Study Looks at Future Water in Columbia River Basin

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Warming temperatures in the future will produce changes in the Columbia River Basin, with more precipitation in winter months and less during the summer.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday released the Columbia Basin study, which projected future impacts on water resources in the states of Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Washington. The study found that warming temperatures will continue across the basin.

While there will not be significant changes in the mean annual precipitation, the timing of snow and rain fall will change significantly. Future climate change inflow data was calculated at 157 locations across the Columbia River Basin.