Stakeholder-Informed Hydroclimate Scenario Modeling in the Lower Santa Cruz River Basin for Water Resource Management

The Lower Santa Cruz River Basin Study (LSCRB Study) is a collaborative effort of regional and statewide water management stakeholders working with the US Bureau of Reclamation under the auspices of the 2009 SECURE Water Act. The impacts of climate change, land use, and population growth on projected water supply in the LSCRB were evaluated to (1) identify projected water supply and demand imbalances and (2) develop adaptation strategies to proactively respond over the next 40 years. A multi-step hydroclimate modeling and risk assessment process was conducted to assess a range of futures in terms of temperature, precipitation, runoff, soil moisture, and evapotranspiration, with a particular focus on implications for ecosystem health. Key hydroclimate modeling process decisions were informed by ongoing multi-stakeholder engagement. To incorporate the region’s highly variable precipitation pattern, the study used a numerical “weather generator” to develop ensembles of precipitation and temperature time series for input to surface hydrology modeling efforts. Hydroclimate modeling outcomes consistently included increasing temperatures, and generated information related to precipitation responses (season length and timing, precipitation amount) considered useful for evaluating potential ecosystem impacts. A range of risks was identified using the hydroclimate modeling outputs that allowed for development of potential adaptation strategies.