Long-term trends in climate and hydrology in an agricultural headwater watershed of central Pennsylvania, USA

Abstract

Climate change has emerged as a key issue facing agriculture and water resources in the US. Long-term (1968-2012) temperature, precipitation and streamflow data from a small (7.3 km2) watershed in east-central Pennsylvania was used to examine climatic and hydrologic trends in the context of recent climate change. Annual mean temperatures increased 0.38°C per decade, which led to an expansion of the growing season, and increased evapotranspiration (+37.1 mm per decade). Additionally, mean annual precipitation also increased while the overall change in streamflow decreased. In general, the findings suggest some challenges for producers and water resource managers with regards to increased rainfall and runoff. However, some changes such as an enhanced growing season can be viewed as a positive effect.

Parent Publication

• Headwaters to estuaries: advances in watershed science and management - Proceedings of the Fifth Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds

Citation

Bryant, Ray B.; Lu, Haiming; Elkin, Kyle R.; Buda, Anthony R.; Collick, Amy S.; Folmar, Gordon J.; Kleinman, Peter J. 2016. Long-term trends in climate and hydrology in an agricultural headwater watershed of central Pennsylvania, USA. In: Stringer, Christina E.; Krauss, Ken W.; Latimer, James S., eds. 2016. Headwaters to estuaries: advances in watershed science and management -Proceedings of the Fifth Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds. March 2-5, 2015, North Charleston, South Carolina. e-General Technical  Report  SRS-211. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 9 p.