Dane County Climate Council - Climate Planning Summary

Transcription

1 Dane County Climate Council - Climate Planning Summary These climate planning outcomes are provided as examples of the many aspects of local government that may be affected by present and future climate. Representing both temperature and precipitation scenarios, they are organized under the headings of Climate Risks and Vulnerabilities (pg.2), and Adaptation Strategies (pg. 5), then grouped by the following topics: Agriculture County Facilities and Budget Government Services Groundwater Management Infrastructure Natural Resources Management Public Health Public Safety Surface Water Management To illustrate the potential risks from climate, county department heads were presented with the following future climate conditions based on projections provided by the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI), using the A1B CO2 scenario: Temperature Annual Average Temperature + 6⁰F Average Maximum Temperature + 6⁰F Annual Peak Temperature ⁰F Twenty more Days over 90⁰F Five hundred more cooling degree days More frequent-longer heat waves Precipitation Annual Precipitation +2" Rainfall frequency and intensity increasing Extreme rainfall event (6" in 24hrs) Increased rainfall in winter and spring Increased groundwater recharge Department staff used this information to identify climate risks and vulnerabilities for county residents and local government operations, and to develop climate adaptation strategies. 1

2 CLIMATE RISKS and VULNERABILITIES Agriculture - Temperature Increased acreage of row crops; Decrease in food availability due to droughts and floods. County Facilities and Budget - Temperature More demand on HVAC systems; Increased need for facility cooling strategies; Increased commodity pricing; Increased facility energy costs; Decreased summer attendance to outdoor events, decreased revenue; Increase in vehicle A/C repairs; Increase in sick leave usage and increased worker compensation claims. County Facilities and Budget - Precipitation Increased demand on stormwater drainage systems; Erosion; Wind damage to electric and telecom lines; Hail damage to roofs, siding, buildings and vehicles; Reduced event attendance and revenues; Flooding in and round County facilities; Increased snow removal. Government Services - Temperature Increase need for communication and response for heat waves; Heat stress on employees working outdoors; Longer warm weather recreational season; Increase in number of animal welfare complaints; Extended heat islands effect; Loss of archaeological, architectural, and cultural resources due to weathering. Government Services- Precipitation Increased severity, frequency and persistence of regional flood events; Previous investment in public safety and environmental protection risks being overwhelmed by precipitation impacts that are beyond those anticipated by past infrastructure designers and water resource managers; Changing boundaries of shorelands, floodplains, and wetlands; Increased risk of flood related employee injuries and absenteeism 2

3 Localized flooding causing stream bank instability, tree falls, loss of cropland, property damage and damage to bridges; County facilities closed due to flooding; Increased snow/ice storms and floods require additional staff to coordinate multi-jurisdictional response and maintain situational awareness; Diminished response times to emergency calls; Employee travel difficult due to impassable roads, staff may not be able to report for work, increasing overtime and vacancies in the schedule; Food establishment closures due to flooding; Increase in failure of Private Onsite Wastewater systems. Groundwater Management - Temperature Increase demand for groundwater for irrigation; More evaporation or transpiration result in lower water levels, decrease in infiltration. Groundwater Management Precipitation Increased groundwater recharge, localized groundwater flooding; Increased stream base flows and surface flooding. Infrastructure - Temperature Additional freeze thaw cycles on roadways; High temperatures buckle roadways. Infrastructure - Precipitation Extreme rainfall and flood events cause, high water over roadways; Increased damage to roadway pavement and shoulders, more potholes. Natural Resources Management - Temperature Decrease in ice cover; Increased water temperatures change the biological composition of the waterways and wetlands; Increased evaporation from lakes; Increase in aquatic invasives, decreased species diversity; Cold water species may be extirpated; Decline in native species in woodlots, increase in invasive plants and insects. Natural Resources Management - Precipitation Erosion and runoff from snow and winter rain events; Increased chloride and sodium levels in lakes & groundwater from road deicing. 3

