Snow and Its Importance to our Water Supply Under a Changing Climate

Our September meeting will almost certainly be over Zoom as the County has not yet reopened the Turtle Rock Park Community Center after the Tamarack Fire.  If at the last minute we can use the Community Center there will be an update with that information.  The presentation will be by Dr. Jeff Dozier of the University of California, Santa Barbara on mountain snow and the likely effects of climate change on this important source of water for us.  Whether your water supply is from ground or surface water (Markleeville Water Company), the amount of snow, its timing, and when and how it melts all affect the security of your water supply.

Abstract:  Sixty million people in the Western U.S. and nearly two billion people worldwide depend on mountain snow for their water resources.  Of the likely effects of climate change on California and Western Nevada, consequences in the iconic Range of Light (the Sierra Nevada) are the most important. The presentation focus on empirical evidence about interannual variability and trends.

Biography:  Jeff Dozier is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he taught for 44 years before retiring in 2018. He founded its Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and served as the first dean for six years before promoting himself back to the faculty.  His research focuses on snow, hydrology, and remote sensing.  He has published over 300 scientific papers and books and is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  He serves on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Inyo, dedicated to protecting public lands in the Eastern Sierra.

BAER Report:  The public version of the Burn Area Emergency Response (BAER) report for the Tamarack Fire is available here.  There will be time for a short discussion of the report and what needs to be done to restore our community.

Future Meetings:  Although no date has been fixed, Michelle Coppoletta, an Ecologist with the Forest Service will be making a presentation on her recent paper with Dr. Brandon Collins on post-fire management of vegetation and fuels.  Depending on feedback the ABC may want to host a public meeting on what needs to be done and how best to restore our community and the damage done by the Tamarack Fire.

The September meeting it will be Tuesday September 7^th at 6:00 pm via Zoom video conference unless the County opens the Turtle Rock Park Community Center.  The Zoom link will be active beginning about 5:45 pm to give people time to chat and resolve any technical problems.  The connection information is below.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86385568257?pwd=aDlCb0JpQ3IwemU1Q0RSaTJhT3pZdz09

Meeting ID: 863 8556 8257; Passcode: ABC; Phone: 408-638-0968 or 669-900-6833