Watershed Symposium 2022

Changing winter rain/snow partitioning and increased April to October evapotranspiration from warmer temperatures poses a challenge to the Salt Lake City water system. We develop a comprehensive understanding of the driving climate, hydrological, and water system dynamics influencing seasonal to decadal planning and management activities.

Changing winter rain/snow partitioning and variable winter water storage coupled with increased April to October evapotranspiration from warmer temperatures in the Western US challenges water resources management from basin to municipal domains. In Salt Lake City, Utah, population growth further compounds these hydroclimate challenges. Addressing the supply-demand challenges with a climate resilience action plan, this work highlights the benefits of a collaborative research-to-operations (R2O) partnership between the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU), the University of Utah, and the University of Alabama. We develop a comprehensive understanding of the driving climate, hydrological, and water system dynamics influencing seasonal to decadal planning and management activities. This involved five years of extensive stakeholder engagement that led to key scientific discoveries surrounding winter precipitation anomalies, hydro-geophysical attributes improving surface water yield estimates, and key hydroclimate mechanisms influencing municipal demands.

Leveraging a systems model to replicate the SLCDPU water system and operations, we integrated the discoveries into the water systems setting to identify vulnerabilities and create preemptive (vs. reactionary) mitigation protocols at multiple forecasting horizons. This includes the development of a decision-making timeline with operational tools to prevent system deficits, characterize source vulnerabilities, and estimate conservation measures to mitigate supply deficits. The case study analyses highlight the decision-making influence the R2O workflow provides the utility, spotlighting the capacity to guide water resources decision-making over a range of hydroclimate phenomena to build water system-climate resilience.