NATIONAL ACTION PLAN

Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources

in a Changing Climate

October 2011
Cover photo: Mississippi River at Lansing, Iowa

(Photo by Stan Oleson, http://www.fotopedia.com/items/ehs1iuv5irde8-H-V_A5GxFPk)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

NAT OI NAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRAT OI N

9/8/11 2:28 PM

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NATIONAL ACTION PLAN

Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources

in a Changing Climate

Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force

October 2011
Disclaimer

This National Action Plan reflects the current thinking of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force regarding climate change and water resources. The Task Force reserves the right 

to modify the recommendations included in the document, or act in a manner different from this 

document as appropriate. The actions and recommendations included in this National Action Plan 

are judged to be both a high priority today and achievable in the context of existing and foreseeable 

agency capacity. This National Action Plan is not a final agency action subject to judicial review, nor 

is it considered a rule. Nothing in this Plan is meant to, or in fact does, affect the substantive or legal 

rights of third parties or bind the Federal agencies.
Contents

Executive Summary............................................................................................................................ i

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1

1 Water Resources Management Challenges Posed by a Changing Climate...................................... 3

2 Current Federal Agency Activities to Manage Climate Change Risks to Water Resources.............. 9

3 Public Comments........................................................................................................................ 11

4 Priority Recommendations for Reducing Climate Change Risks to Freshwater Resources ........... 13

Recommendation 1: Establish a Planning Process to Adapt Water Resources 

 Management to a Changing Climate ....................................................... 14

Recommendation 2: Improve Water Resources and Climate Change Information

 for Decisionmaking.................................................................................. 18

Recommendation 3: Strengthen Assessment of Vulnerability of Water Resources

 to Climate Change................................................................................... 21

Recommendation 4: Expand Water Use Efficiency ................................................................... 24

Recommendation 5: Support Integrated Water Resources Management ................................... 27

Recommendation 6: Support Training and Outreach to Build Response Capability ................. 30

Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 32

Selected References.......................................................................................................................... 33

Appendices A to G .......................................................................................................................... 43

A Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup Members.............................. 44

B Table of Recommendations and Supporting Actions............................................................. 45

C Summary of Climate Change Adaptation Activities by Federal Water Resources Agencies.... 48

D Summary of Public Comments ............................................................................................ 56

E Overview of Water Resource Management Decisions............................................................ 60

F Examples of Risk Assessment Tools....................................................................................... 61

G Selected Acronyms Related to Water Resources and Climate Change .................................. 64
Rio de Los Angeles State Park, Los Angeles, California

Photo courtesy of Ann Dove, National Park Service
Executive Summary

Freshwater resources are critical to the health of people, the environment, and the economy. 

Recent studies and assessments of climate change impacts, including the 2009 “Global Climate 

Change Impacts in the United States” prepared by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, 

identify several major impacts of a 

changing climate on the Nation’s freshwater resources. For instance, projected 

increases in air temperatures will lead 

to warmer waters. Rainfall amounts are 

expected to decline in some areas and 

increase in others, while the proportion of precipitation that falls as snow 

decreases. Rainfall and storms are 

expected to be more intense. In some 

areas rising sea level is projected to inundate water infrastructure, such as water treatment facilities, and degrade coastal groundwater resources. 

These impacts of a changing climate pose significant challenges for managers of freshwater resources. 

Ensuring adequate water supply will be more difficult. New problems will arise for water managers 

working to protect human life, health, and property. Changing water-resources conditions will also 

make protecting the quality of freshwater resources, habitats, and aquatic life more complex. 

In October 2010, the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force published a Progress 

Report to the President describing Federal agency actions needed to better prepare the Nation to 

respond to the impacts of a changing climate. The Progress Report directed the Task Force’s Water 

Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup to lead the development of a national 

action plan to identify steps that Federal agencies can take to improve management of freshwater 

resources in a changing climate. 

This National Action Plan is based on the latest science on climate risks to freshwater resources and 

establishes the following national goal:

Government agencies and citizens collaboratively manage freshwater resources in 

response to a changing climate in order to ensure adequate water supplies, to safeguard 

human life, health and property, and to protect water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

To accomplish this goal, the Plan makes six priority recommendations that are described briefly 

below. Specific actions in support of these recommendations are summarized in Table 1; more 

detailed information is provided in Section 4 and Appendix B.

“Of all the potential threats posed by climatic variability 

and change, those associated with water resources are 

arguably the most consequential for both society and 

the environment.” 

Water—the Nation’s Fundamental Climate Issue: A White Paper

 on the U.S. Geological Survey Role and Capabilities; U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Circular 1347, 2010
ii National Action Plan

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Establish a Planning Process to Adapt Water Resources Management to a Changing Climate

This National Action Plan is an initial step to respond to the challenges to freshwater resources 

posed by a changing climate. The recommendations and actions in this Plan, however, will need 

to be evaluated and updated regularly over time. In addition, a more formal organizational framework is needed to link the efforts of Federal agencies with those of State, Tribal, and local governments and other interested parties. 

2. Improve Water Resources and Climate Change Information for Decision-Making

Current decisionmaking tools and policies for water resources management rely on historical 

water data to estimate future variations in water availability and quality. In a changing climate, 

however, water data used in decisionmaking tools needs to be complete and current. In addition, 

new insights from predictive models need to be applied to key decisions. 

3. Strengthen Assessment of Vulnerability of Water Resources to Climate Change

Climate change impacts—including extreme weather events, sea level rise, shifting precipitation 

and runoff patterns, among others—are expected to significantly affect the water environment, 

water infrastructure, and the operations of water resources facilities. To effectively reduce risks 

from climate change, water resource managers need improved tools to assess the climate change 

vulnerabilities in their systems that are tailored to the specific type of facility and most critical 

management decisions. 

4. Expand Water Use Efficiency

Climate change will further challenge water resources that are already under stress because of 

growing populations, contamination, and demands to meet diverse human and ecosystem needs. 

Making more efficient use of water can extend the availability of current supplies, reduce competition among sectors, save energy, and reduce the cost of water system operations. 

5. Support Integrated Water Resources Management

Management of the risks from a changing climate should not occur in isolation and needs to be 

integrated with efforts to address other challenges to freshwater resources management. As models 

and methods for integrated water resources management are developed across the country, challenges posed by a changing climate need to be incorporated. 

6. Support Training and Outreach to Build Response Capability

Today, the workforce that manages water resources programs at all levels of government and in the 

private sector needs information and tools to recognize the implications of a changing climate or 

to make complex climate change adaptation decisions related to freshwater resources. 

The Task Force recognizes that managing the risks to freshwater resources posed by a changing 

climate is a complex and multifaceted undertaking for which many recommendations and actions 

might be appropriate. This National Action Plan presents recommendations and actions that 

are judged to be both a high priority today and achievable in the context of existing and foreseeable agency capacity. As described in more detail in Section 4, this document is an initial step in 

planning for climate change risks to freshwater resources that is expected to be evaluated, revised, 

and expanded in the years ahead. 
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate iii

Finally, this Plan is part of a larger set of climate change adaptation activities, including:

• National Climate Assessment The 2009 national climate assessment, published by 

the U.S. Global Change Research Program, includes an assessment of climate 

change impacts on water resources. The information published in that assessment 

provides the scientific foundation for this Plan. National assessments are required by 

law every four years and the next assessment in 2013 will provide new information 

about impacts, opportunities, and vulnerability as well as a basis for evaluating 

effectiveness of adaptation actions and determining next steps. 

• Federal Agency Climate Change Adaptation Planning The 2010 Progress 

Report of the Climate Change Adaptation Task Force recommended that agencies 

integrate adaptation into their ongoing planning to ensure that resources are 

invested wisely and that Federal operations, policies and programs remain effective 

in a changing climate. Implementing instructions for this work were issued by the 

Council on Environmental Quality in March 2011 and include a requirement that 

agency-specific climate change adaptation plans be published by June 2012. This 

National Action Plan for freshwater resources will inform and guide development of 

water resources related elements of agency adaptation planning. 

• Other Natural Resources Strategies In addition to calling for this freshwater 

action plan, the 2010 Progress Report supports the development of a national strategy to strengthen the resilience of coastal, ocean and Great Lakes ecosystems to climate change and ocean acidification and the development of a national climate adaptation strategy focused on fish, wildlife and plants. These three natural resource 

strategies have common elements and development of these strategies is being closely 

coordinated. For example, the strategy addressing fish, wildlife and plants, now being 

developed under the leadership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and State fish and wildlife agencies, is 

addressing climate adaptation needs on an ecosystem basis (e.g., forests, grasslands, 

freshwater ecosystems) and will speak to actions for freshwater ecosystem adaptation 

in greater detail. 

• Existing Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Activities Federal 

agencies, as well as State and local governments and others, are already implementing substantial efforts to adapt the management of water resources to a changing climate. The activities of Federal agencies are briefly discussed in Section 3 of this document and are described in more detail in Appendix C. 
iv National Action Plan

Table 1. Summary of Recommendations and Actions

Recommendation 1 Establish a Planning Process

Action 1 Establish a planning process with the capability to identify priority adaptation actions and promote 

their implementation

Action 2 Establish an organizational framework to promote effective management of water resources in a

 changing climate

Recommendation 2 Improve Water Resources and Climate Change Information for Decisionmaking

Action 3 Strengthen data for understanding climate change impacts on water resources

Action 4 Create a program to align “hydroclimatic” statistics with today’s climate and anticipate future changes

Action 5 Implement surveillance system for tracking waterborne disease/health threats relevant to climate change

Action 6 Provide coastal states/communities with information to identify areas likely to be inundated by sea level rise 

Action 7 Establish interagency effort to expedite implementation of the newly developed wetlands mapping standard 

Recommendation 3 Strengthen Assessment of Vulnerability of Water Resources to Climate Change

Action 8 Publish guidance on the use of modeled projections for water resources applications 

Action 9 Develop a Federal internet portal to provide information on water resources and climate change

Action 10 Develop a pilot climate change vulnerability index for a major category of water facilities 

Action 11 Continue development of tools and approaches that build capacity for water institutions to conduct 

vulnerability assessments and implement appropriate responses 

Action 12 Assess vulnerability of watersheds and aquatic systems in National Forests and Grasslands 

Action 13 Promote free and open access to authoritative climate change science and water resources data

Recommendation 4 Expand Water Use Efficiency

Action 14 Develop nationally consistent metrics for water use efficiency in key sectors 

Action 15 Consider making water use efficiency an explicit consideration in the revision of Principles and Standards 

 for water resources projects and in the new NEPA guidance on climate change 

Action 16 Enhance coordination among current Federal water efficiency programs and create a “toolbox” of key practices

Recommendation 5 Support Integrated Water Resources Management

Action 17 Work with States and interstate bodies (e.g., river basin commissions) to provide assistance needed to incorporate IWRM into their planning and programs, paying particular attention to climate change adaptation issues 

Action 18 Revise Federal water project planning standards to address climate change

Action 19 Work with States to review flood risk management and drought management planning to identify 

“best practices” to prepare for hydrologic extremes 

Action 20 Develop benchmarks for incorporating adaptive management into water project designs, operational 

 procedures, and planning strategies 

Recommendation 6 Support Training and Outreach to Build Response Capability

Action 21 Establish a core training program on climate change science for local, Tribal, and State water resources managers

Action 22 Focus existing youth outreach programs on climate change and water issues

Action 23 Engage Water Resources Research Institutes at land grant colleges in climate change adaptation research

Action 24 Increase graduate level fellowships in water management and climate change
Introduction

This National Action Plan provides an overview of the challenges that a changing climate presents 

for the management of the Nation’s water resources and recommends actions for Federal agencies to 

support water resource managers in understanding and reducing the risks of climate change. 

This Plan was developed in response to a recommendation in the October 2010 Progress Report 

of the Interagency Climate Change and Adaptation Task Force (referred to hereafter as the Task 

Force; see http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/adaptation). It was 

developed for the Task Force by an interagency 

Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup (hereafter the Workgroup) 

made up of representatives from Federal agencies involved in water resources management. 

The Workgroup is co-chaired by the Department of Interior (DOI), the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA), and the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) (see Appendix 

A for a listing of Workgroup members). 

Beginning in 2009, the Workgroup held “listening sessions” with organizations outside the 

Federal government, reviewed scientific literature relating to the impacts of climate change on 

water resources, and reviewed existing efforts by Federal agencies involved in water resources 

management to adapt to a changing climate. 

Drawing on this analysis, the Workgroup identified key concepts and specific actions to support 

adaptation of water resources management to a changing climate. Some of this initial work was 

included in the water resources section of the October 2010 Progress Report. 

This National Action Plan describes the major climate change risks to freshwater resources 

management and summarizes current Federal agency activities to reduce these risks. A summary 

of comments and suggestions received from organizations and individuals during public listening 

sessions is also provided in Appendix D. 

Six recommendations to improve water resources management in a changing climate are presented in 

this Plan. For each of these recommendations, the Plan identifies specific actions that Federal agencies should consider to reduce climate risks to freshwater resources. A table summarizing recommendations and supporting actions is provided in Appendix B. 

The October 2010 Progress Report of the Climate Change Adaptation Task Force also supported 

the development of a national climate adaptation strategy focused on fish, wildlife and plants and 

a national strategy to strengthen the resilience and adaptability of coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes 

ecosystems to climate change and ocean acidification. These three natural resources strategies share 

common elements and development of these plans is being coordinated. 

“Given the breadth of climate change impacts and 

corresponding adaptation measures, certain key 

climate related issues will require a collaborative 

approach from the Federal government, such as 

water resource management...” 

Progress Report of the Interagency Climate Change 

Adaptation Task Force: Recommended Actions 

in Support of a National Climate Change 

Adaptation Strategy; October 2010, p.34
Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1

Water Resources Management Challenges

Posed by a Changing Climate

Water resources are managed by Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments with a 

wide range of objectives. Some of the key challenges that a changing climate poses for 

these efforts are described in this section. 

Overview of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources

To understand the challenges that water resources managers face in adapting to a changing climate, 

it is useful to understand some of the impacts that climate change may have on water resources. 

Some of the primary climate change risks for water resources are described below. These impacts may 

occur individually or cumulatively at specific locations. 

Air and Water Temperature Increases

Warmer air and water temperatures will have significant impacts on 

water resources and aquatic habitats, including shifts in aquatic species 

distribution and population, increased concentrations of some pollutants, and increased eutrophication in some water bodies. The U.S. 

Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) concluded that “All 

climate models project that human-caused emissions of heat-trapping gases will cause further warming in the future...global average 

temperature is projected to rise by 2 to 11.5°F by the end of this 

century (relative to the 1980-1999 time period)” (U.S. Global Change 

Research Program, 2009, p. 24). 

More specifically, the USGCRP finds that by 2100, the average U.S. temperature is projected to 

increase by approximately 4 to 6.5°F under the lower emissions scenario and by approximately 7 

to 11°F under the higher emissions scenario (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009, p. 29). 

Climate models project regional variation of warming (e.g., some models project that temperatures in 

parts of Alaska could increase by 18°F). Water temperatures have been rising and increases have been 

observed in both saltwater and freshwater (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009, p. 390; 

Kaushal et al., 2010, p. 5). 

Changes in Amounts and Distribution of Rainfall and Snowfall

As the climate warms, some areas will receive more precipitation while others will receive less, particularly in the western United States. 

In addition, warmer temperatures will shift the form of precipitation from snow to rain and also 

result in earlier melting of snowpacks. These changes are expected to lead to decreases in the size 

of snowpacks and bring about earlier runoff in areas where seasonal cycles of runoff have historically been dominated by snowmelt. Such changes have already been documented in some areas of 

western North America (Knowles et al., 2006). This loss of snowpack storage is expected to result in 

a decrease in the amount of reliable water supply in areas where snow has been a major component of 

the hydrologic system.

