: Lettenmaier, Dennis P. , Nijssen, Bart , Yearsley, John , Baptiste, Marisa , Sun, Ning
Institution: University of Washington
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: June 1, 2012 through May 31, 2016
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 2, 2012 through August 2,2013
Project Amount: $699,905
RFA: Extreme Event Impacts on Air Quality and Water Quality with a Changing Global Climate (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Water , Air , Climate Change

Objective:

The objectives of the project are to:

Integrate a system of the Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) hydrology model, urban water quality models, and dynamical and statistical downscaling methods to provide a framework for predicting the effects of changing climate extremes on urban water quality at regional scales.
Demonstrate application of the framework to assess the implications of 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Cliimate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) climate change scenarios (and AR5 scenarios as they become available) on water quality for the next half century at the scale of large urban regions.

Progress Summary:

Through July 2013, the following progress has been made:

Development, testing and evaluation of a urban hydrology and water quality model within the framework of the distributed hydrologic model, DSHVM.
Successful integration, testing and evaluation of the distributed hydrologic model, DHSVM with the semi-Lagrangian stream temperature model, RBM10.
Creation and maintenance of a website and database for purposes of making model software, tutorials, and data available. As of 07/31/2013, the website has recorded 2,068 visitors.

Future Activities:

The planned future activities are to:

Expand the scope of the study.

Continue model development and evaluation.

Downscale results from General Circulation Model (GCM’s) climate scenarios.

Maintain the website for model users.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 8 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Distributed hydrologic and water quality model, urban hydrology, urban water quality, extreme precipitation events, climate change

Relevant Websites:

http://www.hydro.washington.edu/Lettenmaier/Models/DHSVM/index.shtml Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The 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.