4 Public Health Temperature Increase in heat related health symptoms; High demand for EMS and medical system, secondary impacts will require broad coordination. Increased employee heat related injuries; High temperatures will affect consumers in all parts of the Health Department and result in increased operating costs; Increased ozone and poor air quality could reach dangerous levels for sensitive groups; Power outages lead to decreased cooling capacity for vulnerable populations; High temperatures and power outages lead to increase in food spoilage and food borne illness; Increased lake temperature cause shifts in geographic distribution of pathogens & toxin producing species, and optimal conditions for harmful algal blooms (HABs). Public Health - Precipitation Increased West Nile Virus and other arboviral cases due to increased mosquito and tick activity; Mold issues in homes and businesses Soil erosion, chemical contaminants, nutrients, bacteria into beaches via runoff; Elevated groundwater table contaminated by contact with surface water; Flooded and contaminated drinking water wells; Municipal sewer overflows and septic system flooding. Public Safety Temperature Increased wildfire threat; Increase in calls for EMS and police services. Public Safety - Precipitation Increased severity, frequency and persistence of regional flood events; Flooding of low lying areas beyond flood plains; Soil saturation around trees, roadways, and structures leading to failure; Localized flooding causing road closures; Increase in call volume due to stranded motorists, debris in roadway, structure flooding, arcing wires, and power outages; Increase in emergency response times due to increase in calls and road conditions. Surface Water Management - Temperature Increased air and water temperatures, with longer ice-free periods; Higher annual temps affect the functioning of the lake system, hamper ability to manage and restore clean water; Increase in road, parking lot, and land surface temperatures cause increased runoff temperature; Increase growth of aquatic plant species leads to decreased recreational use; 4

5 Earlier fish spawning; Increased need for lake level management. Surface Water Management - Precipitation Seepage lakes will change as a result of variable precipitation, recharge, or increased potential evapotranspiration, affecting water chemistry, habitat, and shorelines; Intense storms cause more runoff, soil erosion, flooding...reduce recharge; More runoff into surface water; Higher pollutant loads of oil & grease, heavy metals, sediment, phosphorus and salt; Increased flooding and property damage; More extreme high and low lake levels; Decreased recreational use of lakes due to high water; Sediment and nutrient loading will increase as a result of earlier and more intense spring runoff events; Increased use of deicers and risk of increased chloride levels in surface and groundwater. ADAPTATION STRATEGIES Agriculture - Temperature Higher priority on water management practices; Increase local food production County Facilities and Budget - Temperature Continuity of operations planning; Better building temperature control; Replace windows with low-e glass; Replace blinds with shades that have increased heat opacity; Alternative energy for new buildings; Increase budget energy cost caps; Preventive maintenance on departmental vehicles; Providing shade and cooling stations; Provide more indoor areas for the visitors for both heat and cold; Build new projects with sustainability in mind; Service and replace HVAC systems with increased temperature in mind; Educate employees on heat related injuries; Ensure supervisors are closely monitoring employees to prevent heat related injuries; Provide a safe environment for zoo animals, staff and visitors during such extreme heat; Renovate zoo facilities to accommodate increased temps, provide shade and cooling areas. 5

6 County Facilities and Budget - Precipitation Routine maintenance of stormwater systems; Build retention areas to accommodate increased runoff; Collect and store rainwater for later use; Develop soil drainage system to divert excess soil moisture into existing storm system. Government Services - Temperature Increase outreach and education on climate change impacts, increase public education relative to heat; Continue and expand exotic and invasive species education and awareness programs for boaters, anglers, and others; Develop rapid response planning and implementation methods to improve existing aquatic invasive species control programs; Further consider heat impacts in county and town comprehensive plans; Develop standard considerations and policies for reducing heat impact of new development; Consider tree coverage requirements for new subdivisions, parking lots, etc.; Promote tree planting programs; Develop design standards and requirements for green rooftops; Include transit oriented design and other sustainable transportation requirements in subdivision and zoning codes; Promote interconnectedness of bike lanes to regional systems; Increase hazard preparedness and mitigation activities with more time spent with local governments and first responders addressing hazard definition and potential mitigation solutions; Provide employees with hydration stations; more frequent breaks, modified work schedules; Establish policies for heat wave actions and site cooling centers; Promote more energy efficient building standards; Draft and implement amendment to Uniform Dwelling Code (UDC) to require more energy efficient building as a standard; Prepare plans to maintain and increase tree canopy; Promote alternative energy generation; Change Zoo species exhibited to adapt to high summer heat, evaluate indoor vs. outdoor exhibits and costs of operations. Government Services- Precipitation Increase outreach and education on climate change impacts; Prepare for floods by establishing procedures, building maintenance; Begin researching measures to protect properties and people within modified shoreland, floodplain, wetland regulations ( in addition to conventional zoning); Perform floods studies using extreme rainfall scenarios; 6