“Climate change has already 

altered, and will continue 

to alter, the water cycle, 

affecting where, when, and 

how much water is available for all uses.” 

Global Climate Change Impacts

in the United Sates, 2009
4 National Action Plan

Over the past 50 years, precipitation has increased an average of about 5 percent across the nation 

(U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009, p. 30). In addition, projections of future precipitation 

generally indicate that northern areas will become wetter and southern areas, especially in the West, 

will become drier (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009, p. 30). 

USGCRP also indicated that “Over the last 50 years, there have been widespread temperature related 

reductions in snowpack in the West, with the largest reductions occurring in lower elevation mountains in the Northwest and California, where snowfall occurs at temperatures close to the freezing 

point. The Northeast has also experienced snowpack reductions during a similar period. Observations indicate a transition to more rain and less snow in both the West and Northeast in the last 50 

years” (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009, p. 45). The Intergovernmental Panel on 

Climate Change (IPCC) also concluded that “Snow season length and snow depth are very likely to 

decrease in most of North America” (Christensen et al. 2007, p. 887).

Runoff, which accumulates as streamflow, is the amount of precipitation that is not evaporated, stored as 

snowpack or soil moisture, or filtered down to groundwater. Projected changes in median runoff for 2041–

2060, relative to a 1901–1970 baseline, are mapped by water-resource region. Colors indicated percentage 

changes in runoff. Hatched areas indicate greater confidence due to strong agreement among model 

projections. White areas indicate divergence among model projections. Results are based on emissions in 

between the lower and higher emission scenarios.

Percentage change in annual runoff

Projected Changes In Runoff 2041–2060

Modified from Milly et al., 2008

–40 –20 –10 –5 –2 2 5 10 20 40
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 5

Increased Intensity of Rainfall and Storms

As the climate warms, the hydrologic system becomes more dynamic, the intensity of storms increases 

and rainfall occurs more often as a downpour. The USGCRP reports that “The amount of rain falling 

in the heaviest downpours has increased approximately 20 percent on average, in the past century, and 

this trend is very likely to continue, with the largest increases in the wettest places” (U.S. Global 

Change Research Program, 2009, p. 32). In addition, climate models project continued increases in the 

frequency and intensity of the heaviest downpours during this century (ibid). For example, heavy downpours that are now 1-in-20-year occurrences are projected to occur about every 4 to 15 years by the end 

of this century, depending on location, and the intensity of heavy downpours is also expected to 

increase. The 1-in-20-year heavy downpour is expected to be between 10 and 25 percent heavier by the 

end of the century than it is now (ibid). 

The USGCRP also finds that “As ocean temperatures continue to increase in the future, it is likely that 

hurricane rainfall and wind speeds will increase in response to human-caused warming. Analyses of 

model simulations suggest that for each 1.8°F (1°C) increase in tropical sea surface temperatures, core 

rainfall rates will increase by 6 to 18 percent and the surface wind speeds of the strongest hurricanes 

will increase by about 1 to 8 percent. Even without additional coastal development, hurricane damages 

and storm surge levels and hurricane damages are likely to increase because of increasing hurricane 

intensity coupled with sea-level rise, the latter being a virtually certain outcome of the warming global 

climate.” (U.S. Global Change Research Program, 2009, p. 36).

Percentage increases in the amount falling in very heavy precipitation events (defined as the heaviest 1% of 

all daily events) from 1958–2007 for each region.

16%

15%

20%

67%

31%

9%

Source: US Global Change Research Program, 2009

Percentage change in very heavy precipitation

0 10 20 30 40 60

12%

23%

37%

Change in Very Heavy Precipitation 1958–2007
6 National Action Plan

Sea Level Rise

Rising sea levels resulting from a warming climate are likely to cause a complex set of interrelated 

impacts on coastal freshwater aquifers and the threat of inundation to water-related infrastructure 

(e.g., sewage treatment plants and drinking-water treatment plants).

The USGCRP indicates that “After at least 2,000 years of little change, sea level rose by roughly 8 

inches over the past century. Satellite data available over the past 15 years show sea level rising at a 

rate roughly double the rate observed over the past century.” (U.S. Global Change Research 

Program, 2009, p. 18). The report also states “...assuming historical geological forces continue, a 

2-foot rise in global sea level (which is within the range of recent estimates) by the end of this 

century would result in a relative sea-level rise of 2.3 feet at New York City, 2.9 feet at Hampton 

Roads, Virginia, 3.5 feet at Galveston, Texas, and 1 foot at Neah Bay in Washington state.” (U.S. 

Global Change Research Program, 2009, p. 37). 

Recent observations confirm that trend; a 2011 study shows that the melting of the Antarctic and 

Greenland ice sheets is accelerating (Rignot, et al. 2011, p. 4). The researchers found that if these 

accelerating rates continue, global sea level rise could be as much as 1 foot within the next 40 years 

(National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2011). 

Indirect Impacts

It is likely that climate change mitigation actions will lead to adoption of low carbon fuel and energy 

technologies. Some of these technologies may have indirect impacts on water resources. For example, 

production of biofuels can result in increased competition for water supplies.

Infrastructure At Risk From Sea Level Rise

Source: US Global Change Research Program, 2009
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 7

Climate Change Challenges for Water Resources Managers

The impacts of a changing climate are expected to pose significant challenges for water resources 

managers in three major areas: ensuring adequate water supply; protecting human life, health, and 

property; and protecting the quality of freshwater resources. 

These challenges for water resources managers are interconnected in many ways and are not presented 

here in any particular order. Some of the key elements of these major challenges are summarized below. 

Ensuring Adequate Water Supplies

Ensuring adequate supplies of freshwater, including surface water and groundwater, needed to support 

key sectors, including:

• municipal drinking water supplies;

• navigation, recreation, and tourism; 

• agriculture;

• energy development, production, and generation

(including hydropower, fossil fuels, and biofuels); 

• industry; and

• aquatic ecosystems and ecosystem services.

The reliability of water supplies for these sectors is in question as a result of anticipated reductions in 

precipitation in some regions of the country as well as earlier runoff of snowmelt. Other examples of 

climate-change-related factors influencing the reliability of water supplies include increases in forest 

fire damage in watersheds that are sources of supply and impairment of freshwater supplies from saltwater intrusion resulting from sea level rise. 

Protecting Human Life, Health, and Property

Protecting human life, health, and property at increased risk from the impacts of a warmer climate on 

freshwater resources, including risks associated with:

• increased water-borne and vector-borne disease;

• increased difficulty in treating drinking water (e.g., due to increased turbidity of 

waters);

• increased flooding in some areas as the hydrologic system becomes more variable;

• increased drought and wildfires in some areas; and 

• disruptions of power, water, sewer, and emergency services as a result of more 

extreme rainfall and storms.

These increased risks to life, health, and property can be traced to changes in freshwater resource 

conditions that result from a changing climate, including a linkage between heavy precipitation and 

disease outbreaks, changes in rainfall levels and watershed resilience that make floods more severe, 

and increases in extreme weather events that disrupt power, water and emergency services. 
Photo courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

8 National Action Plan

Protecting the Quality of Freshwater Resources

Protecting the quality of freshwater resources throughout the country, including:

• the quality of surface water and groundwater;

• the health of fisheries and aquatic habitat; and

• wetlands needed for sustainable aquatic ecosystems.

 

Examples of the connections between changing climatic conditions and the quality of freshwater 

include more challenging water treatment as a result of higher concentrations of contaminants in 

receiving waters and more variable streamflows, more difficult management of stormwater because of 

more intense rainfall patterns, and changes in aquatic-system characteristics allowing invasive species 

to become more widely established.

“Some of the most important societal and 

ecological impacts anticipated in this region 

[i.e., North America] stem from changes in 

surface and groundwater hydrology.” 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2008
2

Current Federal Agency Activities to Manage 

Climate Change Risks to Water Resources

The Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup reviewed the broad 

range of activities underway throughout the Federal government, within individual 

agencies as well as in cooperative interagency projects (see Appendix C). Although 

not exhaustive, this review illustrates the breadth and depth of ongoing activities to 

address climate change impacts on water resources.

Conclusions from Workgroup Review

On the basis of this review of agency activities, the Workgroup came to the following conclusions:

Agencies are taking significant steps to reduce climate risks to freshwater resources

Federal agencies are making significant efforts to respond to the three major challenges that a changing climate poses for water resources identified in Section 1. For example, the Army Corps of Engineers 

(USACE) developed guidance for including sea 

level change in project planning, the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a water utility climate change vulnerability 

assessment tool, and the Bureau of Reclamation 

(USBR) developed new science and pursued 

studies to understand climate impacts on western water basins. In addition, several major 

studies of climate change and water resources 

required by the Omnibus Public Lands Act are 

nearing completion or have recently been provided to Congress (see box).

Federal agencies are also in the process of 

developing agency-specific climate change 

adaptation plans by June 2012 in accordance 

with instructions issued by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in March 2011. These plans 

are intended to help agencies integrate adaptation into their ongoing planning to ensure that resources are 

invested wisely and that Federal operations, policies and programs remain effective in a changing climate. 

Cooperative efforts for climate change adaptation of freshwater 

resources management are valuable

Federal agencies have initiated interagency projects to address the impacts of a changing climate on water 

resources. These projects are making valuable contributions to understanding and responding to a changing climate. For example, the Department of the Interior (DOI) has begun to establish 

8 regional Climate Science Centers (CSCs) and is creating 21 Landscape Conservation Cooperatives 

(LCCs). In addition, Federal agencies have been working closely with the governments of Mexico and 

Canada through existing institutional arrangements to ensure that climate adaptation planning is 

included in management of shared waters.

Water Resources and Climate Change Studies: 

Omnibus Public Lands Act

Section 9503 Impacts of climate change on water 

in USBR reclamation basins 

Section 9505 Impacts of climate change on hydroelectric power 

Section 9506 Water data and information needed 

for climate change adaptation 

Section 9507 Location and extent of brackish 

groundwater

Section 9508 Assessment of current water shortages
Photo courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

10 National Action Plan

Existing Federal efforts to reduce climate risks to freshwater resources 

need to be strengthened and sustained

Significant work to help adapt water resources to a changing climate has been undertaken by Federal 

agencies to date, (e.g., DOI’s LCCs and CSCs, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 

(NOAA) Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISAs), Army Corps of Engineers guidance 

on accounting for sea level rise, and EPA and Forest Service planning for climate change). These 

efforts, however, need to be strengthened and sustained to address the extensive and complex challenges that water managers face from a changing climate. 

A national forum to coordinate efforts to reduce climate change risks 

to freshwater resources is lacking

Although cases of valuable interagency cooperative actions exist (e.g., the Climate Change and Water 

Working Group (CCAWWG), the DOI/Department of Commerce (DOC) Memorandum of 

Understanding on climate change, and the Floodplain Management Task Force), there does not presently exist a national forum for fostering communication and coordination for work related to climate change and water resources adaptation among the full range of relevant Federal agencies. 

A strategic approach for Federal agency action to reduce risks to freshwater 

from climate change is needed

Both the agency-specific projects and the cooperative projects described in Appendix C were developed in the absence of an overall, interagency strategy for prioritizing those actions Federal agencies 

could undertake to address water resources and climate change challenges that are the most timely 

and effective. Some important emerging examples of efforts that can form the foundation for the 

development of an interagency approach include the LCCs and the CCAWWG. 

Better coordination with State and local adaptation efforts is needed

Efforts by Federal agencies to establish strong working relationships with States on common challenges, 

such as the Western States Federal Agency Support Team (WestFAST), show promise. In addition, the 

development by DOI of CSCs and LCCs, and RISAs by NOAA is expected to strengthen intergovernmental coordination on a wide range of climate change adaptation challenges, including challenges to water 

resources management. Furthermore, there is evidence of growing Federal, State, Tribal, and local coordination in some regions and locales that are excellent examples of collaboration to address targeted problems. 
3

Public Comments

Input from the public was critical in the development of this National Action Plan. 

Given the broad and diverse array of stakeholders with interests in freshwater resources 

management, successful implementation of the Plan will depend on the applicability of 

recommendations and actions to stakeholder needs. The Workgroup created multiple 

avenues to collaborate with and receive feedback from the public in the development 

of the Plan. Stakeholder and public outreach activities and input are described in more 

detail in Appendix D. 

Incorporating Public Input and Feedback

Public input and feedback to the Plan were solicited through three major mechanisms: 

• a series of listening sessions with diverse stakeholders in the fall of 2009 to hear 

views and ideas about the general topic of water resources management and guide 

initial research and organization; 

• a six-week public comment period on the draft Plan, including receipt of comments 

on a website designed for this purpose; and 

• a second series of listening sessions with stakeholder organizations in mid 2011 to 

hear comments and suggestions on the draft Plan as released for public comment. 

Overall, stakeholder and public reception to the draft Plan was positive. Feedback from both the 

listening sessions and written comments offered a valuable resource to the Workgroup and ensured 

that the final Plan reflected the perspectives, experiences, and concerns of interested organizations and individuals. Many of the commenters provided tangible examples of successful local, 

State, and regional policies and programs related to water resources management in the face of a 

changing climate. These helped strengthen the document. 

Listening Sessions

Listening sessions were conducted in 

2009 and 2011 with a range of stakeholder groups including: 

• energy and industrial organizations; 

• State, Tribal, and local governments;

• water utility organizations; 

• environmental and coastal organizations;

• agriculture and transportation 

 organizations; and

• public health organizations.
12 National Action Plan

A number of consistent themes emerged throughout the public comment period and the Workgroup 

addressed these ideas in the final Plan to the extent possible.

Support for strengthening existing collaborative planning efforts

Many commenters supported the Plan’s focus on strengthening collaborative structures among the 

community of Federal agencies, State, Tribal, and local governments, river basin commissions, nongovernmental organizations, and the research community rather than establish major new organizations or programs. 

Strengthen infrastructure planning for changing extremes

Comments received in the review of the draft Plan encouraged greater recognition of the importance 

of improved planning for water infrastructure. Several commenters recommended that the Plan also 

give greater attention to expanded use of “green infrastructure” practices. Other commenters recommended expanded attention to the value and operations of dams to better manage increasingly variable water resources. 

Improve understanding of climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems and watersheds

Many of the tools and collaborations being developed are focused on protection of infrastructure or 

water supply. Commenters indicated that more attention needs to be paid to understanding the 

effects of climate change on natural systems and developing strategies for improving their resilience. 

Affirm the principle of integrated water resources management (IWRM)

Many commenters affirmed the Plan’s recommendation to address climate and water challenges in the 

context of IWRM. IWRM, many participants agreed, is a critical organizing principle for managing 

scarce and fluctuating water resources across many sectors and users.

Expand Federal support for State, Tribal, and local climate adaptation

Commenters stressed the importance of water data and information, including reliable predictive 

models of future conditions, to support effective State and local adaptation decisions. In addition, 

many States, Tribes, regions, and localities are already implementing their own adaptation planning 

processes and Federal efforts toward managing freshwater resources in a changing climate should 

include expanded efforts to partner with, learn from, and help improve these activities, especially 

those related to climate change education. 

Concern over sufficiency of recommended response actions in the context of challenges

Some commenters expressed concern that the proposed recommendations and supporting actions 

were needed but not sufficient to accomplish a significant shift in methods and approaches to water 

resources management suggested by projected changes in climate and water resources. 

