July 2012 IWCS now available - special issue on Drought

The July 2012 issue of the Intermountain West Climate Summary is now available here. This is a special issue on the 2012 drought in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, in collaboration with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).

Two-page drought briefing also available

On July 12, WWA and NIDIS also released a two-page briefing on the 2012 drought, which summarizes the more detailed information found in the July IWCS.

New WWA Webinar Series

WWA began a new series of monthly webinars in spring 2012, with three webinars presented so far.

More information and archived webinar presentations here.

WWA 2011 Annual Report available

Each spring, WWA reports to NOAA on the program's accomplishments over the previous calendar year. Download the WWA 2011 Annual Report here.

New UCS report on water use in power plants, led by WWA's Kristen Averyt

In November, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released a report entitled "Freshwater Use by U.S. Power Plants: Electricity’s Thirst for a Precious Resource". This report is the first systematic assessment of the effects of power plant cooling on water resources across the country, and of the quality of information in this area available to decision makers. WWA's Kristen Averyt served as lead researcher and lead author for the report, which is part of the Energy and Water in a Warming World (EW3) Initiative.

Go to the UCS website to learn more and download the report.

Read a brief summary of the report's findings in the March 2012 IWCS Feature Article.

Utah Bark Beetles and Watersheds Workshop - December 1, 2011

This workshop was convened by WWA and the US Forest Service Intermountain Region and Rocky Mountain Research Station to explore the water-related impacts of bark beetle infestations in Utah and the Rocky Mountain West. Over 40 forest managers, water managers, snowpack and streamflow forecasters, and others participated in-person, with many others participating online.

Go to the workshop homepage to access the presentations and video.

Colorado Climate Preparedness Project

In early 2011, WWA completed the Colorado Climate Preparedness Project, a catalog of climate impacts and adaptation activities and options for five climate-sensitive sectors throughout the state: water; wildlife, ecosystems, and forests; electricity; agriculture, and outdoor recreation. Download the report (PDF, 5MB) or visit the CCPP database.