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Evaluating the impacts of climate change in the Connecticut River Basin

Project Leader:
Project Fellows:
Project Investigators:
Dr. Austin Polebitski (University of Wisconsin-Platteville)
Dr. Ben Letcher (USGS)
States:
New Hampshire
Vermont
Massachusetts
Connecticut
+1 more
Status:
Ongoing

Overview

For the past four years, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) have funded a study at UMass to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the biological resources in river and to investigate how the negative impacts of reservoir regulation could be ameliorated in the face of climate change.  It is fortuitous that this study provides an excellent basis for future “watershed” type studies that may be performed by the NE CASC. The study has resulted in a full calibrated hydrology model of the Connecticut River Basin, a set of 112 different future hydrology scenarios associated with climate change, and a simulation and optimization model of the major reservoirs in the basin.

Go to Conservation Gateway for the full study >> 

Presentations

Lutz, K., NE CASC Brown-bag Talk "Restoring Connecticut River Flow in a Changing Climate", March 27, 2019.

Connecticut River Optimization Model Training Workshop with The Nature Conservancy, Connecticut Watershed Council, and other stakeholders, November 30, 2015

Other

News: Connecticut River Flow Restoration Report Released - 2018 UMass Amherst

News: Connecticut River Flow Restoration Study- 2018 NE CASC

News: River study: more of the same Brattleboro Reformer, June 18, 2018

News: No easy path forward to make river dams more ecologically sound, but study increases understanding.  Daily Hampshire Gazette, July 10, 2018