Water Resources Impacts and Strategies
March 2012
Impact: Flooding
Increased flooding will have impacts on ecosystems and agricultural land
due to high intensity rainfall or rainfall that comes when resources are
most vulnerable to change. Sediment and nutrient loading will increase
due to earlier and more intense spring runoff events.
Impact: Invasive Species
Increased spread of aquatic invasive species due to changes in
hydrology, water temperatures, and warmer winter conditions.
Steve Sibell
Adaptation Strategy: Reverse the loss of wetlands and restore priorconverted wetlands in upland areas to provide storage and filtration and
mitigate storm flows and nutrient loss downstream. Identify and map
potentially restorable wetlands in floodplain areas.
Adaptation strategy: Identify potential pathways for invasive species
migration under changing climate regimes and take preventive action.
Develop rapid response planning and implementation methods for
control programs
Adaptation strategy: Continue education and awareness programs
for boaters, anglers and others. Encourage regulatory activities aimed
at preventing future invasions of species likely to survive in warmer
temperatures
Marc Gaden
Herb Garn
Adaptation strategy: Resize infrastructure such as manure storage
facilities, wastewater facilities and stormwater drains to accommodate
increased flows. Develop farm-based nutrient management plans to
handle more runoff
Identified Impact: Drought and Groundwater Depletion
Seepage lake levels will change due to variable precipitation, recharge, or increased evapo-transpiration. Groundwater extraction will
increase with drought and warmer temperatures causing more demand for water during the growing season.
Adaptation strategy: Adjust and modify expectations and uses,
especially of seepage lakes; recognize that some lakes may not be
suited for all uses such as recreational boating in shallow waters.
Account for changes in water levels in planning and zoning standards
for lakeshore development.
Mark Rozin/Capital Press
Adaptation strategy: If aquifer is low, enhance infiltration by
reducing impervious surfaces in urban/riparian areas and changing
land management practices, such as from agriculture to forestry.
Tim Asplund
For Lakes
Adaptation strategy: Enhance and restore shoreline habitat (course
wood, littoral and riparian vegetation, bio-engineered erosion
control) to withstand variations in water level.
For Groundwater
Adaptation strategy: Promote
Integrated Water Management: Planning
water use based on long term projections
of supply and demand and tied to land
use and economic growth forecasts.
Encourage large water users to locate in
areas with adequate (sustainable) water
resources, such as near large rivers or the
Great Lakes
Adaptation strategy: Encourage water
conservation (rural and urban) through
incentives and regulation
Impact: Algal Blooms
Harmful blue-green algal blooms will occur more
frequently with increased summer temperatures
Adaptation strategy: Increased monitoring of inland
beaches for blue-green algal toxins
Adaptation strategy: Develop statewide standards for
blue-green algal toxins
Carolyn Rumery Betz
Adaptation Strategy: Work with municipalities and counties to develop
minimum design standards for the control of the impacts from
development on high water. Regulatory control should extend to the 100year storm event. Additional stormwater storage capacity should be
considered.