The 2014 California Drought - Dealing with Extreme Dryness from a Hydroelectric Planning Perspective

Title
The 2014 California Drought - Dealing with Extreme Dryness from a Hydroelectric Planning Perspective
Abstract
Conditions leading into the 2014 drought included 15-years of generally declining wetness over much of California causing the northern California's porous volcanic aquifer storage to decline significantly from the aquifer's relatively high mid-1990's storage state. Also water year runoff from rain-shadowed areas of the northern California's Sierra and southern Cascades have been in a state of trending decline since the 1976-1977 drought, a condition likely attributable to
impacts from climate change. Utilizing the latest research findings available in 2014 on climate change and drought, the approach to reservoir and power production planning at PG&E changed from that utilized with prior droughts. Rather than assuming median likelihood or some low level of exceedances probability for remaining seasonal precipitation, the planning would take place as if the high pressure system pattern would continue to persist with no
additional runoff expected.
Purpose
The acceptance of both the concept of climate change impacts as well as new paleo-climatological research findings about California and
the southwest were for the first time being given serious consideration in the Company's water release planning.
Begin Date
2015-08-21
Originator Name
Gary J. Freeman
Ordering Information
Power Generation Department, Pacific Gas &Electric Co., Mail Code N13A, P.O. Box 770000, San Francisco, CA
94177, GJF2@pge.com
Links
almanorpost.com/tap/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/WSC_2014-f…
Keywords
Climate Change, Drought, Hydroelectric, Reservoirs, Sierra
Resource Type
Document
Resource Owner
deercreekgisWebsite

To the owner of The 2014 California Drought - Dealing with Extreme Dryness from a Hydroelectric Planning Perspective

1 file