Source: Palmer, R.N., and M.A. Hahn. 2002. The Impacts of Climate Change on Portland’s Water Supply: An Investigation of Potential Hydrologic and Management Impacts on the Bull Run System
This is a highly technical report from back in 2002 that modeled impacts on the Bull Run Watershed from changes to the region’s climate. Here’s a nice summary quote:
The increase in demand associated with anticipated regional growth during the summer reservoir drawdown, without considering climate change, averages 4.1 billion gallons by the year 2020 and 5.5 billion gallons by 2040. When all three factors (climate change on hydrology, climate change on demand, and regional growth) are considered jointly there is, on average, 8.0 billion gallons in reduced inflows and increased demands that must be generated by 2020 and this number increases to 9.6 billion gallons by 2040. In 2040, the most extreme shift results in over 12 billion gallons in increased demands and decreased inflows. This will make the system even more reliant in the future on summer inflows, inflows that will decrease due to climate change. (p. iii)
Report prepared for the Portland Water Bureau, University of Washington, Seattle. 139 pp.
