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<br />74 P. 002/006
<br />DEC-03-1993 13:46 FROMIEPA REGION B OEA TO 9-B6W'
<br />FRO" CI.~"prE CHANGE DIu 1:.0'3.. 1~:,~6 .. p.
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<br />F 0 A Sf U DIES IN Cl [,V [L 0 P MEN 1. t N Y I fl. 0 N MEN T, A N 0
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<br />Embar&oed tor Rele.Sf Until:
<br />FrldllJ' 3 I><<ember 1993 .. A.M.
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<br />PRESS RELEASE ,
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<br />For further lnronnatlolll tall Dr. Peter Clelc~
<br />II the Paeln, Institute, ($10) %11-16001
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<br />F1.1TtJRE CLIMATE CfUNGES TIiREATEN COLORADO RIVER
<br />WATER QV.\J\'TJn' AND QUALl1Y ,
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<br />Oakland, California .. Tho water supply system of the Cclorado River Basin 15 extremelY;
<br />vulnerable to future changes In cUmate, Such climatic changes could have very severe:
<br />impacts on water quality and quanllty, and on a wide range of benefiu provided by
<br />,Colorado River waler, according to a new research fer-on Just' released by the V.S.i
<br />Environmental Ptotection ^seney, The muhl-year study, The Colorado River Basin and!
<br />ClImBtle Chanie,' was done by the Pacific: Institute for Studies In Develop-ment,!
<br />Environment, and Securlty, an independent research center In Oaldand, California,' i
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<br />Linda Nub and Peter Oleick, Senior Research Associates of the Paclfie Institute whol
<br />conducted the .rudy, evaluated bow a range of projected changes In climate resulting from:
<br />1he greenhOlJ5e effect could alter the hydrologic reglm. of tbe Colorado River Basin, in the;
<br />form of changes in runoff, re5et\'olr levels. the generation of hydropower, tbe supply of.
<br />water tn different users (Including Mexico. the Central Arizona Project, and the!
<br />Metropolitan Water District ot Southern Ca1ifornia), and waler quality. , l
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<br />"Our resulu suggeslthat the Colorado River Basin is extremely sensltlve to climatic
<br />c:hang'e5 that QOuld occur over the next several decadeS, The present approaches to water II
<br />manallement in the b8liln arc inadequate for dealing wilh competing demands and prlodtles,
<br />under h1tered climatic conditions" said Dr. Peter Olekk. I
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<br />. Deliveries of water to tbe many users of the Colorado River are governed by a:
<br />complex sel of legal and Institutional arrangements. The study assumed no changes In these i
<br />arrangements, but rather attempted to evaluate how the current system would react to'
<br />changes In water availability imposed by the greenhouse effec-to :
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<br />, Using the best estimates or future climatic changes {rom larae.scale general j'
<br />elrculo.tlon models or the ellmate, the new report found that even thougb predplt3110n may
<br />Increase. a simultaneous Increase In evapolranspiration would re$ult in 8 net decrease o{ I
<br />8 percenl to 20 percent in sunaee runoff, "The ImpHcatlonsof these decreasC$ In runoff
<br />{or hydroelectricity pro\J\,\ction, sllHnlty, reservolr level!, and water deliverles to different I
<br />U5crs could be quite dranlBllc. We alrelldy light over Stareo water In the western U.S, .. I
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<br />, The I[U~Y"'8.1 conducted ""rh (ullcling rrom 1he Clim~ro ChaQlo Di"sfon of Ihe U,S. ElI";'(InmenIN I
<br />l'rC'locUCln Agency IA Wuhln;ton. D.C. The p"ilie Insrituro is I non'proiit ,euard1 and policy ~n[cr do in, I
<br />rUOllrcll on I wide tango of problems related 10 th. iJobal enYironmenl, sQslain.bJe d....lnrmc:nl, In4 :
<br />lnrrrnllinnallccurity an~ poliliea, Tlte free 'c~rl CIlII be ordered from Ine EPA al (513) 891.65Gt. or faMd I
<br />unlm to (513) 891~, 1'1Ie report nvmber Ii EPA "',JO.R,9HlO9, \
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<br />,20d PAESrl\VATION ''''1\1< WAY '~I~ao O~ ,COll AtCrC,to PAPER PHONE: ~'O 2~'.160d
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