Randy Lehr (Northland College), presented at the Adapting Forested Watersheds to Climate Change Workshop, at The Waters, Minocqua, WI on March 15-16, 2017. The workshop was hosted by the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS), USDA Climate Hubs, and the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI).

1. Randy Lehr, Ph.D.
Climate Change Impacts on
Hydrology and Water Quality

2. Climate Change Impacts
Wetter Warmer

3. Species Distributions
Brook Trout Habitat, WICCIStratification, Lake Owen

4. Altered Hydrology
Precipitation
Precipitation
to ocean
Evaporation
Evaporation
From
ocean
Surface runoff
(rapid)
Ocean storage
Condensation
Transpiration
Rain clouds
Infiltration and
Percolation
Transpiration
from plants
Groundwater movement (slow)
Groundwater movement (slow)
RunoffRunoff
Surface runoff (rapid)Surface runoff (rapid)
Precipitation

5. Stressor Interactions
Wetter = More
nutrients?
Warmer = Changes in
species dominance?

6. Vulnerability
1950 to 2006, WICCI
Temperature Rainfall

7. Social-Environmental Considerations

8. Precipitation and Infrastructure Design
Current Guidance
7.31 inches (5.73-9.20)
Anticipated Future
~ 20% increase over
current

9. Infrastructure “Hotspots”
Percent Difference
High 101
Low 35

10. Land Use Legacies
Percent Open Land
81 - 100
61 - 80
41 - 60
21 - 40
0 - 20

11. Land Use and Climate Change
Increased Food Demand
– 50%-110% increase in
production by 2050
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
90%
% Agriculture
NLCD, 2011

12. Fishery Resource – Brook Trout
• Ecological response to
warming waters has
management
implications
• Secondary social
response is currently
unstudied, but may also
have significant impacts
on conservation work

13. Optimism in the Face of Uncertainty

14. Questions?
Contact Info:
Randy Lehr, Ph.D.
rlehr@northland.edu
715-682-1261