| Title: | Climate change impacts on US water quality using two models: HAWQS and US Basins |
| Authors: | Fant, C., R. Srinivasan, B. Boehlert, L. Rennels, S.C. Chapra, K.M. Strzepek, J. Corona, A. Allen and J. Martinich |
| Year: | 2017 |
| Journal: | Water |
| Volume (Issue): | 9(2) |
| Pages: | |
| Article ID: | 118 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/w9020118 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | hydrologic only |
| Primary Application Category: | HAWQS application and/or component |
| Secondary Application Category: | climate change assessment |
| Watershed Description: | Entire contiguous U.S. |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | |
| Abstract: | Climate change and freshwater quality are well-linked. Changes in climate result in changes
in streamflow and rising water temperatures, which impact biochemical reaction rates and increase
stratification in lakes and reservoirs. Using two water quality modeling systems (the Hydrologic and
Water Quality System; HAWQS and US Basins), five climate models, and two greenhouse gas (GHG)
mitigation policies, we assess future water quality in the continental U.S. to 2100 considering four
water quality parameters: water temperature, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus.
Once these parameters are aggregated into a water quality index, we find that, while the water quality
models differ under the baseline, there is more agreement between future projections. In addition,
we find that the difference in national-scale economic benefits across climate models is generally larger
than the difference between the two water quality models. Both water quality models find that water
quality will more likely worsen in the East than in the West. Under the business-as-usual emissions
scenario, we find that climate change is likely to cause economic impacts ranging from 1.2 to 2.3
(2005 billion USD/year) in 2050 and 2.7 to 4.8 in 2090 across all climate and water quality models. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | water quality; climate change; economic valuation; mitigation; greenhouse gases;
model comparison |