Analyzing the Impact of Climate Change on Monthly River Flows in California's Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Mountain Ranges

Title
Analyzing the Impact of Climate Change on Monthly River Flows in California's Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Mountain Ranges
Abstract
The impact of climate change on monthly river flows in California's Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Mountain Ranges and its potential to impact hydroelectric production was analyzed to determine changes that have taken place in two successive 35-year periods during the past 70 years. March flows were larger for the more recent 35-year period for all of the flow points analyzed in the Sierra and southern Cascades including two subbasins on the upper North Fork Feather River where rain shadowed climate change impact has significantly reduced both snowmelt and water year runoff in the more recent 35-year period.
Purpose
For PG&E, a large investor owned California gas and electric utility that manages its reservoirs to fill in late spring and early summer to meet its summer and fall hydroelectric needs for peaking power, the combination of a decline in the April 1 snowpack (Freeman, 2010), filling mountain reservoirs from snowmelt earlier in the year, and an increasing dependence on rainfall for filling is anticipated to eventually lead to increased likelihood for spill from PG&E's relatively small mountain reservoirs.
Begin Date
2015-08-21
Originator Name
Gary J. Freeman
Ordering Information
Power Generation Department, Pacific Gas &Electric Co., Mail Code N13A, P.O. Box 770000, San Francisco, CA
94177, GJF2@pge.com
Keywords
Adaptive Management, Administrative boundaries
Resource Type
Artwork
Resource Owner
deercreekgisWebsite

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