Chris Frans, formerly at the University of Washington Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will summarize past glacier and hydrological change in the basin, recent projections of climate change, and potential future implications for the snow and glaciers of Mount Hood and downstream water supply. Melt water from glaciers on Mount Hood can play a significant role in sustaining dry season river flow and water supply. The contribution of glacier melt is highest during the driest time of year and amplified in years of drought. Frans and his colleagues recently completed a study that coupled glacier-hydrological modeling to describe the relative influence of glacier melt throughout the Hood River basin and predict how this contribution will change with a warming climate. Although this information was incorporated into the Hood River Basin Study, Frans’ glacier model extended to the end of the century, while Basin Study results predicted stream flows through 2060.

6:00 – 8:00 PM at the Hood River County Board of Commissioners Meeting Room, 601 State Street, Hood River. Presented by Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District.