Pilot Project: Reclamation and UCAR’s COMET Program
Hydrologic Impacts Under Climate
Change (HIUCC) virtual course
Matt Kelsch, University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research (UCAR), The COMET Program
Levi Brekke, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Will begin at 10:00 MST
Pilot Project between USBR and UCAR’s COMET Program
Water Resources Under Climate Change
Training Courses
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Online training module (4-5 h)
2013: Two 3-day residence courses in Boulder
*2014: An online 3-day instructor-led (virtual) course*
2014: A new 3-day residence course
Multi agency collaboration the Climate Change and Water Working Group agencies:
Reclamation, UCAR, U.S. ACE, NOAA, the EPA, and USGS in cooperation with the
NOAA-RISA Western Water Assessment, and the Water Utilities Climate Alliance.
Pilot Project between USBR and UCAR’s COMET Program
Water Resources Under Climate Change
Training Courses
Multiagency report October 2011 entitled, “The National
Action Plan, Priorities for Managing Freshwater
Resources and a Changing Climate”.
Action 21: “Establish a core training program related to
climate change science.
Training content being guided by the Bureau publication,
“Addressing Climate Change in Long-Term Water
Resources Planning and Management – User Needs for
Improving Tools and Information”.
Training Course Team
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
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Chuck Hennig, R & D Coordinator
Levi Brekke, Subject Matter Expert, Instructor
Subhrendu Gangopadhyay, Subject Matter Expert, Instructor
Marketta Elsner, Subject Matter Expert, Instructor
• UCAR/COMET
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Wendy Abshire, Elizabeth Page; Project Managers
Matt Kelsch, Project Lead
Lon Goldstein, Instructional Design
Hildy Kane, Administrative Support
Tim Alberta, Bob Bubon, Dolores Kiessling; IT Support
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
– Jeff Arnold, Subject Matter Expert
• Other Instructors
– Holly Hartmann (Univ. of Arizona), Greg McCabe (USGS),
David Yates (NCAR)
Pilot Project Training Components
• Prerequisite Module 1: Introduction to Climate Models
– Not part of the pilot program
– 1-1.5 hours of online instruction
High level
Objective:
Provide
information to
forecasters (and
others) about
how climate
models work.
Pilot Project Training Components
• Prerequisite Module 1: Introduction to Climate Models
• Prerequisite Module 2: Preparing Hydro-climate Inputs for
Climate Change in Water Resources Planning
– First part of the pilot program
– 4-5 hours of online material
High level objective:
To increase the ability of technical practitioners (like water resource analysts)
to incorporate climate change information in the studies they conduct that
inform water and water related resource management decisions.
Pilot Project Training Components
Courses that build on prerequisites
1. Residence training course, 15-17 January 2013:
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Hydrologic Impacts Under Climate Change (HIUCC)
2. Residence training course, 05-07 March 2013:
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Crop Irrigation Requirements Under Climate Change (CIRUCC)
3. Virtual training course, 22-24 January 2014
–
Hydrologic Impacts Under Climate Change (HIUCC)
4. Residence training course, summer 2014
–
Water Temperature Impacts Under Climate Change (WTIUCC)
www.meted.ucar.edu
Create an account: COMET MetEd
• Access to a large variety of free online training modules
• Finding specific training modules
• Finding the training courses
www.meted.ucar.edu
For Course Participants
• Check MetEd setting to share your quiz results
• This is how we verify your prerequisites
• Go into Your Account settings
Share Quiz Results

Finding Training Modules on MetEd
Or, search for
specific topic
From drop down,
choose climate
Climate change
Finding Training Modules on MetEd
Finding Training Modules on MetEd
You can do either the narrated version (click begin) or a Print Version.
At the end, complete the Quiz to get credit for prerequisite
completion.
Pre-assessment:
Please take time to complete the pre-assessment before beginning the
module. It is not counted as a quiz score, and you are not expected to do well.
Finding Courses
Scroll down MetEd
home page, paying
attention to right
side links
Finding the Courses
Click this 
Finding the Residence Courses
The Course Website
Important pre
course activity
The Course Website
Course
presentations
will be linked
below
Webinar/phone info will appear here
January Course Agenda
9:00 AM –
4:00 PM
Mountain Time
Break
12:00-1:00
Wed 22 Jan 2014
Thu 23 Jan 2014
Thu 24 Jan 2014
Attendance, Introductions,
Logistics
Recap Day 1 and Module,
Communicating Climate and
relate to Day 2 Topics, begin
Climate Change
discussion of Climate Adjusted
Weather
Overview, Hydro Impacts
Models
Develop Climate Adjusted
Weather Inputs
Lab 6: Prepare report to client
about results. Instructors will
supply some questions to
answer.
Thornthwaite Model;
capabilities and lab intro
Lab 3: Develop Climate
Adjusted Weather Inputs (this
may be pre-generated)
Continue preparation, may be
working in multi-office teams
Break (1 hour)
Break (1 hour)
Break (1 hour)
Lab 1 using Thornthwaite
Lab 4: Evaluate Ensemble
Delta Climate-adjusted
Weather
Lab 6: Present answers to
select questions; each
subgroups may be assigned a
specific question
Hydrologic Models:
Applications, Calibration,
Forcings
Lab 5: Set up and run Hydro
Lab 6 continued
Impact model with Climate-Adj
weather inputs
Lab 2: Interpretation of
Calibration results
Obtain and review hydro
Wrap Up, what are the next
model results, recall the
steps?
questions that you are trying to
answer
Action Items
22-24 January 2014:
Hydrologic Impacts Under Climate Change
– Register/enroll
– Complete pre-course survey
– Complete online prerequisite modules & take quiz
• Passing quiz score will be proof of completing the
prerequisites
• Please allow 4-5 hours for the pilot program
module (Preparing Hydro Climate Inputs for
Climate Change in Water Resources Planning)
– Make arrangements for attending
• GoTo Webinar installed
• Room with a conference phone and projection of
the webinar (if there will be more than one
attendee at your location).
Pilot Project: USBR and UCAR’s COMET Program
Hydrologic Impacts Under Climate
Change (HIUCC) virtual course
Thank you for your time.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Matt Kelsch, kelsch@comet.ucar.edu
Levi Brekke, Lbrekke@usbr.gov
Hildy Kane, hkane@comet.ucar.edu