7 Enhance and restore shoreline habitat to withstand changes in water levels; Change planning and zoning for lakeshore development to account for changes in water levels; Adjust and modify expectations and uses of lakes, rivers and streams especially seepage lakes; County Ordinance (like City of Madison's) for storm water management for new development; Change planning zoning and design standards to account for changes in projected flood levels; Increase inspection of stormwater conveyances to identify vulnerabilities, target vulnerable areas for repair and restoration; Restore prior-converted wetlands in upland areas and floodplains to provide storage and filtration; Remove or mitigate public safety hazards from flood fringe and floodway areas; Develop both long-term and short-term changes to community infrastructure; Standardizing protocols for 9-1-1, DC HWY, L&WR, and EM to staff EOC for predicted snow events; Greater outreach to local governments throughout the year to build an emergency communication / coordination process between local and county plowing operations; Utilize extreme storm transposition modeling, in conjunction with county support of mitigation plan development, to identify means to improve sewer system protections; Increase stockpile of sandbags; Identify location at DC HWY shop to build permanent building for storages of flood fighting equipment and supplies; Further work with local government to address development and construction impacts on runoff issues and solutions; Add all-weather vehicles to County fleet. Groundwater Management - Temperature Promote sustainable agricultural practices; Encourage agricultural operators to infiltrate precipitation and use water-efficient crops; Encourage rural and urban water conservation through incentives and regulation; Promote integrated water management by planning water use based on long term projections of supply and demand and tied to land use and economic growth forecasts; Increase rainfall infiltration opportunities with more green infrastructure, wetlands, and vegetated areas; Groundwater Management Precipitation Use watershed adaptive management process to install more vegetated areas in agricultural areas and in wetlands to increase infiltration; Restrict new construction on hydric soil and other areas prone to flooding. Infrastructure - Temperature Increase facility maintenance activities; Increase monitoring of susceptible roadway pavements. 7

8 Infrastructure - Precipitation Acquire additional signing and alternative routing for traffic; Reconstruct flood-prone areas. Natural Resources Management - Temperature Increase species resiliency by increasing habitat; Ensure cooler water temperatures by increasing base flow; Restore more wetlands, and restore and protect near shore areas; Use watershed adaptive management to increase infiltration and habitat via conservation methods like increased vegetated buffer and restored wetlands; Develop-implement Yahara Integrated Nowcast/Forecast Operation System (INFOS); Continue to implement aquatic invasive species plan; increase staff and volunteers at boat landings; Identify potential pathways for invasive species migrations under changing climate regimes and take preventive action; Develop tools to help identify and "triage" streams to focus restoration resources on cold water populations likely to survive warmer temperatures; Encourage regulatory activities aimed at preventing future invasions of exotic and invasive species likely to thrive in warmer temperatures; Identify potential pathways for invasive species migrations under changing climate regimes and take preventive action; Outreach on judicial use of road salt, implement use restrictions (particularly on well capture zones), explore alternatives to road salt. Natural Resources Management - Precipitation Capitalize on watershed adaptive management to reduce phosphorus runoff pollution; Increase conservation practices that reduce phosphorus pollution, infiltrate water and increase vegetation in an effort to increase the resiliency of the system; Increase wetlands by protecting them and restoring them; Increase green space and green infrastructure in urban areas. Public Health Temperature Heat stress prevention work with clients, information sharing with staff and service providers; Watershed adaptive management project to ensure reduced phosphorus runoff that feeds the blue green algae; Increased monitoring of beaches and air quality for blue green algae and off-gassing; Implement Yahara Capital Lakes Environmental Assessment and Needs (CLEAN); Develop procedures to establish communication channels and mechanisms for identifying and providing services to vulnerable populations; Use GIS to generate heat vulnerability maps; 8

