climatic impacts on water resource sustainability richard t. mcnider john r. christy abigail crane...
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Climatic Impacts on Water Resource Sustainability
Richard T. McNiderJohn R. ChristyAbigail Crane
Office of State ClimatologistUniversity of Alabama in Huntsville
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64-66”
54-56”
56-58”
58-60”
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1941-194319041954 1981
1987-88 2005-062000
Statewide Annual Average Precipitation
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Jan-Jun Alabama Rainfall1895-2007
0
10
20
30
40
50
1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
TN ValleyAppalachiansEastern Valleys
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Statewide January –July Precipitation
2006
2007
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2007 March 850 mb Height Field
Looks like a May Pattern
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March Average Climatology
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2007 May 850 mb Analysis
Looks like a September/October Pattern
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Sustainability
Climate Change
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Alabama Statewide Precipitation
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Sustainability
Population Growth
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With an average annual rainfall of
near 55 inches Alabama receives about 145 million acre-feet of water
annually.
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1.0 ft
2.0 ft
3.0 ft
4.0 ft
5.0 ft
Evaporation
Groundwater
Run-off
Evaporation
Groundwater
Run-off
Forest City
Where does Alabama’s Rainfall Go?
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Apalachicola – Blountstown 16 million acre-ft/yr
Alabama River -Monroeville 24 million acre-ft/yr
Colorado River – Glen Canyon 10 million acre-ft/yr
River Flows Are Huge in Alabama
Tennessee –Huntsville 30 million acre-ft/yr
Apalachicola
Alabama
Tombigbee
Tennessee
Tombigbee River - Coffeeville 19 million acre-ft/yr
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TOTAL MEAN STREAMFLOW ALABAMA RIVER AT CLAIRBORNE L&D1976-2004
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Th
ou
san
ds
MONTH(S)
ST
RE
AM
FL
OW
(cfs
)
Alabama has plenty of water availability on an annual basis. Even in the dry years rivers have huge flows compared to western rivers. However, during the summer the consumption of water by the vegetation of the region reduces stream flows to critically low levels.
On-demand (summer
withdrawals) for irrigation may reduce
stream flows to critically low
levels
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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
AL GA FL AZ CA CO
WaterAvailablePublic WaterSupplyI rrigation
Industrial
Annual Fraction of Water Withdrawal in Southeast is Extremely Low
Based on Withdrawals (USGS)
Mil
lio
ns
of
Acr
e-ft
/ye
ar
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Net Consumption of Water
2.5%27%
102%
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Dr. Ge Sun U.S. Forest Service
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0-10% more water available
10-20% more water available
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Summary - Sustainability
Climate change and population growth (as we understand it now) do not appear to be a threat to precipitation and overall water quantity.
Urban sprawl and population growth are a threat to water quality.
Population growth may pressure existing water storage and delivery infrastructure in some areas.
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What is not sustainable – Alabama’s rain-fed row crop agriculture!
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Coastal Plain June Rainfall
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
1895 1905 1915 1925 1935 1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005
Inch
es
Corn needs 8-9 inches water to produce maximum yields
Inches
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Landowners faced with the competition of Western subsidized irrigated agriculture and deep water holding soils in mid-west resorted to accepting government set asides or timber farming.
Land is now in timber or low intensity pasture.
When a farmer is farming he is turning over $500-$750 per acre per year which is part of the local economy
With timber production he is only turning over $18-39 per acre per year into the local economy.
Rural towns dependent on farming business died out.
The loss of agriculture devastated rural economies
(Birmingham News.Bernard Troncale)
Timberland not necessarily under-taxed it is simply too under-productive
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Alabama lost its agriculture largely because it couldn’t compete due to a lack of water for crops.
What if Alabama used its vast surface water to irrigate?
Rio Grande
0.8 million ac-ft/year
Alabama River @ Claiborne
10 to 34 million ac-ft/year
The Alabama River in Monroe County had an annual flow for the driest year on record (2000) of near 10 million acre-ft - 12 times that of the Rio Grande
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Yie
ld (
bu/a
c)
Irrigated
Non-Irrigated
9.7” water applied
Acre-ft water can be worth $125 in net profit
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Yie
ld (
bu/a
c)
Irrigated
Non-Irrigated
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Water Run-off Irrigated Acreage
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Sustainable Southeastern Model - Storage of Winter Surface Water – Auburn Larry Curtis Model
Even in dry years crops need less than a foot of water. Irrigation can be supported with a fraction of the winter river flow removed.
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Add Water Withdrawal
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University Irrigation Study – Sponsored by Senator Shelby with support from Senator Sessions and the Congressional Delegation, Commisioner of Agriculture, ALFA and EDPA.
Includes Auburn, Alabama A&M, Tuskegee, U. of Alabama, UAH
Is investment in irrigation infrastructure the proper choice for Alabama to use its State/County tax credit investment funds and its powerful but limited Congressional initiatives?
Are there agricultural issues, environmental issues and social issues that might limit the potential of irrigation in the State?
This university team is working to provide an interim assessment document to the legislature and the Governor by next January.
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