Recent Plan for Water workshops have focused on the future and what effects climate change may have on local hydrology and water supply and demands. Read on for summaries of those presentations.

1. Planning for the future in the face of a climate crisis 

Today, NID faces the new challenge of planning for climate change impacts. NID is already seeing the impacts through increased temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns.

Temperature – Higher temps in NID watersheds

Global warming has raised global surface temperature about 2° F higher than those temperatures experienced in the 1900s. Generally, an increase in temperatures will make the soils drier and increase evapotranspiration resulting in higher water losses and reduced inflows.

Snow – less snowpack that melts faster

NID’s mountainous upper watershed acts as a natural reservoir, releasing snowmelt runoff during the spring and summer months. Climate change impacts will result in less snowpack and faster melting of the snowpack. 

Read the full summary: Climate change presentation summary, click here.

Presentation: NID-PFW Global Climate Projections and Unimpaired Hydrology May 23, 2023

2. NID PFW Workshop: Climate Change Scenarios (Oct. 10, 2023)

While talking about climate change and water supplies in the future, an important component for consideration in water management is inflow projections; that is, the effect of a warmer climate on how much water might enter reservoirs each year.

Consultant Western Hydraulics discussed different scenarios during its presentation during the Oct. 10 Plan for Water (PFW) workshop.

• Less water available for customers: cumulative inflow to decrease
• Inflows to occur earlier in the year

Read the full summary: "Unmet demand scenarios"

Presentation: NID PFW Reservoir Operations Modeling Results Summary Climate Change Scenarios 10/10/2023