Feds Embark On 2-Yr Study Of Colorado, Yakima, Milk River Basins To Project Future Flows, Uses

[hatrack]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Bureau of Reclamation announced plans Thursday to study three large river basins in the West to get a better handle on future supplies, projected demands and the potential impacts of climate change on water resources.

Reclamation Commissioner Michael Connor made the announcement while in New Mexico for a meeting of stakeholders from throughout the Colorado River basin, which is one of the basins that will be studied over the next two years as part of the agency's conservation initiative. Studies also will be done on the Yakima River basin in Washington and the Milk and St. Mary River systems in Montana.

"We recognize that we need to get a better understanding of how climate change may impact water resources," Connor told The Associated Press during a telephone interview. "Really this is the first stage of gathering this information."

As part of the studies, the agency will develop projections for supply and demand throughout the basins and analyze how each basin's existing infrastructure and operations will perform in the face of changing conditions, including shifting precipitation patterns, temperature increases and growing demand. Connor said endangered species will also be considered as the agency plans for future water needs. The studies also will make recommendations on how the agency can improvement management in the basins, including dam operations and restoration efforts, to ensure there are adequate supplies in the future.

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