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Tree-Ring Reconstructions of Streamflow
for Water Management in the West
Jeff Lukas (University of Colorado/WWA), Connie
Woodhouse (University of Arizona/WWA)
Sustainable water management requires knowledge of the natural variability in streamflow over time. However, even a 100-year gaged record fails to capture the full range of natural variability of a river system, as the "unprecedented" low flows at many gages in 2002 showed. Water managers are recognizing that multi-century tree-ring reconstructions of streamflow provide more robust information about past variability. Reconstructions capture a broader range of flow conditions, including severe drought events, than gaged records. And unlike synthetic hydrologies, these paleohydrologic records reveal events that actually occurred, and can have greater credibility with decisionmakers and stakeholders.
Gaged and reconstructed annual streamflow for the Colorado River at Hot Sulphur Springs, 1907-2002
Many tree-ring reconstructions of steamflow and other hydroclimatic variables are now available for the western US. An increasing number of water management entities are successfully applying these data to modeling and planning. The goal of these web pages is to serve as a clearinghouse for tree-ring reconstructions of streamflow, and the information needed to support their application to water management.
Introduction to tree-ring reconstructions
of streamflow
- FAQ and instructional presentation
Technical workshops for water resource
managers
- presentations from recent workshops, schedule of future
workshops
Current and recent applications of
tree-ring reconstructions
- how water managers are using tree-rings
Online data resources
- tree-ring
reconstructions available for download and use
Other useful web sites and references
Paleoflow Users Group
More about us