Climate Change and Water Resources Management: A Federal Perspective

Many challenges, including climate change, face the Nation’s water managers. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has provided estimates of how climate may change, but more understanding of the processes driving the changes, the sequences of the changes, and the manifestation of these global changes at different scales could be beneficial. Since the changes will likely affect fundamental drivers of the hydrological cycle, climate change may have a large impact on water resources and water resources managers. The purpose of this interagency report prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to explore strategies to improve water management by tracking, anticipating, and responding to climate change. The key points below briefly summarize the chapters in this report and represent underlying assumptions needed to address the many impacts of climate change.

Situational and Driver Characteristics Associated With Deervehicle Collisions in Southeastern Michigan

Deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) create societal impacts throughout the range of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus). In Michigan reported DVCs increased by nearly 60% between 1992-2003, with current estimates at more than 65,000 DVCs per year and a mean of $2,300 vehicle damage. To better understand where to direct education and information programs, we used Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) data, 2001-2003, to profile driver characteristics and accident situations of DVCs in Washtenaw, Oakland, and Monroe Counties in Michigan. Each county varies in intensity of land use, human and deer densities, and available deer habitat. Deer density in Washtenaw, Oakland, and Monroe Counties was 49.5, 21.9 and 8.9 per mi2, respectively, and the annual rate of DVCs in these counties was 5.3, 2.6 and 1.8 per 1,000 licensed drivers. Drivers are at particular risk of being involved in DVCs between 6pm- 6am, which includes dawn and dusk commuting hours, and night. Single lane roads and roads with higher posted speed limits provided greater risk to drivers of involvement in a DVC. Middle-aged drivers, particularly males, were at increased risk deer-related collisions. Results from this study will be combined with survey research to determine how best to educate drivers about risk factors that make occurrence of a DVC more likely.