Key climate risks vary across Oregon

On the Coast, sea level rise will increase the risk of coastal erosion and flooding; warming waters and ocean acidification will degrade estuarine habitat crucial for salmon and shellfish and negatively affect nearshore fisheries; and forest vegetation in the Coast Range may shift. In the Willamette Valley, declining snow-pack, earlier snowmelt, and greater summer water demand may increase summer water scarcity; and wildfire activity is expected to increase. In the Cascade Range, diminishing snowpack leads to larger, earlier peak flow events and lower summer low flows; more wildfires and changes in climate suitability may shift forest vegetation types. In Eastern Oregon, declining snowpack has similar effects; warming streams will limit ranges for salmon and trout; disturbances and changes in suitability are expected to shift forest vegetation; and rangeland and sage-brush habitat may experience greater invasion of non-native weeds and more frequent fires.