Integrated Water Management Modeling for Climate Variability Study in the Niobrara River Basin

The Niobrara River Basin Study is a collaborative effort by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation under the federal WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) program. The objective of the WaterSMART program is to make use of the best available science in the assessment of current and projected future water supply and demand with the goal of securing future water supplies. The technical analysis of the Niobrara River Basin Study involves an Integrated Water Management Model which consists of three different water resources models—a groundwater model, watershed model, and surface water operations model. The three water resources models are integrated with each other to simulate the flow of water through the natural hydrological cycle as historical changes occurred through time due to anthropogenic activities. Projection results of future climate from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are incorporated into the Integrated Water Management Model to assess projected future water supply and demand. This talk will explore the mechanics of the Integrated Water Management Model as used to assess the impacts of climate variability in the Niobrara River Basin and will discuss some results of the technical analysis.