Outreach, Classes, and Seminars

Washington Water Outlook

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March 21, 2005

Motivation

The 2005 snowpack is unfolding as one of the worst in the past 50 years in the Washington Cascades and Olympics, with potentially serious consequences for a variety of needs.

Description

A special workshop sponsored by the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group will outline how we got to where we are, and what is likely to happen next. Recent developments in streamflow forecasting by scientists at UW, the National Resources Conservation Service, and the National Weather Service provides state-of-the-science ensemble (probabilistic) predictions of streamflow for lead times of six months and longer. In addition to evaluating how bad the year's flows will be, the workshop will include a description of the climatic conditions that led to this situation and the likelihood of a reprise. Agency experts will discuss the implications of the evolving drought for the region's water resources and salmon. Open discussions will follow each talk.

Who should attend

Water resource managers, hydropower interests, fisheries biologists, environmental and science reporters, and others interested in the state's water outlook.

Program

Time Speaker Topic
10:30 Dennis Lettenmaier, UW Welcome
10:35 Nathan Mantua, UW Climatic perspectives on 2005
11:10 Phil Pasteris, NRCS Perspectives on 2004-05 from the NRCS National Water and Climate Center
11:45 Andy Wood, UW Hydrologic outlook for the Northwest
12:05   Lunch: Boxed lunches available in NOAA cafeteria
12:35 Optional Lunchtime Talk - Philip Mote, UW Declining snowpack in western US, cover article in Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
1:00 Steve King, NWRFC Streamflow outlook from National Weather Service River Forecast Center
1:20 Matt Wiley, UW Implications of 2005 conditions for water supplies in Puget Sound
1:40 Chris Lynch, USBR Balancing needs for agriculture, fish flows, and M+I in the Yakima Valley during a drought, Supplemental material
2:00 John Easterbrooks, WDFW Consequences of this year’s low flows for aquatic species, south-central Washington
2:20 Dave Seiler, WDFW Consequences for aquatic species, Puget Sound region
2:40   Discussion

Lunch

Boxed lunches including sandwich, chips, cookie, fruit and drink will be available for $9.00 (payable at the seminar) and must be pre-ordered with your registration. Making a lunch selection with your registration commits you to pay for the lunch, so please tell us if you change your mind and cannot come. You can contact us at cig@u.washington.edu. Sandwich choices are as follows:

Registration

Registration is required but there is no charge. Attendance is limited. Please indicate your lunch preference with your registration.

Click here to register.