Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment 2021

Karin Bumbaco, Matthew Rogers, Larry O’Neill, David Hoekema, Crystal Raymond

Posted on: 3/13/2023 - Updated on: 3/13/2023

Posted by

CAKE Team

Published

2022-02

Abstract

The purpose of the 2021 Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment is to summarize the water year conditions and sector impacts as a resource for future management of drought and other climate extremes. For several years, researchers, practitioners, and organizations working across practitioner–research boundaries in Oregon and Washington have held a joint Water Year Recap and Outlook meeting. A separate but similar meeting in Idaho is also held each year.

Two main objectives of the water year meetings are:

To summarize the climate conditions of the previous water year
To review climate and weather-related impacts on various sectors, focusing on drought and other extremes.

In addition to these impact discussions, an Annual Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Survey is used to collect information on water year impacts for multiple sectors. The assessment primarily reflects the information from the meeting discussions, the survey, and author expertise. Drought and, to a lesser extent, the June 2021 heat wave and its impacts are the focus of this report.

This is the second annual assessment. View the 2020 and 2022 Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessments.

Citation

Bumbaco, K.A., M.H. Rogers, L.W. O’Neill, D.J. Hoekema, C.L. Raymond. (2022). 2021 Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment. A collaboration between the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, Climate Impacts Group, Oregon State Climatologist, Idaho Department of Water Resources, and NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System.

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Affiliated Organizations

Office of the Washington State Climatologist, Oregon State Climatologist, Idaho Department of Water Resources, NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System.

Affiliated Organizations

Climate Impacts Group (CIG)

The Climate Impacts Group (CIG) is an internationally recognized interdisciplinary research group studying the impacts of natural climate variability and global climate change (“global warming”). Research at the CIG considers climate impacts at spatial scales ranging from local communities to the entire western U.S. region, with most work focused on the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Through research and interaction with stakeholders, the CIG works to increase community and ecosystem resilience to fluctuations in climate.