Protect indigenous communities

The Workgroup also heard from representatives of Tribal nations that indigenous people are subject to 

a range of challenges related to a changing climate. Many of these communities have observed climate-related changes that are already underway. Listening-session participants stressed that these 

effects are not simply “changes” to be adapted to—they represent a fundamental crisis of survival for 

communities’ livelihoods and cultures. 
4

Priority Recommendations for Reducing Climate 

Change Risks to Freshwater Resources

This National Action Plan establishes a goal for managing freshwater resources in a 

changing climate, identifies 6 key recommendations to achieve that goal, and describes 

24 specific supporting actions that Federal agencies should take to implement the 

recommendations over the next several years.

Overall Goal and Priority Recommendations

Using input from listening sessions and considering information on scientific and Federal programs, the 

Task Force is adopting the following goal for managing freshwater resources in a changing climate: 

Government agencies and citizens collaboratively manage freshwater resources in 

response to a changing climate in order to ensure adequate water supplies, to protect 

human life, health and property, and to protect water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

Specific recommendations supporting this goal are:

1. Establish a Planning Process to Adapt Water Resources Management to a Changing 

Climate (including continuing interagency coordination and expanding outreach to, and collaboration with, State, Tribal, and local governments and other stakeholders);

2. Improve Water Resources and Climate Change Information for Decisionmaking (including observational data, predictive models, measures of progress, and regular updates of 

analyses); 

3. Strengthen Assessment of Vulnerability of Water Resources to Climate Change (including 

effective communication of data and development of risk assessment tools at multiple scales);

4. Expand Water Use Efficiency (including opportunities to develop water efficient technologies 

and to promote greater efficiency of water use and reuse);

5. Support Integrated Water Resources Management (including methods to promote resilience 

of water resources as the climate and environment changes); and

6. Support Training and Outreach to Build Response Capability (including practices to “mainstream” climate change adaptation into existing programs). 

Specific supporting actions that Federal agencies should take to accomplish each recommendation 

are described below. For each supporting action, information concerning the lead Federal agency for 

that action and the implementation status of the action is provided in an adjoining text box. Implementation status described as “ready for implementation now” indicates that a lead agency has been 

identified and that the action can be accomplished within current resources or policies. “Requiring 

further development” indicates that additional work will need to be done in the next several years 

before the action can be deployed. A table summarizing recommendations and supporting actions is 
14 National Action Plan

provided in Appendix B. This Appendix also indicates how the actions support the policy goals and 

supporting recommended actions identified in the October 2010 Progress Report of the Interagency 

Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. It is important to note that the proposal of an action in this 

report and the association of an action with a “lead agency” do not commit an agency to provide or 

seek funding for the action or to make related policy or program changes. 

Implementation actions related to some of the six priority recommendations are already underway. 

For example, the October 2010 Progress Report highlighted the need to address water resource data 

issues and support more efficient use of water. Federal agencies are now working on these efforts. In 

the area of water data and information, Federal agencies have developed a report to Congress identifying a range of needed actions as required by Section 9506 of the Omnibus Public Lands Act. 

Finally, the Task Force recognizes that managing the risks to freshwater resources posed by a 

changing climate is a complex and multi-faceted undertaking for which many recommendations 

and actions might be appropriate. This National Action Plan presents the recommendations and 

actions that are judged to be both a high priority today and achievable in the context of existing 

and foreseeable agency capacity. As described below, this document is an initial step in planning for 

climate change risks to freshwater resources and is expected to be evaluated, revised, and expanded 

in the years ahead. 

A consistent theme at listening sessions and in discussions with Federal agency water resources 

program managers is the need for a clearly defined planning process and organizational framework 

for addressing water resources and climate change issues. Some of the key attributes of an effective 

planning process and organizational framework identified in these discussions are: 

Involve State, Tribal, and local governments

An organizational framework for water resources adaptation to climate change needs to provide a 

material role for States, Tribes, and local governments and support collaboration with the governments of Canada and Mexico. 

Prioritize the major challenges climate change poses for water resources

The organizational framework needs to support a planning process capable of setting priorities 

among the full range of Federal water resources challenges posed by climate change and should 

support agencies at different governmental levels in making informed choices about where to focus 

attention. Priority setting should reflect input from diverse stakeholders and be linked to Federal 

budgets and funding decisions. 

Consider implications of adapting to impacts of climate change on resources other than water

Governments will increasingly be planning to manage the risks from the impacts of climate change 

on a range of resources other than water resources (e.g., energy, human health, soil resources, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, ecosystems, nonwater infrastructure). It is important that climate change 

adaptation be coordinated across these topics including plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

To date, planning for emissions reduction (i.e., mitigation) has largely overshadowed planning 

for managing the risks of a changing climate. Many of the practices that reduce greenhouse gases 

Recommendation 1

Establish a planning process to adapt water resources management

to a changing climate
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 15

(e.g., hydropower operations and development, bioenergy development, seeking access to natural gas 

reserves, sequestering carbon geologically or through land management or wetland protection practices) have potentially significant implications for water resources. 

Consider other water resources challenges

An organizational framework should account for other significant challenges to sustainable water 

resources management that exist apart from climate change. Some of the major challenges include: 

expanding populations in many areas; depletion of aquifers in some areas and saltwater intrusion 

into aquifers in coastal areas; nutrient enrichment of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries; aging 

infrastructure for storing and delivering water to users, for treating waste water, for navigation, 

for hydropower production, and for flood protection; emerging contaminants in groundwater and 

surface water that threaten human health and aquatic species; and the need for water to support the 

protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems.

Build on existing institutional mechanisms

Existing organizational structures for coordination among water resource management agencies, the 

research community, and with public organizations involved in water resource management can play 

an important role in adapting water resources management to a changing climate. These existing 

mechanisms are described below and include the Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality 

(SWAQ), the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) and the Climate Change and 

Water Working Group (CCAWWG). In addition, existing institutional capability for addressing 

climate change adaptation issues at a regional level (i.e., RISAs, CSCs and LCCs) should be actively 

engaged in addressing water resource issues. 

Coordinate with research communities

The research community needs clear guidance on the information that is needed by decisionmakers and planners to address adaptation challenges. In January 2011, the CCAWWG published 

“Addressing Climate Change in Long-Term Water Resources Planning and Management: User 

Needs for Improving Tools and Information” (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 2011). Other sectors of 

the water management communities have also recently published reports documenting their research 

needs, including the Western States Water Council, Water Utilities Climate Alliance, and Water 

Research Foundation. Today, the challenge is for the research community to develop strategies to 

respond to these needs in a coordinated and effective fashion. 

Supporting Actions

The following specific actions support this recommendation. 

Establish a planning process with the capability to identify priority 

adaptation actions and promote their implementation.

The development of this Plan is an important step in building the capability 

to manage freshwater resources in a changing climate. The Plan, however, 

will need to be revised over time as conditions change and as information 

on the effectiveness of the Plan becomes available. For this process to be 

successful, a timeline of major planning and evaluation actions is needed. 

A key mechanism for understanding changing impacts of climate on water 

resources over time is the assessment prepared by the U.S. Global Change 

1. Lead Agency:

Water Resources and 

Climate Adaptation Workgroup co-chairs 

(DOI/EPA/CEQ)

Implementation Status:

Now, with phase-in over 

coming years
16 National Action Plan

Research Program. This comprehensive assessment of climate change impacts was last completed in 

2009 and includes a section on water resources. Although the assessment process is now a continuing 

effort, a comprehensive report is required by law every 4 years. The next assessment report is planned 

for completion in 2013 (see box below). 

Given the 4-year revision cycle for the national assessment, an appropriate time to revise the freshwater 

adaptation plan is two years after publication of the assessment (i.e., 2011 and 2015). This schedule 

allows for development of plan revisions based on full consideration of the most recent assessments.

A related consideration is that the natural resource strategies related to coasts, oceans and the Great 

Lakes and to fish, wildlife, and plants have elements in common with freshwater resources and these 

planning efforts need to be closely coordinated.

An important element of the water resources and climate change planning process is sustained evaluation of implementation actions and of the overall success of adaptation efforts. 

This process should include: 

• development of evaluation measures to track progress in improving adaptation of 

water resources to a changing climate, including both measures of program performance (e.g., timely development of plans or other actions) and outcome measures 

addressing overall success in supporting 

effective adaptation of water resources to 

climate change (e.g., as reflected in a periodic survey of water resource managers to 

request a self-assessment of adaptation 

progress); 

• publication of annual reports describing 

in narrative terms the progress being made 

toward overall goals and reporting on progress under each of the recommendations 

and supporting actions; and 

• an evaluation in the third year of each 

4-year planning cycle by an independent 

organization, such as the National Academy 

of Science or the National Academy of 

Public Administration, that provides an objective evaluation of the overall response 

of water resource managers to risks from a changing climate.

Establish an organizational framework to promote effective management 

of water resources in a changing climate.

An effective organizational framework to promote water resources adaptation to climate change 

includes four elements: 

• Federal agency coordination; 

• linkage to science and research;

• engagement in different regions of the country with State, 

local and Tribal governments; and 

• participation of stakeholders and the public. 

Water Resources and Climate

Change Planning Timeline

2009 National Climate Assessment

2011 Freshwater National Action Plan

2012 National Ocean Council Strategic Action 

Plan; National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants 

Climate Adaptation Strategy

2013 National Climate Assessment

2014 Independent Evaluation of Freshwater 

National Action Plan

2015 Revised Freshwater Action Plan

2.

Lead Agency:

Workgroup chairs 

(EPA/DOI/CEQ)

Implementation Status:

Now
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 17

The existing interagency Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup should be 

charged with continuing to support the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force in 

matters relating to freshwater resources. Section 16 of the Executive Order on Federal leadership on 

environmental, energy and economic performance (E.O. 13514) directs Federal agencies to “participate actively” in the work of the Task Force. Key objectives of the Workgroup should be to:

• foster Federal agency coordination at the national level on program management 

issues related to domestic freshwater and climate change, including oversight and 

coordination of existing water and climate activities;

• facilitate coordination among Federal water resource management agencies as they 

develop and implement water related elements of agency-specific climate change 

adaptation plans called for in the October 2010 Task Force Progress Report; 

• manage development of plans and reports, including this National Action Plan for 

freshwater resources and the report to Congress on water data and information for 

climate change; 

• cooperate and share “lessons learned” with State, Tribal, and local governments and 

organizations interested in water and climate change issues, including groups such as 

the Western Governors’ Association, the Water Utility Climate Alliance, and other 

key organizations; 

• coordinate with interagency teams developing climate change adaptation strategies 

related to coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes issues and to fish, wildlife and plant issues; 

• oversee implementation of the recommendations and actions described in this 

National Action Plan; and

• work toward regional coordination of climate science and services being implemented in response to a recommendation for this effort in the October 2010 

Progress Report of the Climate Change Adaptation Task Force.

To ensure effective coordination on science and research issues related to water resources and climate 

change, the existing Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality (SWAQ), a subcommittee of 

the Committee on Environmental and Natural Resources and Sustainability (CENRS), should be 

charged with defining climate change and water research needs and identifying scientific issues. The 

SWAQ has made important contributions to scientific understanding of water resource issues and 

disseminating water resources research across Federal agencies. Adding climate change issues to the 

SWAQ’s water resources research coordination charge will help integrate climate change research 

needs into the larger water research agenda. Likewise, the CCAWWG includes substantial scientific 

and technical expertise. The SWAQ, CCAWWG, and the Water Resources and Climate Change 

Adaptation Workgroup should actively cooperate and meet on a regular basis. 

In addition, at present, there is no forum for climate modelers and managers of water data systems to 

resolve issues and differing interpretations in order to provide better clarity for end-users of information. Several Federal agencies presently fund the Water and Science Technology Board (WSTB) of 

the National Academies’ National Research Council (NRC) to support a “standing committee” on 

issues related to hydrology. The US Global Change Research Program has also recently contracted 

with the NRC to provide a “one-stop shop” for guidance on global change research. This new institutional structure will ensure appropriate linkage across the various committees of the NRC, including 

the WSTB’s committees. Federal agencies should continue to work with the NRC to ensure that the 

WSTB committee on hydrology is coordinated with the global change committee and others, as 

appropriate. They should pay particular attention to facilitating communication among water observational data managers and climate model experts to help resolve methodological differences and 

better tailor observational data to calibrate and verify model results. 
18 National Action Plan

A third element of a water and climate change adaptation organizational structure is effective engagement with Federal, State and local governments at the regional level. Climate change impacts, especially 

water-resources-related impacts, vary across the country. Several Federal agencies have established 

regional entities addressing climate change, including the 

Department of Interior CSCs, LCCs and the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration RISAs. The Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force is working to 

strengthen networks of climate-related programs to deliver 

climate science and services efficiently and effectively in 

regions across the country. Federal agency water resources 

program managers should participate in these regional collaborations and reach out to stakeholders at the regional level. 

Finally, it is essential that stakeholder organizations and 

the public are able to provide input as adaptation actions 

for climate change and water resources are planned and implemented. The Advisory Committee on 

Water Information (ACWI) is an existing public advisory group chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to advise the Federal government on water issues. The Committee is 

managed by the Department of the Interior and advises a range of Federal agencies on water matters. 

ACWI includes a variety of stakeholders with interests in water management, including States, 

Tribes, and other water related interest groups (see www.doi.acwi.gov). ACWI operates through 

an extensive subcommittee structure but does not currently have a subcommittee addressing issues 

relating to climate change. ACWI should consider options for how best to engage climate change 

and water issues, including establishing a new subgroup to help Federal agencies seek input and 

guidance from stakeholders and the public on climate and water issues or amending the charter and 

membership of an existing subgroup as needed to serve this purpose.

 

Every day, all across the Nation, decisions are being made about water in both the public and private 

sectors. These decisions involve:

• supplying water for public drinking water systems, irrigation, electricity generation and transportation fuels production, or industrial 

activities; 

• collecting and treating drinking water, wastewater and stormwater;

• developing new or alternative sources of water; 

• protecting or restoring water bodies, aquatic habitats, and aquifers; or 

• protecting citizens and infrastructure from the consequences of 

impaired water quality, extreme weather, flooding, and drought. 

These water resources decisions, and the data systems needed to support them, are summarized in 

the Table in Appendix E. Analytic approaches currently exist for every one of these types of decisions. However, most of the current decisionmaking approaches rely on historical data to estimate 

future variations in water availability and quality. 

Water managers should take the 

initiative to clearly communicate 

their needs for applied science to the 

climate research community, and must 

seek opportunities to guide hydroclimatic research in directions that will 

support real world problem-solving. 

Western Governors’ Association, 2008

Recommendation 2

Improve water resources and climate change information 

for decisionmaking

“In a non-stationary 

world, continuity of 

observations is crucial.”

Milly et al., 2008
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 19

Many decisions are based on hydro-climatic characteristics such as the mean flow of a river, the 

50-year 1-hour rainfall intensity, the 7-day 10-year low flow, the “100-year” flood, or the mean 

August water temperature. These are estimated based on conditions of the past, but form the basis for design, investment, and 

water-allocation decisions that can have long-range (50–100 

years) implications. Similarly, traditional methods for water 

system design and operation assume that what will happen 

hydrologically in the coming days, weeks, months, and years, 

can be estimated in a probabilistic sense from what we know of 

the current state of the watershed and records of past experience. 

In response to the requirements of Section 9506 of the 

Omnibus Public Lands Act, an interagency group worked over 

the past year to prepare a report on the technical challenges 

related to water data and information needed to support adaptation to climate change. Key next 

steps suggested in the report have informed the supporting actions described below and include:

• strengthen observational data systems;

• prioritize observations for understanding water supply availability;

• step up the pace of systematic reanalysis of existing observational data to bring statistics used for design and planning purposes up to date with current conditions; 

• strengthen links between water observational data and climate models;

• provide water datasets to an interagency climate data portal;

• make strengthening of water data systems a priority in the National Action Plan for 

freshwater resources; and 

• strengthen Federal agency coordination to improve data quality and accessibility. 

