Climate Change - Publications

Public Affairs Office
Department of Water Resources

1416 Ninth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 942836
Sacramento, CA 94236

"A Climate of Change" (22 minutes) A mini documentary on climate change adaptation strategies for California water resources is now available on line. Climate change isn't something that's going to hit in the future. It's already changing the weather patterns and water supply in California; a dwindling snowpack, bigger flood flows, rising sea levels, longer and harsher droughts. Senior Meteorologist Elissa Lynn talks to experts in the field of climate change. (Produced by DWR, in conjunction with the Water Education Foundation, 2009).
DWR has released " Using Future Climate Projections to Support Water Resources Decision Making in California." The report evaluates how climate change could affect the reliability of California's water supply. Click Here to view a Summary Factsheet. For further information, please contact Francis Chung (chung@water.ca.gov) or Jamie Anderson (jamiea@water.ca.gov)
An article co-authored by Department of Water Resources (DWR) staff titled "Progress on Incorporating Climate Change into Management of California's Water Resources" appears in the March 2008 special issue of Climatic Change focusing on California at a Crossroads: Climate Change Science Informing Policy. This is an 18 page condensed version of the original 350 page 2006 report of the same name.
The Department of Water Resources report Managing an Uncertain Future; Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for California's Water focuses discussion on the need for California's water managers to adapt to impacts of climate change, some of which are already affecting our water supplies. Disturbing trends in the latter 20th Century including earlier snowmelt, an increase in peak flood flows coupled with predictions of longer droughts, and a rise in the sea level call for immediate and strategic action. The report proposes 10 adaptation strategies in four categories.
Progress on Incorporating Climate Change into Management of California's Water Resources (July 2006)
DWR News/People - Fall 2008
California Water Plan Update 2005:

From Volume 1 Strategic Plan, Chapter 4 Preparing for an Uncertain Future
From Volume 1 Strategic Plan, Chapter 5 Implementation Plan, policy recommendation concerning climate change
From Volume 4 Reference Guide, Climate Change and California Water Resources: A Survey and Summary of the Literature (by Michael Kiparsky and Peter H. Gleick, Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security)
From Volume 4 Reference Guide, Accounting For Climate Change (by Maurice Roos, DWR)

Proceedings of the Western Governors' Association/Western States Water Council/California Department of Water Resources May 2007 Climate Change Research Needs Workshop
Adapting California’s water management systems to climate change presents one of the most significant challenges for the 21st century. Read the Climate Change Fact Sheet Cambio Climatico en California
Colorado River at Lee Ferry -- Tree-Ring Data Poster (17" x 11" - 2MB jpg)
"Climate Change: Water Wise" -- Video features NOAA - Science on a Sphere. [video]