Western Flow Metrics

Climate change is projected to alter the flow regimes of streams and rivers, with consequences for physical processes, aquatic organisms, and water resource management. To study these hydrologic changes, RMRS scientist Charles Luce and his team developed a database of flow metrics for streams in the western U.S. under historical conditions and climate change scenarios. This interactive map depicts modeled flow metrics in the western United States for historical (1977–2006) and future (2030–2059 and 2070–2099) climate change scenarios, and the absolute and percent change between them.