Workshop on the application of tree-ring data to water management

Boulder, CO - May 14, 2007

This all-day workshop was a departure from our previous workshops, in that the emphasis was on presentations of applications of tree-ring data by water providers and consultants, rather than instruction on tree-ring reconstruction methodology (though the latter was also provided because a number of participants were not familiar with the tree-ring data). The workshop was intended to review current applications of tree-ring data and serve as a springboard for further applications of the data, both in terms of geographic expansion (to new providers and basins) and dissemination of new analytical techniques.

There were over 20 participants from Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada, about half of whom had participated in a previous workshop (see participant list). After we presented an abbreviated version of our main instructional presentation, and an overview of the issues and challenges in applying tree-ring data, the rest of the day was given to our participant-presenters:

• KC Hallett, Stratus Consulting - Using Tree-Ring Data to Examine Climate Change Impacts on Streamflow in Boulder Creek
• Steve Schmitzer, Denver Water - Denver Water's use of tree ring-based stream flow reconstructions in water resources management
• Jim Prairie, USBR - Stochastic Nonparametric Framework for Basin Wide Streamflow and Salinity Modeling
• Charlie Ester, Salt River Project - Application of tree-ring research results - Salt River Project
• Doug Toy, City of Chandler, AZ
• Lee Rozaklis, Hydrosphere Resource Consultants
• Ben Harding, Hydrosphere Resource Consultants

Connie also presented Manu Lall's (Columbia U.) recent work on extracting dominant modes of variability from paleodata and using them to project future conditions: Using Extended Records of Streamflow to Simulate Low-Frequency Variability in Future Flows.

Jeff Lukas, University of Colorado & WWA