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Programs - Sierra Water & Climate Change Campaign
Table of Contents:Background on the Sierra Water & Climate Change Program
The Sierra Water & Climate Change Program alerts the public and decision makers to the impacts of climate change in the Sierra and ensures that smart local resource management plans (watershed plans, general plans, hydropower re-licensing, integrated regional water management, forestry, etc.) are adopted that protect natural resources by reducing emissions and adapting to the changing climate.
Climate change is impacting the Sierra now and future impacts could be catastrophic. The Sierra Nevada supplies 55% of California’s developed water as well as most of the water to Northwestern Nevada through a vast water delivery system that is highly dependent on the Sierra snowpack. Over the past 100 years, there has been a 25% reduction in runoff from April to July in the Central Sierra-Sacramento Region and a 10% reduction in runoff in the Southern Sierra. Leading scientists agree that temperature will rise even under the best emission reduction scenarios. This increase in temperature will result in a projected decline of 25-40% of the snowpack between 2025 and 2050. By the end of the century, losses could reach 75-90%.
Sierra waters and lands are already significantly impaired due to 150 years of resource extraction, recreation and unchecked development. Our current water and other resource management strategies will not be able to accommodate these pressures along with climate change. The Sierra Nevada Alliance is working with conservation representatives, resource managers and community leaders to ensure they have cutting-edge tools to adapt resource plans and projects and address change in ways that protect and restore Sierra waters, lands, wildlife and rural communities. For more information, check out the second edition of our Sierra Climate Change Toolkit.
The Sierra Nevada Alliance Sierra Water & Climate Change Program is an ambitious effort to tap the rocket. If you tap a rocket when it first takes off, the course of the rocket is drastically changed with minimum effort. However, if you try to change the rocket’s course long after take off, the amount of energy required is exponentially greater. At the Alliance, we believe the next three years are our opportunity to tap the rocket of climate change and water issues. If we engage now, we have the best opportunity to ensure natural resource protection is highly valued when planning how to adapt California's water delivery system and other resource management practices for climate change.
Educate resource managers and the public on Sierra climate change and inspire communities to change resource management plans to both reduce emissions and adapt while protecting natural resources.
Represent Sierra interests in state water policy forums to adapt to climate change and protect Sierra resources.
Promote urban and rural water conservation and Sierra natural water storage for water reliability and flood management and to preserve Sierra natural resources.
Integrate regional water management planning (IRWMPs) and encourage equal protection of Sierra natural resources while supplying water and protecting water quality. Create good models and export models and lessons learned throughout the Sierra.
NEW! 2009 Sierra Meadow Forum - On Oct. 15th the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Sierra Nevada Alliance hosted the Sierra Meadow Forum. To check out the presentations, handouts and notes from the event, click here.NEW! 2009 Sierra IRWMP Summit - On Oct. 16th the Sierra Nevada Alliance and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy joined forces to convene the 2009 IRWMP Summit. Topics at the Summit included IRWMP success stories, lessons learned, advice for implementation, and including climate change in the IRWMP. To access the presentations from the Summit, click here. 54 Organizations have signed the Alliance’s Sierra Water & Climate Change Adaptation Pledge, promising to be leaders on climate change adaptation and encourage, whenever possible, incorporating seven adaptation principles into Sierra resource plans and projects. Click on this link to see a list of the 54 organizations. [November 2009]The Alliance has given 51 presentations on Sierra climate change impacts and adaptation strategies to local conservation organizations, water agencies, state agencies, federal agencies, city planning departments, conferences, symposiums and public meetings. The Alliance has published a new second edition of the Sierra Climate Change Toolkit and distributed over 1000 copies of the Sierra Climate Change Toolkit. The Toolkit provides current information on the impacts of climate change in the Sierra, discusses how to reduce emissions, and provides tips and strategies on how to adapt to the changes in climate already set in motion.Marion Gee, Sierra Nevada Alliance Program Associate, was appointed to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Climate Change Technical Advisory Group (CCTAG). This group advises DWR on water and climate change issues and the appointment of the Alliance ensures Sierra conservation has a seat at the table. The Alliance helped shape language in SB2x1 to encourage multi-stakeholder, collaborative Integrated Regional Water Management Plans, thereby better ensuring these plans best address water quality and ecosystem health, along with water supply reliability. Alliance staff provided project facilitation, fundraising assistance, lessons learned from other regional planning efforts, and comprehensive outreach for first 6 months of the Inyo-Mono IRWMP and Southern Sierra IRWMP, thereby helping these important regions of the Sierra kick off strong planning efforts to qualify for further resource assistance and implement integrated projects that benefit local communities and ecosystems.Program staff helped inspire the creation of and shape California Adaptation Strategy draft principles, which are symbiotic with the Alliance’s own seven adaptation principles. The California Adaptation Strategy is being developed by the Resources Agency as ordered by the Governor (Executive Order S-13-08) and will likely shape future California legislation and funding regarding climate adaptation. Alliance provided comments to the California Water Plan to ensure watershed restoration and protection were included as an objective in addressing the state’s water needs. Staff produces a monthly Sierra climate change e-newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter, contact Program Assistant/AmeriCorps member Robert Collier 530-542-4546 ext. 323 or email robertATsierranevadaalliance.org (replace AT with @). - NEW!Climate Change Case Studies Vol. 1 Issue 2 Dec. 2009
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges to the natural resources and rural communities of the Sierra. The impacts of climate change are already being seen. It is critical that immediate actions be taken simultaneously to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid worst case scenarios and to adapt to the changes in climate already set in motion. This publication offers climate change case studies to help Sierra resource managers and community leaders to address these issues. They are meant to provide possible models and tactics that can be replicated across the Sierra.
