The compilation of practices featured below highlight some of the innovative actions or planning efforts by various state water management agencies that help address a changing climate. Showcasing a diverse array of climate adaptation related practices in several programmatic areas and geographic locations around the country can help encourage the adoption of useful models across state agencies.
January 3, 2017 - We are pleased to announce that a second round of practices has been added to the compilation below.
If you would like to submit a climate related practice from your state agency for consideration, please contact water_climate_change@epa.gov for more details.
To download the documents, scroll to the bottom of the page.
| State | Title of State Practice | Topic Area |
|---|---|---|
| AZ | Ensuring Water Supply Sustainability: Arizona Department of Water Resources' Drought and Water Supply Planning | Drinking Water, Water Supply Planning, Water Conservation, Drought |
| AZ | Arizona Uses Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to Provide Funding for Infrastructure Projects that Address Climate Impacts | Water Supply Planning, Water Conservation, Resource Efficiency, Green Infrastructure, Funding |
| CA | California Integrated Assessment of Watershed Health | Monitoring and Assessment |
| CA | California “Save Our Water” Conservation Education Program | Water Conservation |
| CO | Using Colorado WaterWise to Achieve Water Efficiency in a Changing Climate | Water Conservation |
| CO | Planning for Impacts of Climate Change on Colorado’s Water Supply | Water Supply Planning, Water Conservation, Drought, Modeling/Research |
| IL | Planning for Climate Variability: Illinois State Water Survey and Statewide Framework for Drought and Water Supply Planning | Water Supply Planning |
| MA | Maintaining Integrity of River and Stream Ecosystems with Massachusetts River and Stream Continuity Partnership | Ecosystem Connectivity, Monitoring and Assessment |
| MD | Conserving Maryland’s Wetlands in a Changing Climate using Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model | Wetlands |
| MD | Maryland Supplements Long Term Water Supply Planning Requirements with “Message on Climate Change” | Water Supply Planning |
| MN | Promoting Climate Change Adaptation through Minnesota’s Stormwater Manual and Design Standards | Green Infrastructure/ Stormwater |
| MN | Long-term Monitoring to Help Detect Climate Variability in Minnesota | Monitoring and Assessment, Wetlands, Modeling/Research, Water Quality Standards |
| NH | New Hampshire Considers Climate Change in Wetlands Program Plan and Review Process | Wetlands |
| NH | New Hampshire Drinking Water Program’s Climate Change Resilience Plan | Water Supply Planning, Drinking Water, Water Quality Standards |
| NM | Wetland Protection and Beaver Habitat Restoration as Climate Adaptation Tools in New Mexico | Wetlands, Monitoring, and Assessment |
| OR | Oregon Builds Ecosystem Resilience to Climate Change with Thermal Refugia and Temperature Standard | Water Quality Standards, National Polluntant Discharge Elimination System, Total Maximum Daily Loads |
| OR | Oregon’s Strategy to Build Capacity and Address Harmful Algal Blooms in a Changing Climate | Drinking Water, Monitoring and Assessment, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, Total Maximum Daily Loads, Water Quality Standards |
| WA | Washington’s Integrated Plan to Create Partnerships and Diversify Funding for Climate Adaptation | Water Supply Planning, Water Conservation, Integrated Water Resource Management |
- Ensuring Water Supply Sustainability: Arizona Department of Water Resources’ Drought and Water Supply Planning (PDF)(3 pp, 881 K)
- Arizona Uses the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to Provide Funding for Infrastructure Projects that Address Climate Impacts (PDF)(2 pp, 714 K)
- California Integrated Assessment of Watershed Health (PDF)(2 pp, 792 K)
- California “Save Our Water” Conservation Education Program (PDF)(2 pp, 694 K)
- Using Colorado WaterWise to Achieve Water Efficiency in a Changing Climate (PDF)(2 pp, 518 K, 10.16.15)
- Planning for the Impacts of Climate Change on Colorado’s Water Supply (PDF)(2 pp, 834 K)
- Planning for Climate Variability: The Illinois State Water Survey and Statewide Framework for Drought and Water Supply Planning (PDF)(2 pp, 740 K, 10.16.15)
- Maintaining the Integrity of River and Stream Ecosystems with the Massachusetts River and Stream Continuity Partnership (PDF)(3 pp, 1 MB)
- Conserving Maryland’s Wetlands in a Changing Climate using the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (PDF)(2 pp, 1 MB)
- Maryland Supplements Long Term Water Supply Planning Requirements with “Message on Climate Change” (PDF)(2 pp, 458 K, 10.16.15)
- Minnesota’s Stormwater Manual and Design Standards Address Climate Change Adaptation (PDF)(2 pp, 642 K, 10.16.15)
- Minnesota is Performing Long-term Monitoring to Help Detect Climate Variability (PDF)(2 pp, 771 K)
- New Hampshire Considers Climate Change in Wetlands Program Plan and Review Process (PDF)(2 pp, 628 K, 10.16.15)
- The New Hampshire Drinking Water Program’s Climate Change Resilience Plan (PDF)(2 pp, 726 K)
- Wetland Protection and Beaver Habitat Restoration as Climate Adaptation Tools in New Mexico (PDF)(3 pp, 508 K)
- Oregon Builds Ecosystem Resilience to Climate Change with Thermal Refugia and Temperature Standards (PDF)(2 pp, 488 K, 10.16.15)
- Oregon’s Strategy to Build Capacity and Address Harmful Algal Blooms in a Changing Climate (PDF)(3 pp, 1 MB)
- Washington’s Integrated Plan is Creating Partnerships and Diversifying Funding for Climate Adaptation (PDF)(3 pp, 1 MB)