Comprehensive 2021 forecast analyzing how climate, population, and agriculture will alter Columbia River Basin water supply and demand.
This 284-page legislative report provides a system-wide, quantitative forecast of future water supplies and demands across the Columbia River Basin through 2040. Conducted by Washington State University for the Department of Ecology’s Office of Columbia River, the study integrates hydrological, crop production, and river-operations modeling with groundwater and residential-demand analyses. The results identify key vulnerabilities driven by climate change, population growth, and economic development—including earlier snowmelt, declining groundwater, and local mismatches between supply and demand. Findings guide water-management decisions, infrastructure investments, and long-term policy planning to enhance the resilience of Washington’s water systems.
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Authors
Cook, J., Drennan, M., Hall, S. A., Hills, K., Kruger, C., Ma, J., Schacht, E., Shen, X., Sheng, L., Su, Y., Tsai, H., Archuleta, J., Baltar, R., and Carloni, K.
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Suggested Citation
Hall, S.A., Adam, J.C., Yourek, M.A., Whittemore, A.M., Yorgey, G.G., Scarpare, F., Liu, M., McLarty, S., Asante-Sasu, C., McClure, S., Turk, J., Haller, D., Padowski, J., Deshar, R., Brady, M.P., Rajagopalan, K., Barber, M.E., Weber, R., Stockle, C.O., Goodspeed, H.L., Gustine, R.N., Kondal, A., Yoder, J., Deaver, B., Downes, M., Tarbutton, S., Callahan, M., Price, P. Roberts, T., Stephens, J., Valdez, W. 2021. 2021 Washington State Legislative Report. Columbia River Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast. Publication No. 21-12-006. Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA. 263 pp.
Year Published
2021
Areas of Focus
Agricultural Practices, Agricultural Technology, Climate & Environment, and Water Resources & Policy
Topics
Climate Change, Crops, Energy, Natural Resources, Production Systems, Soils & Fertility, and Waste Management
