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Climate Change and California's Water
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More
about the series
 Listen
to an introduction from the series' producer
and editor, Kat Snow.
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California's water supply
has been stable for centuries thanks to a consistent and reliable
source: snow. Yet, scientists predict that if greenhouse gases continue
to accumulate at the current rate and force temperatures up, the
state could lose as much as 90% of its snow-pack by the end of the
century. A change in climate this big could lead to failures in
water-management systems throughout the state, affecting every one
of us. In our documentary series, Climate Change and California's
Water, we explore the implications of global warming on our levees,
our plants and animals and our lives.
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episode.
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Episodes
Part 1: Field Notes
Part 2: A Mediterranean Climate
Part 3: Flooding in the Valley
Part 4: Rising Seas
Part 5: Conserving Water
Part 6: Imperial Valley Gold
Part 7: Getting Ready
Part
1: Field Notes
Scientists are already seeing the affects
of climate change on plants and animals in California. We
travel to a bird refuge where migrating songbirds are arriving
earlier in the spring and to Sequoia National Park where
researchers have seen the mortality rate of trees double
over the last 25 years.
Reporters:
Craig Miller and Sasha Khokha
Segment
A aired November 12, 2007
Listen
(MP3)
Segment B aired November
13, 2007
Listen
(MP3) |
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More on the Web:
San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory
USGS: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Field
Station - includes facts about the parks and the research
conducted there.
Summary of increasing tree mortality rates [pdf]
(USGS)
Western Mountain Initiative - an integration
of research programs that study global change in mountain ecosystems
of the western United States.
Consortium for Integrated Climate Research in Western
Mountains - measures and researches climate-driven
changes in unique landscapes.
Part
2: A Mediterranean Climate
California is known for a stable, relatively
benign climate of wet winters and dry summers. We explore
how the air, ocean and land create our climate, and talk
about what could change as the ocean warms and air temperatures
rise with global warming.
Reporters:
Craig Miller and Tamara Keith
Segment
A aired November 19, 2007
Listen
(MP3)
Segment B aired November 20, 2007
Listen
(MP3) |
Stats,
Charts & Graphs:
California's Rising Temperatures
Declining Snowpack in California
Rising Sea Levels
Rising Sea Level in the San Francisco Bay
Part
3: Flooding in the Valley
We travel to the Central Valley to examine
the levees that protect cities and croplands from flooding.
Aged and crumbling, these levees are vulnerable as warmer
temperatures bring more rain and less snow in the winter months.
Reporter: Sasha Khokha
Aired November 30, 2007
Listen
(MP3) |
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Part
4: Rising Seas
The Sacramento Delta is the source of water
for two-thirds of Californians and three million acres of
croplands. Open to the sea through the San Francisco Bay,
the Delta is vulnerable to salt penetration and levee failure
as the sea level rises.
Reporter: Tamara Keith
Aired January 4, 2008
Listen
(MP3) |
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Stats, Charts & Graphs:
Rising Sea Levels
Rising Sea Level in the San Francisco Bay
Part
5: Conserving Water
Contrary to its image of swimming pools and
lush lawns, sunny Southern California is on the cutting edge
of water conservation. We travel two miles underground in
a water pipe and even stomp around in cow manure to bring
you a story of how the Southland is leading the way in water-saving
efforts.
Reporter: Rob Schmitz
Aired January 14, 2008
Listen
(MP3) |
Part
6: Imperial Valley Gold
The Colorado River plunges down from the
Rocky Mountains to feed farms and cities in seven states.
In the Imperial Valley at the southernmost border of California,
water from the river has turned a desert into more than
450,000 acres of productive farmland. Now, climate change
is setting the scene for bitter battles over that water.
Reporter: Rob Schmitz
Aired January 18, 2008
Listen
(MP3) |
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Part
7: Getting Ready
Water managers have a huge task ahead of
them to prepare for the volatile, unpredictable future of
California's climate. We conclude our series with some innovative ideas -- and a toss of the gauntlet.
Reporter: Rachael Myrow
Aired February 11, 2008
Listen
(MP3) |
Resources
- Climate Change Glossary - definitions of the terms.
- California
Climate Change Portal - state website for climate change research,
policy and activity.
- Our
Changing Climate: Assessing the Risks to California - report
from the California Climate Change Center.
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - a
project of the United Nations and the World Meterological Organization.
Staff
- Kat Snow, editor and producer
- Tamara Keith, reporter
- Sasha Khokha, reporter
- Craig Miller, reporter
- Rachael Myrow, reporter
- Rob Schmitz, reporter
- Bruce Koon, news director
- Raul Ramirez, executive director
- Gabriel Coan, senior online editor
- Danny Bringer, Jim Bennett, Howard Gelman, Tom Krymkowski, Ceil Muller, technical engineers
Support for KQED's series on Climate Change and California's
Water was provided by a research fellowship from the Bill Lane Center
for the North American West at Stanford University.
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