Supporting Actions

Key actions to support this recommendation include:

Strengthen data for understanding climate change impacts on water resources.

The Federal government should implement a multiagency effort, led by the Department of the Interior, 

to build a national Water Census describing the changing availability, quality, location, and uses of 

water resources. This information will be organized on a watershed basis and will be readily available to 

water managers and the public. The Water Census will contain:

• water demand and use information (withdrawals, return flows, 

and consumptive use for all major water use sectors with special 

data collection efforts designed to track changing water use patterns relevant to public water systems, agriculture, energy, industry, and ecosystem services); 

• water quantity and availability information including analysis of 

changes in storage (groundwater) and flow (rivers); 

• analysis of changes in water quality that are critical to its use (temperature, sediment, 

nutrients, pathogens, salinity, waterborne contaminants); and 

• identification of alternative water sources that may become available through technology advances including reuse, desalination, aquifer storage and recovery. 

3. 

Lead Agency:

DOI

Implementation Status:

Now

“Extreme weather is influenced 

by climate change, and extreme 

weather events are now subject 

to human influence. The continued 

delay in taking action means we 

face rapidly worsening impacts, and 

unavoidable adaptation.”

Peter H. Gleick, Pacific Institute
20 National Action Plan

Create a formal program to align “hydroclimatic” statistics with today’s climate

and anticipate future changes.

This work should include evaluation of data as needed to provide water resources managers and 

engineers engaged in infrastructure planning, management decisions, ecosystem protection, 

and flood hazard mitigation with the interpretative “hydrostatistics” that they need to make good 

decisions as hydrological conditions change over 

time. Hydroclimatic statistics related to floods (e.g., 

100-year flood), intense rainfall (e.g., 50-year 6-hour 

rainfall), streamflows (e.g., 7Q10), and water temperature (e.g., mean August water temperature) are 

central to water infrastructure planning, ecosystem 

protection, and flood hazard mitigation. 

This program should include:

• systematic nationwide updates of statistical analyses;

• research to evaluate changes in hydroclimatic conditions at several temporal and spatial scales;

• updating analytical approaches to incorporate climate change; 

• ensuring the continuity and stability of the long-term data collection programs on which these statistics depend; and 

• consideration of a process for endorsement or certification of 

updatedmethods and data. 

 

Additional information about needs of decisionmakers for research and updated analytical information 

is provided in the CCAWWG’s January 2011 report, Addressing Climate Change in Long-Term Water 

Resources Planning and Management: User Needs for Improving Tools and Information. 

Implement an active, reliable surveillance system for tracking waterborne disease 

and public health threats relevant to climate change.

The surveillance system should provide for centralized coordination of public health information 

with water exposure pathways including surveillance of: 

• endemic disease and outbreaks associated with exposure to waterborne pathogens; and

• diseases associated with waterborne contaminant exposures (chemicals 

and their byproducts, toxins released by algae and cyanobacteria, etc.).

Data on waterborne disease will provide a basis for developing national 

profiles of current and emerging diseases that are relevant to climate 

change, identifying climate-sensitive disease pathways, predicting factors that trigger public-health 

threats, and developing control and monitoring strategies that are protective of public health. 

Provide coastal states and communities with essential information 

to identify areas likely to be inundated by sea level rise. 

Coastal communities need reliable maps of areas likely to be inundated by rising sea levels due to 

climate change in order to protect water-related infrastructure facilities (e.g., sewage treatment 

plants, drinking water treatment facilities, and power plants) as well as to manage natural habitats and 

4. 

“There is no consistent formal procedure 

across agencies for certifying a new method 

or making a new product official.” 

Decision Support Experiments and Evaluations 

Using Seasonal-to-Interannual Forecasts 

and Observational Data: 

A Focus on Water Resources; 

U.S. Climate Change Science Program, 2008

Lead Agency:

DOI

Implementation Status:

Now

5. 

Lead Agency:

CDC

Implementation Status:

Further development

6. 
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 21

resources. Development of these maps will require that the Federal government provide nationally consistent information concerning coastal topography (e.g., lidar data), coastal land subsidence, and expected storm surges. 

Federal agencies need to develop a strategy for providing these maps and 

relevant guidance in specific areas on clear schedules. This action will be 

closely coordinated with climate adaptation plans currently under development by the National Ocean Council. 

This coordinated activity should: 

• increase the availability of high-resolution elevation data in coastal areas; 

• provide regionally specific projections of relative sea level changes; 

• provide tools for assessing storm surge risks in coordination with changing sea levels 

and storm frequencies and intensities; 

• ensure that all maps and other geospatial information are provided in the consistent 

format of the National Geospatial Reference System; and 

• improve access to tools for visualizing scientific and climate data.

Establish an interagency effort to expedite implementation of the 

newly developed wetlands mapping standard.

Wetlands play a critical role in supporting resilience of watersheds and water resources to a changing 

climate. As temperatures warm, some wetlands will disappear and others may be created. Understanding the changes in location, size and functions of wetlands will 

require accurate maps. Federal agencies are now implementing a newly 

developed wetland mapping standard that will facilitate efforts across 

Federal agencies and State, Tribal, and local governments, such as State 

Wildlife Action Plans. This effort, however, is underfunded and will not 

be completed for many years at current funding levels. This recommendation calls for an interagency effort to complete this work across the country on a significantly expedited schedule.

Extreme weather events, sea level rise, shifting precipitation and runoff patterns, temperature 

changes, and resulting changes in water quality and availability all have potentially significant 

implications for the operations of water sector utilities. To adapt to climate change, water resource 

managers must first determine the degrees of risk and vulnerability in their systems. Consistent with 

other approved Federal guidelines and documents, the Workgroup adopted the Intergovernmental 

Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) definition of vulnerability from its fourth assessment: 

Vulnerability is the degree to which a system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, 

adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability 

is a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate change and variation to which 

a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive capacity... (IPCC, 2007b)

7. 

Lead Agency:

DOI

Implementation Status:

Now

Recommendation 3

Strengthen assessment of vulnerability of

water resources to climate change

Lead Agency:

NOAA/USACE

Implementation Status:

Further development
22 National Action Plan

Risk can simply be defined as “exposure to the chance of injury or loss; a hazard or dangerous 

choice.” (IPCC, 2007b) Risk assessment can be defined as: 

Risk assessment characterizes the nature and magnitude of risks to a physical system 

from stressors that may be present in the environment. It represents the determination 

of quantitative or qualitative value of risk related to a concrete situation and a recognized threat (also called hazard). Risk managers use this information to help them 

decide how to protect a system from stressors. (IPCC, 2007b)

Risk assessments can generally be conducted two different ways—using a top-down approach or 

using a bottom-up approach. A top-down risk assessment uses global circulation models and other 

globally and nationally derived data and scenarios and applies them to regions by downscaling. A 

bottom-up risk assessment uses regional and local knowledge, data, and information to determine 

the risk of an area to identified hazards. 

Federal agencies have made substantial investments in the development of climate change assessment 

tools related to water resources. Some examples include:

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work to modify existing risk assessment 

methodologies (e.g., natural disaster and terrorism) for drinking water and wastewater utility owners and operators to consider climate change impacts, including the 

Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) (see Appendix F);

• The July 30, 2010 Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of 

Commerce and the Department of the Interior to establish a framework to enable 

better decisions and policies relating to understanding climate change, assessing vulnerability, and improving science, data, and technical assistance; 

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) work to expand pilot 

projects for regional drought early warning information systems under the National 

Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS);

• NOAA Vulnerability Assessment Techniques and Applications (VATA) for coastal 

communities and the joint training on vulnerability assessment of fish and wildlife 

and other natural resources for managers (see Appendix F); and 

• US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Dam Safety Action Classification tool (see 

Appendix F). 

Existing efforts to develop vulnerability tools have focused on categories of infrastructure that may 

be at risk as a result of climate change or may need to change operations. These infrastructure facilities are often critical to protecting human health, life and property. More attention will need to be 

given in the future to vulnerability assessment tools for ecosystems and the services they provide. 

Supporting Actions

The following actions support this recommendation. 

Publish guidance on the use of modeled projections for water resource applications.

A barrier to expanded use of climate change vulnerability assessment tools is the difficulty in translating modeled projections of long-term changes in water resource conditions expected as a result of 

warmer temperatures into program and project plans. Although climate projections are available at 

large scales, in some cases there is a need to “downscale” the model outputs so that they are more 

8. 
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 23

Lead Agency:

NOAA

Implementation Status:

Further development

relevant for hydrologic applications in specific watersheds and facilities for which assessments are being conducted. Federal agencies are in 

the process of developing downscaled modeled outputs, and guidance on 

how to use these products would help decisionmakers make better use of 

them. Federal agencies should also make more widely available existing 

plans and schedules for improvements to models and tools for projecting 

changes in water conditions as a result of climate change and evaluate the performance of various 

downscaling approaches. 

Develop a Federal Internet portal to provide current, relevant, and 

high quality information on water resources and climate change.

This portal will support public and private water resource management decisions such as climate 

vulnerability assessments. Currently, core water data and hydrostatistics are not readily available to 

water resource managers at a single Internet site. The portal should also offer data applications and 

tools for assessing vulnerability of water programs or facilities to climate 

change. A prototype portal should be developed for one group of decisionmakers and expanded upon successful development and evaluation. This 

effort should build on activities such as the National Integrated Drought 

Information System (NIDIS) (which has demonstrated the value of a 

single government portal focused on a challenge); the U.S. Global Change 

Research Program (which is currently working on an interagency global 

portal that could support or contribute to this action) and the USACE lead Federal Support Toolbox 

for Integrated Water Resources Management (which also supports and contributes to this action). 

Contributions to this portal should be made using nationally and internationally agreed to data 

standards and mechanisms. One such example is the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) which 

has implemented and tested standards for interchange and interoperability using Open Geospatial 

Consortium compliant Web services and netCDF data protocols. The portal should also leverage 

advances and lessons learned in the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic 

Science, Inc (CUAHSI) Hydrologic Information System (HIS) and CalAdapt, a tool developed in 

California by a collaboration of the private and public sectors and universities for exchanging and 

visualizing data and information related to climate adaptation. 

Develop a pilot climate change vulnerability index for a major category of water facilities and 

use pilot findings to support vulnerability assessments by other facility categories.

An index of vulnerability should be developed for a major category of water 

facilities (e.g., sewage treatment facilities, water supply infrastructure, or 

flood control dams) to demonstrate an approach to assessing the relative 

risk of climate change impacts to facilities. Such an assessment could focus 

on vulnerabilities in particular geographic regions, such as vulnerability 

to drought in the west or floods in the northeast. The results of an index 

assessment can be used to set priorities for implementation of climate adaptation responses. 

This pilot index for a single category of facility should serve as a proof of concept for developing vulnerability indices to support assessments by a range of other water facilities and sectors. This work should 

be conducted in coordination with complementary vulnerability assessment activities to support the 

water sector, such as those identified in the MOU between DOI and DOC/NOAA, and the efforts of 

EPA’s Climate Ready Water Utilities program. Over the long term, this could support development of a 

database of vulnerable infrastructure to support prioritization for infrastructure investments.

9. 

Lead Agency:

NOAA/USACE

Implementation Status:

Further development

10. 

Lead Agency:

NOAA/DOI

Implementation Status:

Further development
24 National Action Plan

Continue development of tools and approaches that build capacity for water-related institutions 

to conduct vulnerability assessments and implement appropriate responses.

There are several important efforts now underway to support vulnerability assessments. For example, 

EPA has successfully developed the Climate Ready Estuaries Program and is in the process of developing a Climate Ready Water Utilities program. Both programs provide 

climate assessment tools tailored to the needs of a particular water institution or program and have the potential to promote effective climate 

impact assessments and to establish public recognition of climate adaptation efforts. In addition, the USBR report addressing climate change 

issues in western basins provides useful information for assessing climate 

vulnerability, such as downscaled impacts information. Existing programs 

of this type should be expanded and similar approaches should be adapted and applied by other 

Federal agencies, irrigation districts, power plants, ports, and dams and reservoirs as appropriate. 

Vulnerability assessments can also be used to identify those aquatic species and habitats most likely 

to be in need of conservation actions as a result of climate change.

Assess vulnerability of watersheds and aquatic systems in National Forests and Grasslands.  

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service is implementing assessments of the condition of forested watersheds in each of the agency regions. These condition assessments will be expanded 

into assessments of the vulnerability of watersheds and aquatic systems to 

climate and nonclimate stresses in multiple future scenarios. The watershed 

vulnerability assessments will be integrated with assessments of the vulnerability of terrestrial resources and of social and economic attributes and used 

to guide adaptation strategies in forest planning.

Promote free and open access to authoritative climate change science and water resources data.

Data and information should be available to decisionmakers, researchers, and the public freely and 

openly and in formats that readily fit the needs of users. Current law (15 U.S.C. §1534) mandates 

cost recovery for access to certain science data for most users outside of 

the Federal and State governments. To enhance the use of authoritative 

Federal climate science information and data for all decisionmakers, 

Congress should be encouraged to eliminate mandatory cost recovery for 

this information. This recommendation would likely require changing the 

fee access structure in current law.

Water resources in the United States, already under stress because of growing population, contamination, demand to meet ecosystem needs, and drought, will be further challenged by climate change. 

Making more efficient use of water can extend the availability of current supplies, reduce competition 

among sectors, save energy, reduce the cost of water system operations through reduced water use, 

protect the environment, and prepare for increased climate-driven variability in the hydrologic cycle. 

Water use efficiency has several aspects that encompass:

• Efficiency—using as little water as needed to do the job, or 

• Conservation—using less water,

11. 

Lead Agency:

EPA

Implementation Status:

Now

12. 

Lead Agency:

USDA Forest Service

Implementation Status:

Now

13. 

Lead Agency:

NOAA

Implementation Status:

Further development

Recommendation 4

Expand water use efficiency
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 25

• Productivity—getting more output per unit of water, and

• Substitution—using alternative sources as a means to match the quality of water 

with the intended use.

There are currently a number of programs across the Federal agencies that have a focus on water use efficiency. Types of programs include research and development, regulatory/policy development, technical 

assistance/training, funding, voluntary/incentive programs, and public education/outreach. However, 

there are several significant Federal efforts underway—some of which are just beginning—that deserve 

special attention and continued support. These include the DOI WaterSMART initiative, the U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS) Water Census, EPA’s WaterSense program, the USDA Natural Resources 

Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Agricultural Water Enhancement Program, DOE research development 

and demonstration (RD&D) on water-efficient clean energy practices, and a Federally requested assessment by the National Academy of Sciences of water reuse as an alternative water supply. There are also 

activities to advance water use efficiency being carried out by other entities, including States, local governments and affiliated agencies, green building programs, and nongovernmental organizations. 

The Workgroup considered the following barriers as it developed recommendations:

Information End-users do not have sufficient information on their water use to compare 

their usage rates to those of others and to recognize the benefits of improved water use 

efficiency.

Pricing and incentives Because water is often undervalued and underpriced, there is 

little incentive to use water more efficiently. 

Coordination Improved coordination on water use management issues across Federal 

agencies and within agencies is needed to improve efficiency gains. 

Planning There is inadequate consideration of water use efficiency when making decisions on water supply management, land use, and energy development.

Education There is a general lack of public awareness and education on the benefits of 

water and how to use it more efficiently. 

Development and adoption of water-efficient technology and practices There is inadequate effort to advance research, development, and adoption of cost-effective technology and 

approaches that could improve water use efficiency or facilitate use of alternative sources.

