Climate Resiliency Tool Kit
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AUGUST 2018 PIEDMONT TRIAD CLIMATE RESILIENCY TOOL KIT PIEDMONT TRIAD CLIMATE RESILIENCY TOOL KIT PREPARED BY PROJECT TEAM Kelly Larkins, Regional Planner II Cameron Colvin, Water Resources Planner Anna Leonard, Environmental Programs Coordinator Lindsey Bijas, Environmental Programs Coordinator Lauren Huffstetler, AmeriCorps Service Member Kayla Kohlmann, AmeriCorps Service Member FOREWORD The Piedmont Triad Regional Council works closely with member governments to identify and address local and regional concerns. We recognize that there is a growing need for regional guidance on climate issues. Local decision makers need access to up-to-date and reliable information about current and projected changes in climate, the impacts of such changes, and strategies that communities can undertake to better prepare and adapt to a changing climate, so that they can make well-informed decisions and investments. The Piedmont Triad Climate Resiliency Tool Kit is intended to serve as a resource for the region’s member communities and provide the background knowledge necessary to begin working towards a more resilient future. It summarizes existing climate data, discusses the likely local and regional impacts, and provides resources and recommendations to assist local communities in addressing these challenges. This project builds off of the Piedmont Together Climate Adaptability Report, which was developed in 2014 as part of a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sustainable Communities initiative. We hope that this report will raise awareness and understanding and better equip Piedmont Triad communities to tackle complex issues that climate change presents. Contents Climate Change Overview ............................................................................................................................. 1 Climate in the Piedmont Triad ...................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Temperature ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Precipitation .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Water Availability ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Extreme Weather in the Piedmont Triad .................................................................................................... 10 Agriculture .................................................................................................................................................. 15 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 15 Agriculture within the Region ................................................................................................................. 15 Direct Effects ........................................................................................................................................... 16 Indirect Effects ........................................................................................................................................ 20 Stormwater & Flooding ............................................................................................................................... 22 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 22 Observed & Projected Trends ................................................................................................................. 22 Potential Impacts .................................................................................................................................... 24 Adaptation Strategies ............................................................................................................................. 28 Water Supply & Wastewater ...................................................................................................................... 29 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 29 Factors Affecting Water Supply & Waste Water Capacity ...................................................................... 31 Existing Suppliers & Projected Demand .................................................................................................. 34 Regional Overview of Water Supply ....................................................................................................... 35 Existing Suppliers & Projected Demand by River Basin .......................................................................... 36 Roanoke River Basin ................................................................................................................................ 45 Wastewater Capacity .............................................................................................................................. 48 Regional Water Connectivity .................................................................................................................. 51 Data Resources ........................................................................................................................................... 60 Ag Weather Tools .................................................................................................................................... 60 NC Climate Office Agriculture Tools ....................................................................................................... 61 Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) ................................................................................................ 62 Stormwater Management Model with Climate Adjustment Tool (SWMM-CAT) ................................... 63 NC Climate Office Weather Data ............................................................................................................ 64 Carolinas Precipitation Patterns & Probabilities ..................................................................................... 65 Drought Monitoring ................................................................................................................................ 66 Ground Water Management Branch Database ...................................................................................... 67 Integrated Water Portal .......................................................................................................................... 68 NC Drought Advisory ............................................................................................................................... 69 Climate Explorer ...................................................................................................................................... 70 AgroClimate ............................................................................................................................................ 71 Climate Resiliency Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) .................................................................. 72 Flood Resilience: A Basic Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities ..................................................... 73 Green Growth Toolbox ........................................................................................................................... 74 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool ............................................................................................................. 75 Low Impact Development (LID) .............................................................................................................. 76 Stormwater Calculator ............................................................................................................................ 77 Audubon Birds and Climate Report ........................................................................................................ 78 Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) .............................................................................. 79 The Social Vulnerability Index ................................................................................................................. 80 Convergence of Climate-Health-Vulnerabilities ..................................................................................... 81 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................. 82 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 87 Regional Climate Resiliency Survey......................................................................................................... 87 Piedmont Triad Climate Summits ........................................................................................................... 93 Figure 1: Observed Global Land & Ocean Surface Warming ........................................................................ 1 Figure