The elevation-dependence of climate change impacts on streamflow in the Colorado River Basin

What is it about?

The importance of elevation on climate induced changes in streamflow is not always considered despite the strong topographic controls on streamflow due to the influence of warming on snow and snowmelt. This article links historical changes in streamflow (hydrograph centroid timing and annual maximum) to temperature and precipitation and explicitly shows how these relationships vary with elevation.

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Why is it important?

Our results demonstrate the importance of elevation on climate change induced changes on streamflow in the topographically complex Colorado River Basin. Above 2300 m within this region, temperature and precipitation have a much stronger influence on historical changes in streamflow. Based on these findings, we hypothesize where in the basin future streamflow changes are likely to be the most severe to aid in resource management prioritization by regional water managers.