9 Link surveillance data to heat risk factors; Increase amount of public information about Clean Air action days; Establish procedures for establishments to reduce food spoilage (e.g. establish emergency ice supplier, establish contacts with emergency refrigeration repair service); Increase capacity of refrigeration equipment, ensure refrigeration equipment maintenance is completed on regular basis; Collaborate with UW to improve prediction capability for extreme weather events and health outcomes; Improve real-time risk monitoring and communication, use engineering and prevention strategies for early warning system; Increase awareness of emerging organisms & their health significance; Provide more campsite electric services; have cooling shelters, shade, increased hydration stations. Public Health - Precipitation Provide pest and disease education to park users, monitor for problems; Reduce the number of mosquito breeding sites; Reduce the risk of moisture damage and mold in homes; Improve storm water management strategies; Reduce phosphorus loads by implementing stormwater best management strategies, install stormwater retrofits e.g. bioretention, vegetation buffers, permeable pavements, detention ponds; implement nutrient management practices; reduce farm releases - manure digesters; eliminate illicit discharges; Divert storm water drainage away from lakes, drinking water recharge and other vulnerable areas; Infrastructure improvements and flood control strategies to safeguard sensitive areas; Establish tighten regulations on well and septic maintenance; Identify and test wells that are at risk for contamination; Restrict building on a floodplain. Public Safety Temperature Increase preparedness and mitigation activities with more time spent with local governments and first responders addressing hazard definition and potential mitigation solutions; Increase public education relative to heat. Public Safety - Precipitation More and better flood mitigation efforts; Increase stockpile of sandbags. Identify location at DC HWY shop to build permanent building for storages of flood fighting equipment and supplies; 9

10 Further work with local government to address development and construction impacts on runoff issues and solutions; Identify and plan flood response procedures; Remove or mitigate public safety hazards from flood fringe and floodway areas. Surface Water Management - Temperature Capitalize on watershed adaptive management to reduce phosphorus runoff pollution; Increase conservation practices that infiltrate water and increase vegetation in an effort to increase the resiliency of the system; Increase wetlands by protecting them and restoring them; Increase green space and green infrastructure in urban areas. Surface Water Management - Precipitation Increase vegetated (grassed) areas in agricultural areas to increase filtration of precipitation and resiliency of land; Identify, map, and prioritize Potentially Restorable Wetlands (PRWs) in floodplain areas; Restore prior-converted wetlands in upland areas to provide storage and filtration, and to mitigate storm flows; Develop both long-term and short term changes to water infrastructure, like culverts, and stormwater systems; Enhance infiltration in headwater areas by reducing impervious surfaces in urban and riparian areas and changing land management practices; Prioritize water management practices; Use watershed adaptive management process to increase resiliency of natural and built environment; Incorporate water management strategies based on climate projections into farm-based nutrient management plans and other farm-related planning models; Increase the strength of the built infrastructure (culverts, bridges, etc.) to withstand intense storms; Incorporate potential for large storms and flooding into planning; Develop-implement Yahara Integrated Nowcast/Forecast Operation System (INFOS); Purchase properties in floodways; Revise stormwater standards, ordinances; Use continuous flow modeling requirements to account for series of storms; Continue to analyze engineering solutions to move more water through the Yahara system for high flows, and maintain water levels during low flows; Mitigate storm flows and nutrient loading downstream; Intensify salt reduction strategies and promote use of salt alternatives, (e.g. judicial use of road salt and use restrictions around well capture zones. DSL