2013 Research Highlights
Climate Change Impacts on National Forest Water Supply
Regional models help managers understand impacts on water quantity and quality
The Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI) model simulates water cycles in watersheds across the lower 48 United States and Mexico. Scientists with the Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center used WaSSI to estimate water yield originating from National Forest System (NFS) lands and providing drinking water in the southeastern US. Researchers linked estimates of water supply from NFS lands to the Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act database of surface water intakes. They used this data to estimate the southeastern population using water from NFS lands. Ongoing study results are highlighting the important role forests play in providing water supply to large population centers in the Southeast, and the need to protect forested lands for future clean, reliable water supplies.
Scientists are also addressing sediment – the top water quality concern in the US. Researchers developed a novel approach to evaluate future climate change impacts on land vulnerable to soil erosion caused by increased precipitation. Research indicates that Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Maryland are among states likely to experience increased soil erosion in the next hundred years. Land managers can evaluate both water quantity and quality under future climate and land use change.
Right: DeSoto Falls, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, Georgia
Forest Service Partners/Collaborators: International Programs, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, Southern Region
External Partners/Collaborators: US Agency for International Development, University of Minnesota, North Carolina State University
Contact: Ge Sun, Eastern Threat Center research hydrologist, ge.sun@usda.gov
