Climate Change Impacts - MississippiWatershed Resiliency

The issue of climate change is important to our watershed and will, over time, have a great impact on the Mississippi River.

Mississippi Valley Conservation (MVC) has been monitoring the Mississippi River for close to forty years.  MVC carefully monitors flows along the river to assist with the flood forecasting and warning program.  Some of the gauges used have been in existence longer than MVC.  The Appleton gauge has provided us with information dating back to 1919.  Utilizing the data gathered from the Appleton gauge, MVC can clearly see the effect of a changing climate on the Mississippi River.

Local Climate Change Impacts

Locally we are experiencing an earlier melting of the snowpack, increases in average temperatures, more drought and more frequent extreme weather events.  MVC is actively working on establishing a better understanding of the impacts climate change will have on our local water resources and is creating a strategy to deal with those changes.

In 2007, MVC commenced work on a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy.  The multi-year project will identify challenges and opportunities.  Once complete, the strategy will help guide our actions. Monitoring programs will because more important as we can utilize the data to assist in making our watersheds more resilient to the changes are are likely to encounter.  Forest cover, surface water quality and groundwater quality will undoubtedly be affected by climate change.  Study findings will enables MVC to proactively address watershed management challenges associated with climate change impacts.

Click here to learn more about MVC's Climate Change Adaptation Strategy