FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2003      File #340
Contact: Jean Wasp, Media Relations, (707) 664-2057

Sonoma State Workshop Targets Impact of Global Climate Change on North Bay Water Resources

Sonoma State University will host a workshop on the effects of global climate change upon local and regional water resources from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, in the Cooperage on the Rohnert Park campus.

Rapid and drastic increases in temperature are predicted to affect every aspect of life much sooner than the public realizes, say organizers of the conference which include biology, geography and environmental planning professors.

Global warming could bring a range of potential effects in the North Bay region, including depletion of water resources resulting from changing winter precipitation patterns, coastal erosion, salt water intrusion into South County aquifers, heat waves, and more frequent and intense El Niño storms, says organizer Zeno Swijtink.

"As water is the source of life, impacts of climate change on the timing, quality, and quantity of our water resources will be felt by humans and wildlife alike."

Topics to be covered include Northern California water flow, the 2003 state water plan, local water systems, drinking water supplies, coastline and estuary, agriculture & irrigation, water as habitat, and extreme events.

This conference, part of a series of four this year, will focus primarily on environmental impacts, particularly in connection with watershed management strategies. But there will also be opportunities to explore other topics as well, including economic and health-related implications of global warming.

The workshops are designed to stimulate discussions, explore likely impacts, and facilitate action towards solutions to the increasing threats of global warming, says Switjink. Other programs in the series later in the year will address Sonoma County emissions, green building, and clearing the air with transportation.

Presenters include Brock Dolman, director of the Basins of Relations Program at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center; Norm Miller, hydroclimatologist at the Earth Sciences Division (Hydroclimate and Impacts Research) of Berkeley National Laboratory; and Doug Osugi, Head of the Climate Change Working Group for California 2003 Water Plan Update, Department of Water Resources.

A $10 donation will be requested at the door. Free admission for students or with on-line registration at www.sonoma.edu/projects/climatechange. Teachers attending the entire series can receive one unit of academic credit through the school of Extended Education at SSU.

For further information, contact, Damon Knutson, (415) 847-7523 or e-mail climate.change@sonoma.edu Web site is located at www.sonoma.edu/projects/climatechange.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FACT SHEET
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below are some of the water-related topics to be covered in the SSU global climate change workshop:

Northern California Water Flow: Overview of regional water systems. Where resources are, how they are replenished and depleted – and where local water goes.

California Water Plan - Update 2003: The California Department of Water Resources is preparing an update of the State's Water Plan which will provide an assessment of California’s current water supplies and uses for urban, agricultural, environmental, and other applications. The plan will forecast a range of future water needs and identify and evaluate strategies and options mindful of the various statewide regions and possible "futures" that take into account predicted climate changes.

Drinking Water Supplies: Changes in the timing, frequency, and severity of rain storms and diminishing snowpack in the Eel River basin will affect drinking water supplies. Politically there may be increased pressure on the North Coast to export water from coastal rivers to the water scarce metropolises in the South.

Coastline and Estuary: Thermal expansion of the Pacific Ocean may cause sea-levels to rise by over 3 feet by 2050, resulting in the inundation of low-lying coastal areas and wetlands, including those in the Tomales Bay, the Esteros, Bodega Harbor, the Bodega Dunes, and the Estuary at the mouth of the Russian River, and in greater erosion on the Sonoma Coast. Increased seawater intrusion would significantly affect fresh water quality on the coast.

Agriculture: Higher temperatures and drier soils will tend to reduce crop yields, while longer growing seasons would increase crop yields for suitable crops. The combined effect may be significant but is still uncertain. Availability of irrigation water will also be affected.

Water as Habitat: The mix of fish species in creeks and rivers is likely to change as a result of global warming and it will be increasingly difficult to provide habitat for some commercially important saltwater species that breed in fresh water, such as Chinook salmon.

Extreme Events: Changed hydraulic and El Niño patterns will trigger more frequent and intense floods, mudslides, extreme tides, and convective storms.