The goal of the proposed project is to assess whether recent precipitation and reservoir inflow anomalies in Southeast Alaska are within the normal range of variability over the observational record, or whether they are evidence of a potential regime shift associated with climate change. Total and seasonal water availability (rain and snow pack) appears to be changing with climate throughout southeast Alaska where hydropower supplies the majority of electricity.

This project will focus on Sitka’s Blue Lake and Green Lake projects. Although focused on Sitka, the results of this study are intended to be useful to other hydroelectric utilities throughout southeast Alaska that are experiencing similar changes in total and seasonal water availability.

SNAP is working on this project in collaboration with Jessica Cherry, a post-doc research faculty member at the International Arctic Research Center who will serve as the Principle Investigator (PI); Amy Tidwell, a research faculty member at the Water and Environmental Research Center and will serve as a co-investigator from UAF; and Susan Walker, a Marine Resources Specialist and Regional Hydropower Coordinator with NMFS Habitat Conservation Division, Alaska Region, who will help coordinate data exchange with Southeast Alaska municipalities as well as facilitate communication between the municipalities, utilities, and the contracted researchers.