BC Water News

 

Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018

New roadmap

Caltrans releases first climate vulnerability assessment

Caltrans Climate Change Variability Assessments. CALTRANS

Caltrans

Public Works Magazine

Caltrans released its first Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment earlier this month, an effort by the department to understand how and where the future effects of climate change may impact the State Highway System and its users. This assessment specifically evaluates the vulnerability of the San Francisco Bay Area region's (Caltrans District 4's) infrastructure, and is the first of 12 such studies that will eventually cover each Caltrans region of the state.

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Humble piñon trees play key role in water cycles

Water Deeply

Piñon and juniper trees are not majestic compared to a ponderosa pine or a sequoia. But they’re important to people, wildlife and water supplies. Unfortunately, piñon trees seem to be particularly vulnerable to climate change. They’ve been dying in great swathes in recent years due to heat and drought. What does this mean for water supplies? A new study begins to answer that question.

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In the Sierra Nevada, putting the trees to work

CALmatters.org

This is going to be a big year for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, one of the state’s smallest agencies. As California redoubles its efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, officials are rooting around for new ways to meet the state’s goals. Included in their plan: recruiting billions of redwood, oak and pine trees to help diminish planet-warming gases by pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

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