Although the Federal government has a direct role in making water management decisions where 

it controls water resources, its role is largely limited to serving as a source of information, providing 

guidance, conducting research and development, and supplying funding to provide incentives for 

actions. The recommendations that follow reflect that general role for the U.S. government. 

Supporting Actions

The following actions support this recommendation. 

Develop nationally consistent metrics for water use efficiency in key sectors and 

report water efficiency information in nationally consistent formats. 

To be able to make sound decisions on improving efficiency, and to ensure transparency and program 

accountability, it is important to understand how water is used. The USGS has published national-scale 

14. 
26 National Action Plan

summaries of water use every 5 years since 1950 and the Energy Information Agency (EIA) collects 

data annually on water withdrawals, consumption, discharge, and water sources directly from power 

plants. The most recent USGS report indicates that thermoelectric power, irrigation, and public supply 

were the largest water users by volume—making up 91 percent of the total water diverted for use in the 

country. Improvements in water use efficiency will require implementation of actions that reduce both 

water withdrawal and consumptive water use (water withdrawn from a source for any use and not 

returned to that source).

A common adage is: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” 

Although publicly supplied water is metered in more locations than 

is irrigation water, there are still significant improvements that can be 

made in all sectors to understand use. Furthermore, nationally consistent metrics for key sectors expressing water withdrawal and use on a 

per capita, per acre, or per kilowatt basis should be developed. These 

metrics would provide decision makers and the public with information on relative water efficiency and the potential for water efficiency improvements that would have both cost savings and 

environmental benefits. It is important that this type of effort be undertaken in cooperation with 

States, producers, landowners, and others and that it be based on voluntary incentives rather than 

mandatory reporting.

Consider making water use efficiency an explicit consideration in the revision of Principles 

and Standards for water resources projects and in the new NEPA guidance on climate change.

The Council on Environmental Quality is working with other Federal agencies to review and 

revise the 1983 “Economic and Environmental Principles and Guidelines for Water and Related 

Land Resources Implementation Studies.” This effort is intended to 

ensure that Federal water resources planning, including analysis of 

major water infrastructure projects, will both improve the economic 

well-being of the Nation and protect and restore the environment. The 

proposed revised “Principles and Requirements” have been published 

for public review and comment and additional comments were received 

from the National Academy of Sciences in December 2010. A final, 

revised “Principles and Requirements” document is expected to be approved in late-2011. As 

improvements are made to the Principles and Requirements, options for improving water use efficiency should be an explicit consideration. 

In a related effort, CEQ has proposed guidance for improved implementation of the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  On February 18, 2010, CEQ proposed guidance for consideration of the effects of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.  Although the draft guidance does not specifically address water projects, many major water resources projects, or projects 

that rely on water (e.g., energy facilities) would be covered by the approaches described in the 

draft guidance.  The draft guidance speaks to consideration of greenhouse gas impacts of projects, 

including analysis of alternatives to mitigate climate impacts.  The draft guidance also describes 

how climate changes should be addressed in identifying “reasonably foreseeable future conditions” (for example, declining water supplies) and comparing the incremental differences in water 

demand required by alternatives.  In addition, opportunities for agencies to recognize the potential for water use efficiency, which, in turn, results in energy conservation and resulting greenhouse gas reductions should be considered as the draft guidance is finalized. The final guidance on 

considering Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change in the NEPA process is expected to 

be approved by the end of 2011. 

Lead Agency:

EPA/USDA/DOE

Implementation Status:

Now

15. 

Lead Agency:

CEQ

Implementation Status:

Now
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 27

Enhance coordination among Federal water efficiency programs and

improve program effectiveness, including creating a “toolbox” of key practices.

Several existing Federal programs now make important contributions to water use efficiency. These 

programs should be maintained and, where possible, expanded. However, because the programs 

currently operate independently, they may be missing opportunities to share best practices and 

approaches, particularly in specific geographic areas that are under water-stressed conditions. The 

DOI WaterSMART Clearinghouse is an example of a valuable mechanism that will facilitate information sharing for programs, government grants, and funding related to water conservation.

Additionally, agencies should enhance coordination and information exchange with Federal research, 

development, and demonstration (RD&D) planning efforts to highlight key technology and data 

gaps and identify priority RD&D needs. Agencies also should establish 

a formal coordination mechanism and a cross-agency “toolbox” that 

includes key practices, such as pricing signals. In addition, the Federal 

government should promote institutional commitment to water conservation and reuse by making annual awards for proven efforts and calling 

out innovative practices or approaches that have the potential to result in 

significant water conservation or reuse if adopted widely. 

Finally, Federal agencies are now working to implement the environmental sustainability goals established in Executive Order 13514, including the goal of a 26-percent improvement in water efficiency 

by 2020. Progress toward the environmental goals is reported on agency “scorecards” and innovative 

approaches that are proven to be effective by Federal agencies should be recognized and communicated to State, Tribal, and local governments and the private sector.

 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that integrated water resources 

management (IWRM) should be the “instrument to explore adaptation measures to climate change.” 

According to the Global Water Partnership, IWRM “promotes the coordinated development and 

management of water, land, and related resources, in order to maximize the resultant economic and 

social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.” 

Climate change will increase the stress on water 

resources and this will require more collaboration 

among Federal agencies and Federal, State, Tribal 

and, local governments, stakeholders, and countries 

with which the United States shares transboundary 

waters. Climate change is just one of the stressors 

affecting water resources. Changes in water 

demand and alterations in the watershed are also 

key stressors. Managing the risks from a changing 

climate cannot occur in isolation from other major 

stressors and effective water resources management 

requires integration of response to all stressors and 

a commitment to adaptive management. 

Planning is always conducted under conditions of 

uncertainty. Water agencies should seek solutions 

16. 

Lead Agency:

DOI/EPA/DOE/USACE 

Implementation Status:

Now

Recommendation 5

Support integrated water resources management

“...there will have to be a ‘paradigm shift’ 

from the deterministic view embodied in the 

‘Principles and Guidelines’ (WRC; 1973, 1983), 

based on a view of relatively stationary climate, 

to a much more flexible set of multi-objective 

evaluation principles and procedures that 

more appropriately account for the full range 

of social, environmental, and regional economic 

dimensions of water infrastructure under a 

wide range of uncertain climate scenarios.”

Eugene Stakhiv; Workshop on Nonstationarity, 

Hydrologic Frequency Analysis, and 

Water Management Proceedings, 2010.
28 National Action Plan

that encompass a range of potential future conditions. Adaptive management may be the most effective way of dealing with future climate impacts. Adaptive management requires sustained, coordinated monitoring and ongoing analysis of data in order to incorporate the most effective structural 

and operational adjustments in response to observed system changes. Adaptive management also 

requires institutions and funding to reevaluate project and program performance and to revise decisions on the basis of the most recent information. 

Supporting Actions

Actions to support integrated water resources management are described below.

Work with States and interstate bodies (e.g., river basin commissions) to provide assistance 

needed to incorporate IWRM into their planning and programs, paying particular attention to 

climate change adaptation issues.

The Water Resources Planning Act of 1965 authorizes river basin water commissions to provide for 

coordination of water resources management on a large watershed scale. The establishment of river 

basin management authorities or commissions is considered one of the essential components of a successful IWRM 

strategy. 

In their 2006 report on “Interstate Water Solutions for the 

New Millennium,” the Interstate Council on Water Policy 

(ICWP) noted “a strong state/federal partnership is necessary to enhance the efficiency and capacity of integrated 

water resource management efforts.” 

As an initial first step in expanding or strengthening river 

basin governance, Federal agencies should work with States, 

interstate commissions, and river basin commissions to 

provide the financial and technical assistance needed to 

establish or strengthen their 

ability to conduct a range of 

water resources planning functions. Priority should be given 

to proposals to address climate change adaptation challenges such as coordinated management of water 

supply and energy production, planning for limited water availability, integrating the management of 

groundwater and surface water supplies, and coordination to protect the health of large aquatic ecosystems stressed by climate change, including downstream coastal areas. 

Revise Federal water project planning standards to address climate change.

Planning “principles” articulated in the draft revised “Principles and Requirements” document (described above in supporting action 15) include new emphasis 

on addressing risk and uncertainty, including the consequences of 

climate change on future water resources projects and programs. The 

final, revised “Principles and Requirements” document is expected to 

be approved in late 2011. Federal agencies should continue this effort 

and give priority to maintaining recognition of the importance of 

17. 

Lead Agency:

USACE

Implementation Status:

Further development

“To foster IWRM, an appropriate role 

for the Federal government may be 

that of integrator. Many participants in 

this initiative extolled the supporting 

role of the interstate organizations 

as vanguards in furthering integrated 

approaches and outcomes. The fragmentation of governance mechanisms 

at all government levels hinders government ability to support state’s water 

resources planning...”

National Report: Responding to

 National Water Resources Challenges, 

US Army Corps of Engineers, 2010

18. 

Lead Agency:

CEQ

Implementation Status:

Now
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 29

accounting for future climate change in Federal water resources planning and applying adaptive 

management principles to this work. 

Working with States, review flood risk management planning and drought management planning to identify “best practices” to prepare for hydrologic extremes in a changing climate.

With the potential for more extreme hydrologic conditions as a result of climate change, effective planning for the management of flood and drought risk is a strategic national concern because of the potential for cascading economic and public safety impacts where adequate planning has not occurred. 

Flood and drought management and preparedness are the leading edge of a practical adaptation 

strategy as part of IWRM. Flood and drought management have often been characterized by reactive response activities after a flood or while a drought is occurring. More 

efforts and resources should be directed at proactive preparedness to reduce 

vulnerability to floods and droughts. This work needs to recognize that the 

frequency and magnitude of future floods and droughts is likely to increase 

and that the historical record is no longer a reliable predictor of future 

conditions. 

In addition, State, Tribal, and local governments play an important role in flood and drought 

preparedness and mitigation. Land use decisions, which are a determinant of vulnerability, are 

primarily a function of these governments. Federal programs need to be better integrated with State, 

Tribal, and local programs and Federal investment should shift from crisis response toward an integrated and proactive risk management strategy. In some States, “Silver Jacket” interagency teams 

provide well-trained and proactive Federal-State-local efforts at the State and local scale to coordinate 

a comprehensive flood risk management program (for more information, see http://www.fema.gov/

mitigationbp/file/3505_silver_jackets.pdf). 

As a first step in strengthening coordination among Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies 

on drought and flood issues, Federal agencies should work closely with States to review flood and 

drought planning activities. Key goals of this effort should be to identify “best practices” that can be 

shared with others, including the degree of coordination between flood and drought management, 

cooperative efforts with Federal agencies (e.g., Silver Jackets), the extent to which new information 

concerning hydrologic variations is reflected in plans, and innovative or especially useful planning or 

coordination mechanisms. The development of the National Integrated Drought Information System 

(NIDIS) by multiple Federal agencies, with NOAA as the lead agency, is a good example of a cooperative project to address information needs in this area. 

Develop benchmarks for incorporating adaptive management into water project designs, 

operational procedures, and planning strategies.

A planning strategy for climate change is to promote mid-course corrections in response to new information. As noted above, adaptive management is a key element of IWRM. According to the National Research 

Council, “Adaptive management promotes flexible decisionmaking that 

can be adjusted in the face of uncertainties as outcomes from management actions and other events become better understood” (National 

Research Council, 2004). Federal agencies should develop benchmarks 

for incorporating adaptive management into their planning and operations and should allocate a 

portion of project funds for monitoring for adaptive management.

19. 

Lead Agency:

USACE

Implementation Status:

Further development

20. 

Lead Agency:

USACE 

Implementation Status:

Now
30 National Action Plan

 

In communities across America, solutions to climate-driven water challenges will often come from 

local experts equipped with the right mix of local knowledge, technical expertise, resources and 

tools, and understanding of climate change impacts and adaptation measures. Today, the workforce 

that manages water resources programs at all levels of government and in the private sector is generally not well prepared to recognize the implications of a changing climate or to make complex risk 

management decisions that address climate change. 

Capacity building and education are inextricably connected. Human capacity in the context of 

climate adaptation—the ability to understand, adapt, and innovate in the face of a changing 

climate—will be built through educational and developmental activities at all levels, from traditional 

education to professional development, outreach, and informal learning. 

The current water and science education paradigm does not prepare citizens (students, workforce, 

others) to understand, interpret, and address the water challenges posed by a changing climate. 

Until now, instruction has commonly been based on a model that assumes that information leads to 

knowledge and knowledge leads to engagement—including types of action that will be needed to 

adapt to a changing climate. Unfortunately, the vast majority of citizens, employees, and decisionmakers have limited engagement in addressing water issues. 

To help water managers and others understand and appreciate the value of water as a shared resource 

that is increasingly stressed in a changing climate, a new paradigm for climate-water education is 

needed that values cross-disciplinary education, instruction and training. Programs should focus on 

holistic solutions (i.e., crosscutting solutions for agriculture, energy, environment, and communities) 

for water resource management in response to a changing climate. Education must come from a host 

of sources and through a variety of mechanisms including traditional, nontraditional, and informal 

learning. In addition, programs must be tailored to audience needs as reflected by age, geography, 

and varying cultural backgrounds. 

Supporting Actions

The following specific actions are proposed to support this recommendation. 

Establish a core training program related to climate change science

for local, Tribal, State, and Federal water resources managers.

Federal, State, Tribal, and local water resources managers need basic information and guidance on 

a range of issues associated with climate-related data, models, analytic approaches, and local and 

regional interpretation of climate change impacts and adaptation options. 

Federal agencies should collaborate to develop and provide a core, crossdisciplinary training program that would provide State, Tribal, and local 

managers (as well as other natural resource, land, and wildlife managers) 

with a solid foundation in climate change information and issues. 

Training should be conducted in different regions of the country and 

provide easy access to Web-based curriculum, perhaps in cooperation with “continuing education” 

requirements of various professional groups, such as water and wastewater treatment operators. This 

work should be coordinated with planning for a Climate Change Learning Center by the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service. 

Recommendation 6

Support training and outreach to build response capability

21. 

Lead Agency:

USBR/USACE/NOAA

Implementation Status:

Now
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 31

In addition to key information concerning climate change and its impacts on water resources, 

a training program can also share information concerning promising approaches and practices to 

facilitate water resources adaptation to a changing climate. For example, a training program might 

provide information on water efficiency tools and techniques and share practices that support watershed resilience through enhanced groundwater recharge and better management of stormwater, such 

as “green infrastructure” and “low impact development”. 

Focus existing youth outreach programs on climate change and water issues.

Federal agencies should make climate change and water resources a 

key element of existing youth outreach programs, such as the USDA 

4H program and the nonprofit Project WET (Water Education for 

Teachers), and expand Federal agency environmental education 

programs to target climate and water resources.

Engage Water Resources Research Institutes at land grant colleges and Tribal colleges in applied 

climate change adaptation research and capacity building through 

annual climate change grant awards.

Investing in existing Water Resources Research Institutes has the double benefit of generating relevant research in states throughout the country and of engaging graduate 

students in issues related to climate change and water. Graduate students 

with research experience in these areas will then be available to move into 

positions with water resource management agencies at the Federal, State, 

Tribal, and local level. This work should be done in partnership with local 

institutions and utilities.

Increase graduate level fellowships in water management and climate change. 

Support fellowships for graduate students with an interest in climate 

change and water research or management issues that include an avenue 

to Federal employment. Federal agencies could look to trained graduate 

students as a recruitment mechanism to meet long term staffing needs 

related to water resources research and management. The existing John A. 

Knauss Fellowships in Marine Policy should be considered as a model. 

22. 

