For the period May 2013- May 2014, CRITFC staff and consultants will establish and coordinate regional climate change data, information and model analyses through three principal areas.  As additional climate information has become available, such as the downscaling and comparison of the latest phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) with other climate ensembles and predictions, the technical focus of this Accord Project has been modified to incorporate the latest climate science to assist in determining future conditions for temperature, precipitation and hydrology. The main tasks will include the following:

•Participation and engagement in technical aspects of the Columbia River Treaty Review that include climate change impacts on ecosystem functions
(including tribal first foods), flood risk management and hydro-generation.  

•Participation and engagement in the Columbia River Forecast Group to review, share and advance new scientific methods to enhance forecasting projections for basin precipitation, snowpack, temperature, hydrology, and climate change impacts.

•Enhancement, further development and training/information transfer of the Data Base Tool created under this Accord Project.  

•Enhancement, further development and integration of the regional HYDSIM hydro-regulation model and the Data Base Tool to facilitate analysis of future climate change scenarios affecting the mainstem Columbia and Snake rivers.

•Development and implementation of an analytical process and decision framework to enhance existing regional tributary and mainstem river climate change analyses. Determine and characterize a robust selection of climate scenarios which to base efficient and full modeling efforts, and risk determinations.

•Continue to coordinate regional climate change modeling efforts with CRITFC’s member tribes, the NOAA Science Center, Climate Impacts Group (CIG) and other regional stakeholders to assess gaps in data collection and methodologies.

•Continue development of a Database of Stream Temperatures for the Clearwater River Basin, Idaho that includes gathering available stream temperature records, stream flow records, and other environmental data necessary to create a stream temperature model and then begin analysis.  

•Continue to monitor and update assessment of regional needs and opportunities for collaborative research and analyses in climate change.

•Continue to produce reports specific to the tribal ceded areas and resources of each of CRITFC's  tribes for help in climate change adaptation planning. and disseminate information on CRITFC website.


For this Accord Project period, CRITFC will continue to participate in climate change and related technical work through the CRTR and other regional processes including Canadian efforts and other climate groups such as the National Drought Information Center to ensure that additional, more detailed model analyses are performed to better quantify potential impacts on tribal first foods and other resources, flood risk, and hydro generation. It is critical to consider this information to provide decision makers and tribal members with the best available range of future climate change scenarios and impacts.