Synthesis of information on effects of climate change on the water cycle in the northeastern region of the united states project period: 3 1 2024 through 2 28 2027THIS project will study complete…

The University of Maine System, through its University of Maine Division, was awarded a $250,000 Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Geological Survey under the Assistance to State Water Resources Research Institutes program (CFDA 15.805) with a performance period from March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2027. The project will synthesize information on the effects of climate change on the water cycle in the Northeastern United States, focusing on freshwater ecosystems, watershed processes, water quantity and quality, and community resilience. Key deliverables include a scientifically-based synthesis of regional climate change impacts on the water cycle, integration of findings from place-based studies, and development of a conceptual framework to support decision-making and planning by government agencies, businesses, and educational institutions in the Northeast. The project aims to advance the understanding of climate change effects on water resources and identify knowledge gaps to guide future research and reduce uncertainties.

Activities

This proposal seeks to synthesize information from the global and national scale that has relevance to the northeast region while adding new insight from the other water cycle center (WCC) proposals to develop a regional scientific framework for understanding and building climate resilience. This synthesis effort focuses on less well-understood, many of which are specific to locations and investigated within WCC projects at neighboring institutions. The project will compose a scientifically based synthesis that focuses on deeper understanding of how climate change will impact water availability and summarize the state of the science on climate change and its potential impacts to the water cycle in the northeast united states. Deliverables and expected outcomes: the target synthesis will establish a summary of information and conceptual framework for understanding regional climate resilience, and integrate new findings from place-based studies on priority topics in the region. Advances in understanding the frequency and magnitude of flooding and drought, snowmelt runoff and infiltration processes, evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, and groundwater and surface water connectivity are candidates for consideration in this pursuit. Implications of hydrologic alterations related to climate change on water quality conditions and harmful algae blooms are of interest for inclusion in synthesis activities as well. Solutions to emerging problems are also to be considered in terms of investigations of climate resilience and evaluations of impacts from the forecast hydrologic extremes accompanying climate change.intended beneficiary(IES): the synthesis activities related to water cycle research and climate change in the northeast have potential to benefit communities, businesses, and educations institutions in the region. Better information and knowledge generated from place-based water cycle research will support modernization of decision-making tools used by government agencies charged with managing watershed and coastal resources, civil infrastructure, and water supplies. Businesses dependent on water resources or potentially impacted by changes to water resources will be able to use the information for optimization and planning purposes. Primary educators will find uses of synthesized water cycle information to train the next generation of scientists, natural resource managers, civil engineers, and community planners in the region. Synthesis of water cycle information and data sources specific to the northeast region will provide a basis for future scientific investigation and identify knowledge gaps that need to be pursued to reduce uncertainties. The synthesis can also provide a basis for putting knowledge of localized water cycle changes from climate change in a global context.