These two case studies examine the efforts of the town of Keene, NH and the Canadian non-profit Columbia Basin Trust to address emission reduction and adaptation in local land use planning. - Investing in California's Headwaters: The Sierra Nevada
Sierra waters are critical for the health and welfare of California and yet there has been minimal attention and state resources dedicated to the protection and restoration of this headwater resource. The Sierra headwaters produce more than $2.2 billion in products and services, but only 2% of that money is reinvested in the Sierra by the local, state and federal government. Investing in California’s Headwaters: The Sierra Nevada highlights this astonishing discrepancy and makes the case for comprehensive and timely investment in the Sierra headwaters. - Climate Change Case Studies Vol. 1 Issue 1 June 2009
These three case studies examine a water agency (El Dorado Irrigation District), a non-profit conservation group (The Nature Conservancy), and a federal agency (Devils Postpile National Monument) that are each actively
working to incorporate emission reduction and/or adaptation into their resource planning and management. - 54 Groups have signed the Adaptation Pledge!
Follow the link to see the list of 54 Sierra organizations who have pledged to be leaders on climate change adaptation and encourage, whenever possible, incorporating the Alliance's seven adaptation principles into Sierra resource plans and projects. - Sierra Climate Change Toolkit
The 2nd edition of the Sierra Climate Change Toolkit contains current and relevant information on climate change impacts at the global, national, state and regional level. More importantly, the toolkit focuses on how resource planners and empowered individuals can successfully plan for future climate change and adapt our lifestyles and management practices to address the ongoing effects of global warming. Also featured is an updated and expanded list of resources, reading and websites, and contacts. - Water & Climate Change Program Factsheet
This factsheet gives a brief overview of climate change in the Sierra and how the Sierra Nevada Alliance Water and Climate Change Campaign is working to address this important issue. - Sierra Water & Climate Change Adaptation Pledge
By taking the Sierra Nevada Alliance Adaptation pledge, your organization will commit to take action, when possible, to address climate change adaptation and to incorporate our guiding principles into your planning and project development processes. For more information on the pledge and the benefits of joining our adaptation network, contact info@sierranevadaalliance.org. To take the pledge, print this copy and fax it to 530-542-4570 or mail it to PO Box 7989, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96158. You can also copy and paste the pledge into an email with your information and a statement saying you wish to pledge and join the network and send it to info@sierranevadaalliance.org. - Adapting Resource Management to Address Climate Change [PowerPoint Presentation]
This PowerPoint presentation entitled "Adapting Resource Management to Address Climate Change" can be used to educate conservation groups, resource agencies and community leaders on the effects of climate change in the Sierra and principles for adapting planning processes to address these changes. - Reducing Individual Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Address Climate Change [PowerPoint Presentation]
This PowerPoint presentation entitled "Reducing Individual Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Address Climate Change" can be used to educate on the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and what individuals can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
Sierra Climate Change NewsThe monthly Climate Change Newsletter is a great resource for staying up to date on the latest in climate change news, events, and science. If you would like to subscribe to the newsletter please email "nick" (without quotes) at this site's address. Check out the materials below or contact Program Staff:
Marion Gee, Program Associate 530-542-4546 ext. 320 or email "marion" (without quotes) at this site's address.
Nick Santos, Program Assistant/AmeriCorps member, 530-542-4546 ext. 323 or email "nick" (without quotes) at this site's address. Sierra Nevada Alliance Member Groups:
California Oaks Foundation
Defenders of Wildlife
Mono Lake Committee
Planning and Conservation League
Sierra Business Council
Other organizations and agencies:
APPLE
Power Up Nevada City
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Tahoe Environmental Research Center
Truckee Climate Action Network
U.S. Forest Service Climate Change Resource Center
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