Although it is widely agreed that climate change is a severe global issue, the high level of uncertainty in global climate models may make it challenging for decision-makers to act with useful information. Making educated decisions requires quantifying the science and uncertainty to assist and advise federal agencies and/or major infrastructure owners (dams, bridges, levees, etc), especially as it relates to extreme precipitation events. Key to making informed decisions is estimating and developing reliable projections of potential changes in excessive precipitation, runoff, snowmelt, and other hydrologic drivers close to dams.

This session is predicated on the hypothesis that by using cutting-edge data science-based approaches, decision-makers may overcome the biases and other shortcomings of global climate model projections and obtain relevant information.

This session intends to provide decision-makers and experts on climate change with methodology and technical advice so they may use the available global climate models to make climate change informed decisions regarding extremes in water resources.

Submitters: David Paul Keeney, Water Resources Engineering and Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO; Miles Yaw, Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, TN; Devan Mahadevan, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC, DC and Kent Walker, Water Resources Engineering and Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO