Climate Science and Policy

Climate change is impacting water supply in the arid and semi-arid West; landscapes that already consistently weeks or months without a drop of precipitation. Hydropower has served as the backbone of energy supply in the West, but as it relies on water supply, it is vulnerable to climate change. This study explores the relationships between snowpack, streamflow, and hydropower at the Lower Granite Dam in the Snake River watershed. We found consistent declines in streamflow and snow-water-equivalent as well as significant correlations between snowpack, streamflow, and power production. We created a model that uses Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) variables to estimate streamflow and power production and demonstrates the important and direct reliance of energy production upon snowfall in the West.