Downscaled CMIP3 and CMIP5 Climate and Hydrology Projections
The archive provides climate and hydrologic projections at spatial and temporal scales relevant to some of the watershed and basin-scale decisions facing water and natural resource managers and planners dealing with climate change. Such access permits several types of analyses, including: (1) assessment of potential climate change impacts on natural and social systems (e.g., watershed hydrology, ecosystems, water and energy demands); (2) assessment of local to regional climate projection uncertainty; and, (3) risk-based exploration of planning and policy responses framed by potential climate changes exemplified by these projections. This archive contains fine spatial resolution translations of climate projections over the contiguous United States (U.S.) developed using two downscaling techniques (monthly BCSD Figure 1, and daily BCCA Figure 2), CMIP3 hydrologic projections over the western U.S. (roughly the western U.S. Figure 3), and CMIP5 hydrology projections over the contiguous U.S. corresponding to monthly BCSD climate projections. Archive data have supported Bureau of Reclamation development of SECURE Water Act Reports to Congress.