Lead Agency:

USDA 

Implementation Status:

Now

23. 

Lead Agency:

DOI

Implementation Status:

Further development

24. 

Lead Agency:

NOAA 

Implementation Status:

Further development
32 National Action Plan

Conclusion

A changing climate will have important consequences for the Nation’s freshwater resources. 

Today, the community of water resource managers is increasingly informed about climate impacts 

and engaged in defining response actions. Federal agencies with water resources management responsibility have become increasingly engaged in understanding climate impacts and developing response 

actions. This National Action Plan is an initial effort to provide a common foundation of useful 

information and to describe priority response actions for Federal agencies. Information on climate 

impacts on freshwater resources will improve in the coming years. And understanding of the contributions of various response actions described in this Plan will contribute to improved and more 

effective response actions. More important, however, for the long term success of this effort is for the 

broader community of water resources managers to continue to engage and address the challenges of 

a changing climate. 

Photo courtesy of Christian Mehlführer, http://www.fotopedia.com/items/chmehl-nj56Ca14NOc

Hoover Dam
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 33

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APPENDICES A TO F
44 National Action Plan

APPENDIX A

Water Resources and Climate Change Adaptation

Workgroup Members

Matthew Larsen (co-chair) U.S. Geological Survey

Jeff Peterson (co-chair) Council on Environmental Quality

Mike Shapiro (co-chair) Environmental Protection Agency

Rolf Olsen Army Corps of Engineers

Janet Cushing Army Corps of Engineers

Karl Wirkus Bureau of Reclamation

Curt Brown Bureau of Reclamation

Dave Raff Bureau of Reclamation

Rob Blake Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Joan Brunkard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Cathleen Kelly Council on Environmental Quality

Judsen Bruzgul Council on Environmental Quality 

Christopher Carlson Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

Noel Gollehon Department of Agriculture

Allan Hoffman Department of Energy 

Craig Zamuda Department of Energy 

Maria Placht Department of State 

Matt Robinson Department of State 

Karen Metchis Environmental Protection Agency

Bradley Doorn National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Nancy Beller-Simms National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Michael Brewer National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Priority Action Topic Team Chairs

Water Data Team: Robert Hirsch, U.S. Geological Survey

Vulnerability/Risk Team: Michael Brewer, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Water Efficiency: Veronica Blette, Environmental Protection Agency 

Integrated Water Resources Management: Rolf Olsen, Army Corps of Engineers

Education and Outreach: Joan Brunkard, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 45

APPENDIX B

Table of Recommendations and Supporting Actions

Recommendation

and Supporting Action Lead Agency

Implementation 

(Now or Further 

Development)

Link to Task 

Force Progress

Report

Policy Goals

Recommendation 1

Establish a Planning Process to Adapt Water 

Resources Management to a Changing Climate

Supporting Action 1: Establish a planning process with 

the capability to identify priority adaptation actions and 

promote their implementation

Water

Workgroup

Co-chairs

Now Goal 3

Supporting Action 2: Establish an organizational framework to promote effective management of water resources in 

a changing climate

Water

Workgroup

Co-chairs

Now Goal 3

Recommendation 2

Improve Water Resources and 

Climate Change Information for Decisionmaking

Supporting Action 3: Strengthen data for understanding 

climate change impacts on water DOI Now Goal 3

Supporting Action 4: Create a formal program to align 

“hydroclimatic” statistics with today’s climate and anticipate 

future changes

DOI Now Goal 3

Supporting Action 5: Implement an active, reliable surveillance system for tracking waterborne diseases and public 

health threats relevant to climate change

CDC Further

Development Goal 3

Supporting Action 6: Provide coastal states and communities with essential information to identify areas likely to be 

inundated by sea level rise 

NOAA/USACE Further

Development Goal 3

Supporting Action 7: Establish interagency effort to 

expedite implementation of the newly developed wetlands 

mapping standard 

DOI Now Goal 3

Recommendation 3

Strengthen Assessment of Vulnerability of Water 

Resources to Climate Change

Supporting Action 8: Publish guidance on the use of 

modeled projections for water resources applications NOAA FurtherDevelopment Goal 2
46 National Action Plan

Recommendation and Supporting Action Lead Agency

Implementation 

(Now/Further 

Development)

Link to Task 

Force Progress

Report

Policy Goals

Supporting Action 9: Develop a Federal Internet portal to 

provide current, relevant, and high quality information on 

water resources and climate change

NOAA/USACE Further

Development Goal 2

Supporting Action 10: Develop a pilot climate change 

vulnerability index for a major category of water facilities and 

use pilot findings to support vulnerability assessments by other 

facility categories 

NOAA/DOI Further

Development Goal 2

Supporting Action 11: Continue development of tools and 

approaches that build capacity for water-related institutions to conduct vulnerability assessments and implement 

appropriate responses 

EPA Now Goal 2

Supporting Action 12: Assess vulnerability of watersheds 

and aquatic systems in National Forests and Grasslands USDA/Forest Service Now Goal 2

Supporting Action 13: Promote free and open access to 

authoritative climate change science and water resources data NOAA FurtherDevelopment Goal 2

Recommendation 4

Expand Water Use Efficiency

Supporting Action 14: Develop nationally consistent 

metrics for water use efficiency in key sectors and report 

water efficiency information in nationally consistent formats

EPA/USDA/DOE Now Goal 3

Supporting Action 15: Consider making water use efficiency 

an explicit consideration in the revision of Principles and 

Standards for water resources projects and in the new NEPA 

guidance on climate change 

CEQ Now Goal 3

Supporting Action 16: Enhance coordination among 

Federal water efficiency programs and improve program 

effectiveness, including creating a “toolbox” of key practices

DOI/EPA/DOE/

USACE Now Goal 3

Recommendation 5

Support Integrated Water Resources Management

Supporting Action 17: Work with States and interstate 

bodies (e.g., river basin commissions) to provide assistance 

needed to incorporate IWRM into their planning and 

programs, paying particular attention to climate change 

adaptation issues

USACE Further

Development Goal 4

Supporting Action 18: Revise Federal water project planning standards to address climate change CEQ Now Goal 3
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 47

Recommendation and Supporting Action Lead Agency

Implementation 

(Now/Further 

Development)

Link to Task 

Force Progress

Report

Policy Goals

Supporting Action 19: Working with States, review flood 

risk management planning and drought management planning to identify “best practices” to prepare for hydrologic 

extremes in a changing climate 

USACE Further

Development Goal 4

Supporting Action 20: Develop benchmarks for incorporating adaptive management into water project designs, 

operational procedures, and planning strategies 

USACE Now Goal 3

Recommendation 6

Support Training and Outreach to Build 

Response Capability 

Supporting Action 21: Establish a core training program 

related to climate change science for local, Tribal, State, and 

Federal water resources managers

USBR/USACE/NOAA Now Goal 3

Supporting Action 22: Focus existing youth outreach 

programs on climate change and water issues USDA Now Goal 3

Supporting Action 23: Engage Water Resources Research 

Institutes at land grant colleges and tribal colleges in applied 

climate change adaptation research and capacity building 

through annual climate change grant awards

DOI Further

Development Goal 3

Supporting Action 24: Increase graduate level fellowships 

in water management and climate change NOAA FurtherDevelopment Goal 3
48 National Action Plan

APPENDIX C

Selected Interagency Efforts

Project Scope of Work Agencies Involved 

Climate Science 

Centers 

DOI has begun to establish eight regional Climate Science Centers (CSCs) that 

will synthesize existing climate change impact data and management strategies, 

help resource managers put them into action on the ground, and engage the public 

through education. 

DOI and other agencies 

Landscape Conservation CooperativesAs part of its strategy to address climate change at the local and regional level, 

DOI is creating twenty-one Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs). 

DOI and other agencies 

National Integrated 

Drought Information 

System (NIDIS)

The goal of NIDIS is to improve the Nation’s capacity to proactively manage 

drought-related risks, by providing those affected with the best available information and tools to assess the potential impacts of drought, and to better prepare 

for and mitigate the effects of drought.

DOC (NOAA), USDA, DOE, 

USACE, EPA, DOI (USGS, 

USBR), DOT, FERC, FCA, IRS, 

USITC, NASA, NSF, SBA

NOAA Regional 

Integrated Sciences 

and Assessment 

(RISAs)

The RISA program supports research that addresses complex climate sensitive 

issues of concern to decision-makers and policy planners at a regional level. 

NOAA and other agencies 

Climate Change 

and Water Working 

Group

(CCAWWG) 

CCAWWG is a joint effort by principal water resources management agencies 

and the earth science data collection agencies of the U.S. Government.

USGS, NOAA, USBR, USACE, 

EPA, NASA, FEMA

Western States 

Federal Agency 

Support Team 

(WESTFAST) 

WESTFAST provides support to Western States Water Council to implement 

the Western Governors Association report, “Water Needs and Strategies for a 

Sustainable Future: Next Steps.”

USACE, EPA, USGS, USBR, 

NOAA, NRCS, USFS, USFWS, 

BLM, DOE
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 49

Activities and Adaptation Assets Adaptation Programmatic Needs and Opportunities

• CSCs are being developed in coordination with other Federal 

agencies, local and state partners, and the public. 

 • CSCs will coordinate with RISAs and anticipate using model results and 

projections produced by RISA-supported scientists.

 • The LCCs are to coordinate landscape-level strategies for 

conserving public lands, wildlife, water and other natural 

resources. Some of the LCC products and services will include 

computer models, projections of species’ ranges with climate 

change, assessments of species’ and landscapes’ vulnerability to 

climate change and maps showing potential wildlife movement 

corridors as climate change forces migration. Each of the LCCs 

is created for a specific landscape type, with boundaries that cross 

both state lines and international borders. 

 • LCCs are to collaborate with academia, other Federal agencies, local 

and state partners, and the public and will coordinate with CSCs and 

RISAs in their regions. 

 • U.S. Drought Portal is an interactive system to: provide early 

warning about emerging and anticipated droughts; assimilate 

quality control data about droughts and models; provide information about risk and impact of droughts to different agencies 

and stakeholders; provide information about past droughts for 

comparison and to understand current conditions; explain how 

to plan for and manage the impacts of droughts; provide a forum 

for different stakeholders to discuss drought-related issues.

 • Develop leadership and networks to implement an integrated drought 

monitoring and forecasting system at Federal, State, and local levels. 

 • Foster and support a research focusing on risk assessment, forecasting, 

and management. 

 • Create a drought “early warning system” to provide accurate, timely, 

and integrated information. 

 • Develop interactive systems, such as the Web Portal, as part of the early 

warning system. 

 • Provide a framework for public awareness and education about 

droughts.

• RISA research team members work closely with natural resource 

managers and land planners, nongovernmental organizations and 

the private sector within each region to advance new research on 

how climate variability and change will impact the environment, 

economy, and society, and develop innovative ways to integrate 

climate information into decision-making. 

 • Research topics include fisheries, water, wildfire, agriculture, public 

health and coastal restoration. Team members are primarily based at 

universities though some of the team members are based at government research facilities, non-profit organizations or private sector 

entities. 

 • CCAWWG produced Climate Change and Water Resources 

Management: A Federal Perspective with strategies to improve 

water management by tracking, anticipating, and responding to 

climate effects. CCAWWG is developing a comprehensive capability assessment and research plan that supports the common 

and complementary needs of the Federal and non-Federal water 

management community.

 • Work with Federal and non-Federal research programs to find ways 

for their programs to assist in implementing the research plan and to 

generate collaborative research efforts across members of the water 

management and scientific communities to close these gaps.

 • Coordination of Federal activities in the Western States to 

support multiple climate change adaptation activities.

 • Continue and expand funding for data collection networks and activities necessary for monitoring, assessing, and predicting future water 

supplies.

 • Research for improving the predictive capabilities for climate change, 

and assessment and mitigation of its impacts.
50 National Action Plan

Project Scope of Work Agencies involved 

Integrated Water

Resources

Science and Services 

(IWRSS)

 

Federal agency partnership working toward an integrative water resources 

information system.

NOAA, USACE, USGS 

Joint Climate 

Prediction Research 

Program

Development of climate system models more powerful than existing models. DOE, USDA, NSF 

Border Region

Cooperative Efforts

Individual and joint efforts by the United States, Mexico and Canada to assess, 

study and propose responses to the impact of climate change on water management on the border and within transboundary lakes and river basins.

USGS, NOAA, USBR, 

Selected Interagency Efforts (continued)
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 51

Activities and Adaptation Assets Adaptation Program Opportunities

 • Envisions a highly collaborative and integrative framework for 

providing a seamless suite of water resources information across 

scales ranging from small hillslopes to large watersheds, from 

droughts to floods, and from historical analyses to long–range 

predictions.

 

 ——

 • High resolution models are being developed for predicting 

climate change and its resulting impacts at more localized scales 

and over shorter time periods than previously possible.

 • Program designed to generate models, significantly more powerful 

than existing models, that can help decisionmakers develop adaptation 

strategies addressing climate change.

 • Efforts will provide improved capability with improved geographical 

and temporal resolution.

 • Climate and water–related components of EPA’s Border Environment Program (Border 2012) with Mexico 

 • Flood Warning and Discharge Monitoring project undertaken by 

USGS in Nogales, Arizona/ Nogales, Sonora

 • IBWC and BOR joint cooperative efforts with Mexican counterparts in the Colorado River basin on behalf of water conservation, new sourcing, and environmental uses

 • New annex on Climate Change Impacts to be included in 

revised Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (currently being 

renegotiated)

 • International Joint Commission’s International Upper Great 

Lakes Study Board will examine potential climate change 

impacts on Lake Superior and Lake Huron and propose 

measures for adaptation. 

 • Enhance the focus of research and monitoring efforts on transboundary 

water/climate issues.

 • Seek opportunities for consistent coordination and cooperation among 

Federal, state–level and academic research programs to generate the 

fullest possible collaboration among relevant water management and 

scientific communities.

 • Increase binational collaboration on quantifying and understanding 

impacts of climate change in Great Lakes and the Colorado and Rio 

Grande river basins.

 • Coordinate adaptation strategies to reduce climate change risks to 

the Colorado and Rio Grande river basins and the Great Lakes, and 

increase resilience of respective aquatic ecosystems.
52 National Action Plan

Selected Agency Activities

Agency Scope of Water-Climate Work Adaptation Activities 

DOE

• Ensure a reliable energy supply; 

• Meet the energy requirements for 

water use;

• Manage water needs for energy 

production; and

• Develop water-efficient environmentally sustainable energy-related 

technologies.

• Assessed major water issues related to electrical generation and transportation fuels 

production, and the potential impact of climate change

• Identified approaches that could reduce freshwater use in the energy sector including: 

(1) energy efficiency improvements in homes, buildings, industry and transportation; 

(2) use of non-traditional water sources including water reuse; and 

 (3) optimizing energy production to reduce water intensity. 

• Produced “Energy Demands on Water Resources”

• Participating agency in multiple forums, including: USGCRP; SWAQ, and WestFAST

USGS

• Provide reliable, impartial and timely 

scientific information to understand 

the earth; serve as the primary Federal 

science agency for water resource 

information in the 21st century; 

provide science information to 

decision-makers

• Produced “Climate change and water resources management: A Federal perspective” 

with strategies to improve water management by tracking, anticipating, and responding 

to climate effects

• Making long-term monitoring networks available to establish baselines, calibrate/validate models, and support and evaluate adaptation strategies

• Producing stream flow forecasts with NOAA

NOAA

• Provide reliable, unbiased science 

products and services for citizens, 

planners, emergency managers, 

and other decisionmakers; produce 

climate and weather forecasts and 

severe storm warnings for the safety 

of life and property; conduct climate 

monitoring; manage fisheries and 

endangered species and their habitat; 

support coastal habitat restoration and 

marine commerce

• Leading efforts to improve the nation’s response and adaptation to and mitigation of 

drought through the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) which 

serves as a model for climate services

• Forecasting water-related climatic variables (e.g., precipitation and soil moisture); 

stream flow and western snowpack (with USDA); 

• Updating precipitation duration/frequency atlases of recent decades of observations;

• Maintaining mitigation and adaptation clearinghouses such as the Coastal Climate 

Adaptation which contain guides, plans, tools, and education materials

• Participate in interagency USGCRP, which supports research on climate and associated 

global changes.

