The Guardian – England one dry spell away from return to severe drought, say experts
This article in The Guardian warns about England’s drought conditions from the past summer and how easy it is to slip back into that state. While some regions of the UK have recovered from drought conditions, other areas as still struggling with the lingering impacts of this historic drought. If England were to have another hot and dry period, these conditions would be quick to return.
CBC News – A suburb in Arizona lost its source of water. Residents warn: We’re only the beginning
This article in CBC News discusses the water shortage in Rio Verde Foothills and the impacts that will cross borders. The water supply in this region is becoming increasingly stressed. There are only two ways to get water into Maricopa County, by well or by a delivery truck. Cities close to this suburb have cut off delivery trucks making drivers travel farther and farther to reach a supply.
The Canadian Press – Extreme drought makes cattle farmers thin herds, could cause future supply problems
The Canadian Press covers how extreme weather events caused by climate change are impacting cattle farmers and their herds. These weather events, such as drought, flooding or wildfires, are pushing cattle farmers to thin out their herds. Normally, this would happen every few years but at this point, farmers have had to thin their herds several years in a row.
Global News – ‘Incredibly destructive’: Canada’s Prairies to see devastating impact of climate change
A 2021 article published in Global News discusses the consequences of climate change on the Prairies. Paradoxically, climate change is likely to cause both water scarcity (drought) and excess (flooding) throughout the region. While the Prairies are expected to have a net increase in total precipitation, the timing of the rains are less likely to align with crop requirements and will fall in shorter, extreme events.
Los Angeles Times – Colorado River crisis is so bad, lakes Mead and Powell are unlikely to refill in our lifetimes
Lakes Mead and Powell are some of America’s largest reservoirs and are relied on for both agricultural water supply and hydroelectric energy generation. A new article by the Los Angeles Times discusses the effect that climate change and increased water demand are having on the water levels in these important reservoirs.
CBC News – Slush, snow delay ice fishing season at Petrie Island
CBC News discusses the impact that the warmer winter season is having on ice fishing. The Petrie Island marina, a small fishing village in Ottawa’s east end, is seeing shockingly low numbers of fishers due to unreliable ice conditions.
CMOS BULLETIN - Bias Correcting Surface Snow Water Equivalent Estimates using Machine Learning
Snow is a critical contributor to Ontario's water-energy budget, with impacts on water resource management and flood forecasting. Snowmelt-derived flooding has become increasingly problematic across much of Canada in recent decades as global temperatures continue to rise. This article discusses a snow-melt bias correction method developed by Dr. Fraser King and other C1W collaborators.
CBC News - 2022 was another record hot year. Experts say we must prepare for more climate-related disasters
A new report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service indicates that we’ve just had the warmest 8-year stretch in recorded history for the globe, and there are of course local impacts affecting communities across Canada.
CBC News - Why winter storms are becoming bigger and badder around the Great Lakes — and what it means for those at risk
This new CBC News article explains how winter storms are becoming an bigger risk to people living in the Great Lakes region and why it is only going to get worse. The growing intensity of these storms can be partly attributed to the regional climatic impact of large bodies of water - known as the lake effect.
C1W Team Meetings (Jan 2023 update)
To provide technical exchange within the project team, monthly science talks are held to provide ongoing context for project participants.
Collaborate with the C1W team! (Jan 2023 update)
To broaden the number of project collaborators, the project has an ongoing series of engagement meetings with potential collaborators.
CBC News - Season for critical northern Ontario ice road getting shorter, says road builder
A new article on CBC News discusses climate change's impacts on northern Ontario ice roads. With temperatures warming, the season that these roads can be active is getting shorter and transportation through the region more difficult and expensive. One key outcome of the C1W project will be modelled snow depth for all Canada, making it easier to predict how the insulative properties of snow might affect ice road viability to the end of century in northern Canadian communities.
A hydrologic time machine
Once it’s up and running, Canada1Water will allow users to track the evolution of groundwater and surface water flows backward and forward in time — from 1979 through to the year 2100. Dr. Steve Frey provides an overview of the modelling framework driving the Canada1Water project.
Clearing the path to project snow on a continental scale
Precipitation is crucial to any climate model — and in Canada that often means snow. While snow can be modelled accurately on small scales with good weather data, projecting its effects continent-wide and far into the future is a whole other story. Senior Climate Scientist Andre Erler and his team are solving the puzzle by coupling innovative bias correction with climate projections to enable Canada1Water’s long-term view.
Putting the pieces together – and making sure they fit
Canada’s provinces, territories and local governments collect groundwater and surface water data. But there’s little standardization, and hydrologic systems don’t obey political borders anyway. That’s why hydrogeologist Eric Kessel and his colleagues are working hard to bring the disparate datasets together in a harmonized view for Canada1Water.