Freshwater Ecosystems

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Freshwater Ecosystems
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Freshwater Ecosystems
Two Case Studies
1) Cedar River Basin Management Priority 1
Protect, restore, and reconnect stream, riparian,
and floodplain ecosystems, and include buffers 2)
Sacramento RiverManagement Priority 2 Restore
longitudinal connectivity. 3) Connecticut River
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Cedar River Basin Assumptions

• More frequent and intense floods
• 10 year planning horizon
• Assume collaboration between feds, state, and
  local agencies
• Land use remains constant (90 row crop
  agriculture worst-case scenario)
• Will mitigate risk through natural infrastructure
• Farmers, wildlife and communities will be
  impacted by floods. Policies must benefit all
  three groups.
• (cost of doing nothing 5-7 Billion)

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Cedar River Basin Actions and Costs
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Cedar River Basin Actions and Costs
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Cedar River Basin Actions and Costs
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Cedar River Basin Actions and Costs

• Other considerations
• Regulation
• Outreach and communication
• Incentives
• Compliance
• New PolicyFor example 10M Require mandatory
  conservation practices for ALL Farm Bill
  participation (payments and subsidies)

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Sacramento River Basin Assumptions

• 50 year planning horizon
• Snowpack down 60-80
• Human population increase
• Earlier snowmelt/drier summer
• Growing conflict of less water from
  ag./cities/wildlife
• Some fisheries restoration incompatible with
  water availability
• Massive dams/levees
• Subsidence

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Sacramento River Basin Actions and Costs
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Sacramento River Basin Actions and Costs
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Sacramento River Basin Actions and Costs
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Lessons Learned

• Cedar Rapids
• Problem is too much water
• Only 300,000 people
• Cost of inaction major impacts on people
• Sacramento much harder to assess
• Problem is too little water
• Millions of people
• Cost of inaction loss of fish and wildlife

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Lessons Learned

• This is HARD!
• Keeping in mind that were talking about climate
  change adaptation, not all the great conservation
  things we want to do already
• Lots of examples of past studies that we could
  draw upon
• Basins with water shortages are even harder

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Freshwater Ecosystems
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Water Budget Hydrologic Regime

• Timing
• Quantity
• Quality

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Freshwater Ecosystems
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Freshwater Ecosystems
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