• Providing authors and lead authors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 

assessments

• Providing authors and lead authors to the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate 

Adaptation Strategy (co-lead with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state 

wildlife agencies)

USACE

• Manage flood risk, navigation, 

hydropower, water supply, and infrastructure and practice environmental 

stewardship; provide emergency 

response; reduce damage of floods and 

mitigate impacts of drought

• Revised guidance on how to incorporate future sea-level change projections into life 

cycle of USACE projects

CDC

• Serve as the Nation’s lead public 

health agency to conduct and support 

research on health effects related to 

climate change; monitor, detect, and 

prevent waterborne disease in the 

United States; provide technical assistance and funding to local, State, and 

territorial health departments; provide 

scientific data on climate-related 

health outcomes to decisionmakers

• Maintaining a national database of all waterborne outbreaks reported in the

United States

• Providing grants to States and cities to address and prepare for the health effects related 

to climate change as part of CDC’s Climate Ready States and Cities Initiative.

• Researching the water and public health impacts of climate change

• Developing national guidance on the public health implications of drought
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 53

Potential Water Adaptation Assets Adaptation Programmatic 

Needs and Opportunities

• Super-computing resources and modeling capabilities to assess 

potential climate change impacts on water resources and 

energy production.

• National labs—research and technology development

• Broad range of research and development activities at universities, at DOE National Laboratories, and in cooperative 

agreements with the private sector

• Improve regional/local scale forecasts of climate change

• Conduct full assessment of risks and impacts of climate change on existing 

energy sector infrastructure

• Develop technologies and practices for reducing and recovering from climate 

change impacts on water resources either requiring energy or used in energy 

production

• Robust monitoring network

• Hydrologic expertise

• Long-run datasets

• Develop paleoclimate information and stochastic modeling as useful tools for 

developing climate scenarios that include a wide range of potential hydroclimatic conditions

• Adopt a System Projection paradigm (rather than a Stationary System paradigm) for adaptation planning

• Improve groundwater monitoring

• Coordinate with USGS-led interagency effort on water security

• Extensive regional and local infrastructure for delivering 

climate information and mitigation/adaptation support 

including NWS Forecast Offices, Regional Integrated Sciences 

and Assessment universities, Regional Climate Centers, Sea 

Grant, State Climatologists, and others.

• Production of climate change scenarios 

• Delivery of coastal climate adaptation and mitigation 

information (e.g., sea level rise and inundation) through 

the Coastal Services Center and Sea Grant; consideration of 

climate change impacts when providing comments on other 

Federal agencies’ proposed actions that could affect essential 

fish habitat or endangered species

• Establish NOAA’s National Climate Service

• Strengthen weather and climate observations and monitoring at the regional 

and local levels (includes modernizing the Historical Climate Network and the 

Cooperative Observer Network)

• Improve climate scenario models and short-term forecasts; build bridges 

between the two

• Improve the downscaling of climate models and assessments

• Fill need for increased financial resources;

• Funding to complete updating of precipitation/duration/frequency atlases and 

to develop revised methods for engineering use for long-term infrastructure 

design.

• National Flood Risk Management Program

• Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force 

(co-lead with FEMA)

• Risk-informed decision making guidance and procedures

• Address key knowledge gaps

• Monitor climate, hydrology, and ecosystems

• Develop planning methods to account for climate uncertainty and facilitate 

adaptation

• Surveillance System and national database of all waterborne 

outbreaks reported in the United States

• CDC’s Climate Ready States and Cities Initiative

• National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network

• Strong relationships with health departments at State and 

local levels to coordinate adaptation efforts and activities

• Environmental Health Training for Emergency Response 

course to help local health departments prepare for natural 

disasters

• Develop and maintain robust surveillance systems for climate-sensitive diseases 

(e.g., waterborne disease and mosquito-borne disease) so that long-term datasets 

are available for analysis and future planning

• Increase investment in monitoring, detecting, and preventing waterborne 

disease at local, State, and national levels

• Provide resources and training to local health departments to respond to 

climate-related public health emergencies (e.g., floods, hurricanes, extreme 

weather events)

• Strengthen climate change and health research, programmatic activities, and 

workforce at Federal, State, and local levels-
54 National Action Plan

Agency Scope of Water-Climate Work Adaptation Activities 

NASA

• Study the Earth system from space 

as part of the scientific discovery 

mission; create new space-based 

and related capabilities to advance 

scientific understanding and enhance 

civil space-based Earth observation; 

conduct water cycle research and 

application development

• Producing downscaled climate models and assessing the uncertainty of these models

• Improved water models by increasing the access to Earth observations

• Collaborating with State, Tribal and local water managers

• Engaging in US drought and disaster interagency and independent efforts

• Water Cycle research program and Water Resources application program provides 

funding to researchers to integrate water impacts of climate change using models, aerial, 

and space observations

USDA

• Ensure the sustainability of food and 

fiber production for consumption 

by the American public and export 

around the world; prepare for water 

related climate impacts that threaten 

US agriculture; proactively manage 

for watershed resilience and enhance 

the adaptability of forest ecosystems 

to protect those ecosystems’ ability to 

provide clean water

• Partnering with research and development collaborators to advance understanding, 

quantification and prediction of climate change effects on agricultural and forest systems

• Developing knowledge and tools to enhance the ability of conservation systems and 

practices to mitigate climate change effects

• Developing and providing for outreach to internal and external stakeholders to assist in 

decision-making related to climate change on agricultural lands

• Providing technical assistance to States, local governments and Tribes for natural 

resource studies and plans for watershed protection, flood prevention, irrigation, 

drainage, rural water supply, etc.

• Creating and cultivating effective partnerships to promote collaborative actions across 

larger landscapes to increase awareness of the critical role of healthy forested watersheds

Bureau of

Reclamation

• Assist in meeting the increasing water 

demands of the West; protect the 

environment; protect public’s investment in water infrastructure

• Assessing changes in water flows on Federal lands

• Assessing changing water needs as a result of climate impacts

• Working to determine how flood events will change and impact Federal lands under a 

changing climate

• WaterSMART Basin Study Program

EPA

• Develop national programs, regulation, policies and technical guidance 

to protect the quality and integrity of 

the nation’s drinking water, surface 

water, groundwater, and marine water 

resources

• Produced “2008 National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change” and 

the subsequent “2010 NWP: Key Action Update” to understand implications of climate 

change for clean water and drinking water programs and implemented 44 Key Actions 

throughout the base program, as well as in EPA Regions; currently updating strategy 

• Climate Ready Estuaries Program works with the National Estuaries Programs to 

develop and implement adaptation tools.

 • Climate Ready Water Utilities program works with the drinking water, wastewater and 

stormwater management utilities to develop and promote methods for understanding 

and reducing risk to climate change. 

• WaterSense water efficiency program partners with private sector to advance water 

efficient products and practices.

• Participating Agency in USGCRP and lead author on several reports.

• Active R&D program evaluating impacts and effects of environmental stressors on 

human health and the environment, including climate change; tests new technologies 

and practices, including for water infrastructure, nonpoint source controls, etc.

FEMA

• Support citizens and first responders 

to build, sustain, and improve capabilities to prepare for, protect against, 

respond to, recover from, and mitigate 

all hazards

• Conducting a study on the impact of climate change on the National Flood Insurance 

Program (NFIP)

• Revising FEMA’s Coastal Construction Manual to include recommendations 

concerning coastal construction siting and design within the context of potential 

climate change impacts

• Studying the physics that drive natural hazard processes and severity to develop innovative measures for reducing damage resulting from such hazards

• Studying mission and resource requirements associated with expanded operational 

demands due to climate change impacts

Selected Agency Activities (continued)
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 55

Potential Water Adaptation Assets Adaptation Programmatic 

Needs and Opportunities

• Longest continuous record of the Earth’s surface (Landsat)

• Earth Observing System (EOS) with global data on the State 

of the atmosphere, land, and oceans

• Earth science research and applied science to establish baselines, forecasts, and risk

• Global Precipitation Mission with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and others

• Respond to increased demand for data products, downscaled predictive models, 

imagery, etc.

• Initiate planned Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) to take direct measurements of soil moisture and freeze/thaw state to improve understanding of water 

cycles and forecasts for weather, flood, drought, and agricultural productivity

• Manage risk of critical data and monitoring gaps due to aging space-based 

missions and lag-times for replacement

• Financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers 

who face natural resource threats, with priority given to water 

conservation or irrigation efficiency applications

• Work with public and private partners to support entrepreneurial watershed management projects and to promote 

adaptive management

• Develop new methods, tools, and assessment protocols to evaluate the effectiveness of current and future conservation systems and practices for increasingly 

variable climatic conditions

• Conduct research to identify or develop more drought resistant crops and trees, 

gather information to support a better understanding of interactions between 

climate and ecosystems to evaluate management options, and test solutions

• Redesign our current water storage and management infrastructure 

• Revitalize programs such as the Small Watershed Program and build networks 

of small dams to manage water flow to respond to changes in water quantity

• Capture data to adequately describe current conditions and produce models 

to develop site specific planning thresholds to inform decisionmakers and the 

public on the scope of the impacts

• Paleoclimate information and stochastic data for expanding 

the range of hydrologic variability considered

• Access additional information on climate-water impacts through literature, 

projections, data, and planning scenarios

• Improve the ability to assess social systems response to climate change

• Establish practices for assessing operations and resource responses

• Develop the ability to assess, characterize, and communicate uncertainties

• State-Tribal Climate Change Council (STC3) involving 

governmental co-regulators to develop adaptation strategies

• National Tribal Water Council facilitates working with Tribal 

government water professionals

• Research capability to conduct studies on human health and 

the environment, and to develop and test adaptation methods 

for water infrastructure, watershed management, nonpoint 

source controls, and aquatic systems

• Many stakeholder partnerships, including Green Infrastructure initiative; Sourcewater Collaborative; Effective Utility 

Management partnership; WaterSense and Sustainable 

Infrastructure program

• Baseline and monitoring data on shifting background parameters of water 

quality, water flow, temperature, and aquatic habitat to support climatecorrected policies and engineering design standards (e.g., 7Q10 flow, 25-year 

24-hour rainfall, 100-year storm, etc.)

• Methods for projecting local hydrological shifts for long-term infrastructure 

planning, to prepare for increased risk of high flow and high velocity events due 

to intense storms as well as potential low flow periods 

• Technical assistance and guidance for States, Tribes, municipalities, and watershed groups 

• Guidance and decision tools, especially for small-to-medium sized drinking and 

waste water utilities

• Definitions for most water efficient technologies (MET) for sector of expertise, 

(e.g., EPA for domestic water use; DOE for power plants, and USDA for 

agriculture.
56 National Action Plan

APPENDIX D

Summary of Public Comments

Given the broad and diverse array of stakeholders in water resources management, input from the 

public was deemed critical to development of the National Action Plan. The Water Resources and 

Climate Change Adaptation Workgroup created multiple avenues throughout the planning process 

to collaborate with and receive feedback from the public. Public input and feedback were solicited 

through a series of stakeholder “listening sessions” in 2009 and 2011 and by written comments on 

the draft Plan released for public comment in early June 2011. 

Participants at listening sessions expressed views and perspectives on a wide range of climaterelated issues affecting water resources. Participants included organizations that are knowledgeable 

about the impacts of a changing climate on freshwater resources and engaged in water resources 

management and representatives and leaders of environmental organizations, river basin commissions, public health organizations, trade associations, utility associations, State and local planning 

and management agencies, Tribes, and representatives from energy, industry, and transportation. 

A list of some of the organizations that participated in the listening sessions is provided at the end 

of this Appendix. The Workgroup also received written comments from both organizations and 

individuals through online submissions. 

Feedback from the listening sessions and online comments offered a valuable resource to the 

Workgroup, ensuring that the final report and plan were inclusive of many perspectives, experiences, and concerns of each constituency, as well as providing a channel to buttress the report with 

demonstrations of successful local, state, and regional policies and programs to consider as part of 

a national strategy. 

Many comments provided early in the process in 2009 served either to confirm or guide the direction of recommendations undertaken by the Workgroup. For example, issues raised in the first 

group of listening sessions regarding IWRM and floodplain management, long-term monitoring 

needs, and collaborative planning were built into the drafting of the report. Comments provided 

later in the process on the draft Plan served to strengthen the final Plan. More information 

concerning comments is provided below. 

Listening Sessions and Public Comments—Summer 2011

The Workgroup released a draft of the National Action Plan for public comment in early June 2011, 

soliciting comments from the general public, through online comment submissions, and from stakeholder organizations including:

• State, Tribal, and local governments and water utilities;

• energy, industry, and transportation associations;

• environmental organizations; and 

• agricultural organizations.

Through four listening sessions, hosted by Federal agencies key to the implementation of the report, 

and the written comments received between June 2 and July 15, 2011, a number of consistent themes 

emerged. The Workgroup has addressed these ideas in the final Plan to the extent possible.
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 57

Support for strengthening existing collaborative planning efforts

Many commenters supported the Plan’s focus on strengthening collaboration among the community 

of Federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the research community and the decision 

not to establish major new organizations or programs. 

Strengthen infrastructure planning for changing extremes

Comments received in the review of the draft Plan encouraged greater recognition of the importance of 

strengthening planning for water infrastructure. Several commenters recommended that the Plan also 

give greater attention to expanded use of “green infrastructure” practices. Other commenters recommended expanded attention to the value of dams to better manage more variable water resources. 

Improve understanding of climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems and watersheds

Many of the tools and collaborations being developed are focused on protection of infrastructure 

or water supply. More attention needs to be paid to understanding the effects of climate change on 

natural systems and developing strategies for improving their resilience. 

Affirm the principle of integrated water resources management (IWRM)

Many comments affirmed the Plan’s recommendation to address climate and water challenges in the 

context of IWRM. IWRM, many participants agreed, is a critical organizing principle for managing 

scarce and fluctuating water resources across many sectors and users. 

Expand Federal support for State, Tribal, and local climate adaptation

Commenters stressed the importance of water data and information, including reliable predictive 

models of future conditions, to support effective State, Tribal, and local adaptation decisions. In addition, many States, Tribes, regions, and localities are already implementing their own adaptation planning processes and Federal efforts toward managing freshwater resources in a changing climate should 

include expanded efforts to partner with, learn from, and improve these activities, especially those 

related to climate change education.

Concern over sufficiency of recommended response actions in the context of challenges

Some commenters expressed concern that the proposed recommendations and supporting actions 

were needed, but not sufficient to accomplish a significant shift in methods and approaches to water 

resources management suggested by projected changes in climate and water resources. 

Protect indigenous communities

The Workgroup also heard from representatives of Tribal nations that indigenous people are subject to 

a range of challenges related to a changing climate. Many of these communities have observed climaterelated changes that are already underway. Listening session participants stressed that these effects are 

not simply “changes” to be adapted to—they represent a fundamental crisis of survival for communities’ livelihoods and cultures. 

