Flows of the Future: How will climate change affect streamflows in the Pacific Northwest?

Photograph by Andrea Watts

U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Science Findings
July 2016

Much of the water supply in the Pacific Northwest originates in national forests. It sustains the region’s aquatic ecosystems, agriculture, hydroelectric power, and community water supplies. Understanding how climate change will affect water supply is one of the most pressing issues of our time.

Substantial changes are projected in the types of precipitation (rain vs. snow) that will fall in the region, as are smaller, but potentially important, changes in the total annual precipitation. Combined with earlier snowmelt, these changes could cause decreased summer streamflows, and some high-elevation streams may dry up. Read more…