Climate Change

Climate change is defined as a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years.

Many water resource professionals are beginning to plan for more frequent and intense storm events that are increasing flooding, stormwater runoff, and soil erosion. Various strategies can be developed to deal with increased volume and velocity of stormwater.

Some strategies may include: using more green infrastructure, low impact development strategies to reduce stormwater, minimize impervious surfaces such as parking lots, roads and rooftops, use sustainable growth strategies that decrease road building and include transportation choices other than automobiles, encourage riparian buffers along streams, rivers, and waterways and maintain flood plains. Other strategies include to protect and reestablish wetlands to hold runoff and recharge groundwater, encourage tree planting, especially in urban settings, promote landscaping with native vegetation to further reduce runoff and the need for irrigation, and accelerate the move to separate combined sewer overflows to reduce pollution from sewage, bacteria and e. coli entering waters during storm events.