Listening Sessions—Fall 2009

The Workgroup convened a series of six listening sessions with stakeholder organizations in October and 

December 2009 to solicit input early in the planning process. The Workgroup invited participants across 

interested sectors, holding targeted listening sessions with individuals representing the following interests: 

• energy and industrial organizations; 

• State, Tribal, local governments; 
58 National Action Plan

• water utility organizations; 

• environmental and coastal organizations;

• agriculture and transportation organizations; and 

• public health organizations.

These listening sessions provided a forum for interested parties to voice their views on water resources 

and risks posed by climate change early in the Workgroup’s process and to build those views and related 

concerns, questions, and suggestions into the report. These comments helped to lay the foundation for 

the priorities for water resources management in a changing climate addressed by the report. 

Major themes addressed in the scope of the initial listening sessions included:

Crosscutting impacts of a changing climate on water resources infrastructure

Because many of the impacts of climate change will be borne by water (in the form of changing 

patterns and extreme events), so will a changing climate deeply impact the many facets of commercial, 

industrial, and cultural life, as well as ecosystems, dependent until now upon historical and stationary 

norms of water availability and quality. Participants voiced the concern that, as these climate patterns 

shift, sometimes unpredictably and sometimes as extreme events, infrastructure planning must take 

into account not only the impacts on individual sectors, users, and issues, but on many interrelated 

ones. The consistent availability of water for many decades, for example, is critical to the function of 

much of the Nation’s energy infrastructure, and future energy planning must consider the availability 

of water resources. Failure to address these stressors together presents a significant risk to public health, 

safety, and the economic and daily quality of life of communities. Many of these comments helped 

to frame recommendations to establish a planning process and organizational framework for water 

resources planning, to improve water use efficiency, and to support IWRM.

Facilitating integrated planning for diverse users, needs, and challenges

Participants in the sessions represented a diverse community of water uses and of vulnerabilities to 

changing water resources. Policymakers and water resource managers face issues of concern, including 

how to balance traditional water rights with scarce resources in periods of drought; how to monitor 

and coordinate groundwater and surface water withdrawals across sectors; promoting water reuse and 

efficiency; building strategies for effective floodplain management in areas vulnerable to increased 

precipitation; and how to meet the needs of vulnerable populations that already face water-related and 

other challenges around health, safety, food security, housing, education, and economy. The development and expansion of integrated water resources management (IWRM) policies will be critical 

to ensuring that the needs of all users are adequately satisfied and that vulnerable communities are 

secured. Participants noted that coordination of water resource adaptation planning with other planning efforts will require integrated approaches that are multi-media, cross-sectoral, and watershedbased and that take into account the “triple bottom line” of economy, ecology, and social goals. Many 

of these comments and concerns were built into recommendations to strengthen vulnerability assessments and support IWRM.

Improve Federal planning, agency coordination, and data monitoring and access

Participants at these listening sessions voiced the need for an organized Federal planning structure to 

respond to climate-water challenges. Participants affirmed the need for an organizational framework 

and planning process, expressed in Actions 1 and 2, and the need to better coordinate existing Federal 

programs and initiatives for water resources planning and management. Members of many stakeholder 

communities also advocated the need for improved and expanded scientific monitoring networks and 

capabilities, improved data interoperability, and free public access to data. The Federal government can 
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 59

also work to develop tools to communicate data and diffuse water management policies, and best practices for planners and decisionmakers. These are foundational components to a successful long-term 

planning process that is at once transparent and based on comprehensive and sound science.

Facilitate collaborative adaptation planning and provide education opportunities

Because climate impacts on water resources will vary, depending on local topography, regional climate 

systems, watersheds, and water-use demographics, participants expressed the importance of a collaborative planning process between Federal agencies and State, Tribal, local watershed, and other decisionmaking bodies. Federal efforts toward this end can include more detailed local and region-specific datamonitoring networks, helping build capacity, diffusing best practices, and creating partnerships while 

allowing State and local authorities the flexibility to make decisions within their communities. Furthermore, participants voiced the need for expanding programs to build local knowledge and capacity and 

to educate both the public and decisionmakers about the challenges and solutions to water-resources 

management in a changing climate. 

Selected Participating Organizations

The following is a list of selected organizations that offered feedback through the listening sessions 

and online comment period. This list is by no means exhaustive but serves to illustrate the diversity 

of stakeholders whose input was considered in the final drafting of the report. 

American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials

American Rivers

American Society of Agronomy

American Society of Civil Engineers

American Sportfishing Association

Association of California Water Agencies

Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators

Association of State Drinking Water Administrators

Association of State Wetlands Managers

Chevron Corporation

Delaware River Basin Commission

Denver Water

Edison Electric Institute

Energetics, Inc.

Family Farm Alliance

Interstate Council on Water Policy

Idaho National Laboratories

National Association of Clean Water Agencies

National Groundwater Association

Natural Resources Defense Council

Oregon Water Resources Congress

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

WaterCat Consulting

Waterways Council

Wills and Carlson, LLP
60 National Action Plan

APPENDIX E

Overview of Water Resource Management Decisions

Types of decisions Who makes them Examples of scientific information 

needed to support decisions

Investments in future water supply and 

water use infrastructure

Cities, farmers, energy companies, 

utilities municipal governments, 

Federal agencies

Streamflow and groundwater recharge

Water demand (by crops, or energy production system, or people)

Permits for discharge of wastewater or 

other pollutants and underground injection programs

EPA, State, and Tribal environmental agenciesLow-flow characteristics of rivers (discharge, 

temperature, pollutant loadings)

Properties of underground sources of 

drinking water

Design of water and energy facilities 

near sea level (including water supplies; 

water storage and distribution systems; 

wastewater collection, reclamation and 

reuse; irrigators, power plants that rely 

on water; stormwater management)

Cities, farmers, industry, utilities, 

municipal, State, local, Federal, 

and Tribal governments

Estimates of relative sea level rise and stormsurge hazard

Inland flood hazard mitigation Property owners, municipal and 

Tribal governments, transportation planners and operators, 

insurance industry

Flood frequency estimates

Design and rehabilitation of urban and 

rural drainage systems, including new 

“green” infrastructure

Municipal and Tribal governments, transportation authoritiesEstimates of the magnitude, frequency, and 

duration of extreme rainfall and smallstream flooding

Operation of water infrastructure (dams 

and diversions) at time scales from hours 

to years

Owners and operators of that 

infrastructure, including Federal, 

State, municipal, and Tribal agencies and energy companies

Estimates of the probability and magnitude 

of extreme low flows and extreme flood 

flows and flood volumes

Estimates of water demand, forecasts at 

multiple time scales of the amount of inflow 

Estimates of the consequences of various 

flow scenarios on aquatic habitats 

Protecting public health from waterborne diseasePublic water supply utilities, 

public health officials, EPA and 

State and Tribal environmental 

agencies

Reliable data on waterborne disease incidence in populations 

Estimates of the likely timing and location 

of water-borne pathogens and contaminants 

Monitoring systems and interventions for 

reducing health impacts 

Protecting or restoring aquatic and 

riparian habitats

Many agencies at the Federal, 

State, Tribal, or local level

Estimates of the likely streamflow at 

multiple times and scales, water temperature, water quality, and variability, as well as 

how those conditions will affect habitat and 

biological populations
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 61

APPENDIX F

Examples of Risk Assessment Tools

Example: USACE Dam Safety Action Classification (DSAC)

The USACE Dam Safety Action Classification (DSAC) is a method used by the USACE to manage 

dam safety risk. The program ensures that all dams and appurtenant structures are designed, 

constructed, and operated safely and effectively under all conditions on the basis of the dam safety 

program purposes, as adopted by the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety. 

DSAC Categories:

Class I: Urgent and Compelling—Critically Near Failure OR Extremely High Risk

Class II: Urgent—Failure Initiation Foreseen OR Very High Risk

Class III: High Priority—Significantly Inadequate OR Moderate to High Risk

Class IV: Priority—Inadequate with Low Risk

Class V: Normal—Adequately Safe AND Residual Risk is Considered Tolerable

The graph above plots dams on the likelihood of failure of the structure and the potential loss of life 

as a result. Vulnerability assessments of aquatic ecosystems and water resources infrastructure, such 

as wastewater facilities and dams, can use this comparison to prioritize projects. Consequences of 

failure can also be framed in terms of economic losses and environmental/ecosystem losses, among 

others, and presented on the x-axis. Limited resources can be focused on high priority projects using 

this matrix.
62 National Action Plan

Example: NOAA Roadmap for Adapting to Coastal Risk

Community planning provides an opportunity to address hazards and climate change vulnerabilities, because residents and other stakeholders are already creating or updating policies and plans that 

will guide community development. Decisions are being made on land use, government services, 

community character, and natural resource protection. Hazards are connected to all these sectors 

and affect operations and budgets. 

The NOAA Coastal Services Center developed the Roadmap for Adapting to Coastal Risk, which is a 

participatory process for assessing a community’s vulnerability to hazards and for incorporating relevant 

data and information about hazards and climate into ongoing local planning and decisionmaking. 

The Roadmap for Adapting to Coastal Risk approach emphasizes the importance of viewing 

community planning and development decisions through a hazards and climate lens. This means 

identifying how hazards and climate change can intensify existing issues, such as stormwater 

management and infrastructure maintenance. This participatory assessment process is designed to:

• Engage key staff members and stakeholders in a comprehensive, yet rapid, assessment of local vulnerabilities; 

• Use existing information resources to evaluate potential hazard and climate impacts; 

• Collaborate across disciplines to better understand and plan for impacts; and 

• Identify opportunities for improving resilience to current and future hazard risks. 

A three-hour training introduces the “Roadmap” assessment methodology. Visit the Roadmap Web 

site www.csc.noaa.gov/roadmap to learn more.

Example: Vulnerability Assessment Guide and Training (DOI, NOAA, and NWF)

New guidelines have been developed to help natural resources professionals understand how the changing climate is likely to affect fish and 

wildlife and the habitats on which they depend. Training for applying 

the guidelines is paramount to designing and carrying out effective 

adaptation strategies to counter the impacts of climate change. NOAA 

is contributing to work by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the 

National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to train managers to develop and 

use vulnerability assessments as part of their broader adaptation planning 

efforts for freshwater, coastal, and inland ecosystems. Training workshops 

are being designed, based on the new document, “Scanning the Conservation Horizon: A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment,” 

developed jointly by the National Wildlife Federation, State and Federal 

agencies, and other partners.

Vulnerability assessments are a key step in adaptation planning by 

enabling managers to:

• Identify those species and habitats most likely to be in need of conservation actions as 

a result of climate change;

• Develop adaptation strategies tailored for managing species and habitats in greatest need;

• Foster collaboration at statewide and regional scales by providing a shared understanding of impacts and management options; and

• Allow scarce resources for wildlife and habitat conservation to be allocated efficiently 

in the face of climate change.
 Priorities for Managing Freshwater Resources in a Changing Climate 63

Example: EPA Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool

In response to actionable signals indicating localized climate impacts that hold the potential to affect 

operational conditions, a drinking water or wastewater (water sector) utility would conduct an assessment of climate impact risks (vulnerabilities, threats, and consequences) looking at a broad range of 

potential systems implications. This focused engagement would include assessing the risk of a range 

of water-sector-system component responses to climate change-related watershed variation. A climate 

change risk assessment would be used to evaluate the overall risk to water systems of climate impacts. 

Two alternative, though potentially complimentary, approaches to risk analysis have been articulated—“top-down” (quantitative scenario risk approach) and “bottom-up” (qualitative threshold risk 

assessment). The quantitative scenario risk approach seeks to employ “downscaled” outputs of general 

circulation climate models as inputs to localized hydrologic and other models to simulate a range of 

water-sector-system component responses to climate-change-related watershed variation. Bottom-up 

approaches draw on the general findings of climate research, with utilities identifying system components potentially dependent on the status of key climate variables (e.g., temperature and precipitation) resulting in a preliminary risk assessment based on the professional judgment of experts who 

know the system and local watershed conditions. In response to risk assessment outputs, a water 

sector utility would develop strategies to address the identified risk, including expanded operating 

flexibility, expanded capacity, and development of alternative supply and treatment options.

As a result of the issues identified above, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a 

computer-based Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) for drinking water and 

wastewater utility owners and operators under its Climate Ready Water Utilities Program. The first 

version of CREAT is available for download at the Climate Ready Water Utilities Website (http://

water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/creat.cfm). The second version of CREAT, which 

is currently under development, will incorporate the top-down as well as the bottom-up risk assessment approaches and will use the most current scientific understanding of climate change. The tool 

will assist water sector utility owners and operators in understanding potential climate change threats 

and in assessing the related risks at their individual utilities.

Individual utilities can analyze climate change as part of adaptation planning by using forecasts 

of future climate at a regional scale. However, the art of climate modeling is evolving and is not 

fully understood. Model resolution is coarse and there is often substantial variability across climate 

models (mainly concerning precipitation projections). There is a critical need to conduct planning 

and make engineering and management decisions regardless of the considerable uncertainties about 

the timing, location and scale of future climate impacts. For most utilities, there is not an option to 

“wait and see” or take no action. Both the current stock of capital assets and any new investments 

will be affected by climate change, even if the impacts cannot be precisely predicted. Thus, there is a 

need for an approach that can be used by utilities now to understand and evaluate potential adaptation measures. 

CREAT allows water sector utility owners and operators to use known information about their 

utility, such as utility assets, to assist with identifying climate change threats, assessing potential 

consequences, and evaluating adaptation options. This approach allows users to help establish the 

thresholds at which climate change threats could result in asset or mission failure and to initiate 

adaptation planning despite the uncertainties. CREAT may also help organize and communicate 

climate-related activities to decisionmakers, stakeholders, and citizens. This may build confidence 

that the utility is being appropriately proactive, or alternately may serve to identify gaps or areas 

where additional funding may be needed.
64 National Action Plan

APPENDIX G

 Selected Acronyms Related to Water Resources and Climate Change 

Acronym Definition

ACWI Advisory Committee on Water Information

BLM Bureau of Land Management

CCAWWG Climate Change and Water Working Group

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CENRS Committee on Environment, Natural Resources 

and Sustainability (OSTP)

CEQ White House Council on Environmental Quality

CREAT Climate Resilience Education and Awareness Tool

CSC Climate Science Centers 

CUAHSI Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of 

Hydrologic Science, Inc.

DOC United States Department of Commerce

DOE United States Department of Energy

DOI United States Department of the Interior

DOT United States Department of Transportation

EIA Energy Information Agency

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

FACA Federal Advisory Committee Act

FCA Farm Credit Administration

FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

GCMs Global Climate Models

HIS Hydrologic Information System

IBWC International Boundary and Water Commission

ICCATF Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force

ICWP Interstate Council on Water Policy

IJC International Joint Commission

IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

IRS Internal Revenue Service

IWRM Integrated Water Resource Management

IWRSS Integrated Water Resources Science and Services

LCC Landscape Conservation Cooperative 

Acronym Definition

NACC National Assessment on Climate Change

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NAWQA National Water Quality Assessment Program

NCDC National Climate Data Center

NEP National Estuary Program

NIDIS National Integrated Drought Information System

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NPS National Park Service

NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

NRC National Research Council

NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service

NSF National Science Foundation

NSTC National Science and Technology Council

NWS National Weather Service

OSTP Office of Science and Technology Policy

RISA Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments 

SBA Small Business Administration

SDWA Safe Drinking Water Act

SWAQ Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality

TVA Tennessee Valley Authority

USACE United States Army Corps of Engineers

USBR United States Bureau of Reclamation

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service

USGCRP United States Global Change Research Program

USGS United States Geological Survey

USITC United States International Trade Commission

VATA Vulnerability Assessment Techniques and Applications

WRCCW Water Resources and Climate Change Workgroup

WSTB Water and Science Technology Board

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