The Upper Colorado River watershed experienced peak flows for the year on June 4th, earlier than usual and hinting that the impacts of climate change are already being felt in the Fraser Valley.
Predicted local climate change impacts include:
- Higher than average runoff earlier in the spring.
- Peak run off occurring in May rather than June.
- Lower than average runoff and reduced groundwater levels into the late summer and fall months.
Drawing from data recorded on USGS gauges located around the Fraser Valley, the above map compares measurements from June 4th with median flows from previous years.
In general, flows were well above average, with the most pronounced flows in the upper reaches of the watershed marked by blue dots. Further downstream, green dots mark flows only slightly above average.
Flows running at higher than historical average so early doesn’t indicate a heavy snow year so much as warmer temperatures earlier on in the season. The historic flow record is being squished toward the earlier part of the year and squeezed up higher – showing that things are warming up faster and sooner in the spring.
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