by Xavier Irias, P.E. by Xavier Irias, P.E. Director of Engineering - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

by Xavier Irias, P.E. by Xavier Irias, P.E. Director of Engineering & Construction May 9, 2014

Agenda Agenda 1. Agency overview 2. Water in California 3. Impacts of Climate Change 3. Impacts of Climate Change 4. Geospatial Technology for Adaptation

EBMUD System EBMUD System 3 3

EBMUD’s EBMUD’s Water System Water System • 1,300,000 retail customers • • 400,000 services 400,000 services • 6,600 km pipe • 31 dams • 5 treatment plants • • 126 pumping plants 126 pumping plants • 165 reservoirs/tanks • 122 pressure zones • Elevation: MSL - 442 m

Precipitation and Population Precipitation and Population Not in the Same Place Not in the Same Place Not in the Same Place Not in the Same Place Graphic from Jay Lund, mavensnotebook.com

Mediterranean Climate Mediterranean Climate

Atmospheric Rivers Concentrate Atmospheric Rivers Concentrate Precipitation in Just a Few Storms Precipitation in Just a Few Storms Precipitation in Just a Few Storms Precipitation in Just a Few Storms Source: the Pacific Institute Source: the Pacific Institute Source: NOAA

Snow is Essential Part of Water Snow is Essential Part of Water Supply and Storage System Supply and Storage System Supply and Storage System Supply and Storage System January 18, 2013 January 18, 2014 The current dry year may be far more “typical” than the short historical record would suggest. Tree - ring studies suggest. Tree - ring studies suggest that the last 100 years have been abnormally wet.

Conceptual reservoir Conceptual reservoir operational rule curve operational rule curve operational rule curve operational rule curve Basic Flood Control Diagram 4552.1 Reservoirs fill with TAF April – July Snowmelt April – July Snowmelt l elevation, TA 4352.1 4352.1 4152.1 3952.1 3952.1 servoir pool el Flood Control Pool 3752.1 3552.1 Reser 3352.1 3152.1 Sep- Sep- Oct- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Feb- Mar- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Apr- May- Jun- Jul- Jul- Aug- Aug- 06 06 06 06 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 07 Month

Unsustainable Groundwater Extraction Unsustainable Groundwater Extraction Leads to Huge Subsidence Leads to Huge Subsidence Leads to Huge Subsidence Leads to Huge Subsidence By Dr. Joe Poland of USGS, 2013 USGS report, SIR 2013 - 5142

Expected Expected Stresses From Climate Stresses From Climate Change Change Change Change Warmer weather stresses water supply by increasing demand by increasing demand for water and increasing losses from evapotranspiration and sublimation. From http://www.energy.ca.gov/2009publications/CNRA - 1000 - 2009 - 027/CNRA - 1000 - 2009 - 027 - F.PDF

Projected Average Precipitation in Projected Average Precipitation in California, relative to 1961 California, relative to 1961-1990 California, relative to 1961 California, relative to 1961-1990 1990 1990 Climate change will tend to reduce average precipitation in Northern California, even though other parts even though other parts of the world will see an increase in average precipitation. From http://www.energy.ca.gov/2009publications/CNRA - 1000 - 2009 - 027/CNRA - 1000 - 2009 - 027 - F.PDF

Early Melt Further Reduces Early Melt Further Reduces Available Water Supply Available Water Supply Available Water Supply Available Water Supply High spring temperatures can produce devastating loss of an already reduced precip . Winter reduced precip . Winter flood and summer drought can occur in the same water year. From http://www.energy.ca.gov/2009publications/CNRA - 1000 - 2009 - 027/CNRA - 1000 - 2009 - 027 - F.PDF

Beyond Average Trends, the Big Beyond Average Trends, the Big Story is About Variability Story is About Variability Story is About Variability Story is About Variability The last 100 years show The last 100 years show huge variation in supply, but paleo - climatologists believe they’ve been atypically consistent. Climate change is expected to further amplify variability.

How Geospatial Technology Helps How Geospatial Technology Helps With Adaptation With Adaptation With Adaptation With Adaptation 1. Facilitates analysis and visualization to 1. Facilitates analysis and visualization to inform policymakers 2. Enhances conservation efforts, e.g. 2. Enhances conservation efforts, e.g. satellite imagery helps establish water budgets budgets 3. Enables adaptive operations by providing better data, better long-term weather better data, better long-term weather forecasts

GRACE is Enhancing Knowledge of GRACE is Enhancing Knowledge of GRACE is Enhancing Knowledge of GRACE is Enhancing Knowledge of Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts Climate Change Impacts Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment can monitor groundwater and soil moisture.

GRACE data show continued GRACE data show continued groundwater depletion groundwater depletion groundwater depletion groundwater depletion Famiglietti , J.S., 2011 Geophysical Research Letters , Satellites measure recent rates of groundwater depletion in California's Central Valley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2010GL046442/abstract

50 50-year groundwater trend year groundwater trend From UCCHM Water Advisory #1, 2014, after USGS Professional Paper 1766

Conservation water Conservation water budgets are built using geospatial data and tools such as and tools such as ortho-imagery and land cover data

Stretch Available Water Supply Stretch Available Water Supply Using Geospatial Technology Using Geospatial Technology Using Geospatial Technology Using Geospatial Technology Space in reservoir Space in reservoir reserved for flood What if a the rule curve could change change dynamically based on improved improved weather forecast?

Accurate long- term weather term weather forecasts based on geospatial data promise to data promise to allow dynamic, real-time Normal operations operations instead of static rule curves la Nina la Nina el Nino Images from http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/nino_profiles.html Images from http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/tao/elnino/nino_profiles.html Sea topo from NASA TOPEX satellite SST from NOA AVHRR satellite Subsurface temps from NOAA TAO buoys

From http://www.adventure - journal.com/2014/03/goodbye - to - la - nada - here - comes - el - nino/

Summary Summary Summary Summary 1. Public policy on climate change relies on 1. Public policy on climate change relies on facts and information from geospatial systems systems 2. Geospatial technology is a major part of climate change adaptation climate change adaptation