Climate Change and Stormwater Management in the Lake Champlain Basin: An Adaption Plan for Managers. Technical Report #80.

Dalton, M., Castle, S., Howe, E. (2015). Climate Change and Stormwater Management in the Lake Champlain Basin (Technical Report No. 80). Lake Champlain Basin Program Technical Report.

The effects of a changing climate have been and continue to be observed in the Lake Champlain Basin. Since the 1970s, there have been notable increases in air and lake temperatures, with the rate of increase progressing more quickly over time. Also since the 1970s, lake water levels have risen due both to land use disturbances and more regional precipitation (Stager and Thill, 2010). In winter, the number of days the lake is covered with ice is decreasing, while the number of days above freezing each year steadily rises. Increasingly, climate models suggest a future with more frequent and intense storm events, more precipitation as rain and less snow in the winter (Frumhoff et al., 2007; Horton et al., 2014). These changes lead to a warmer, wetter future with nearly year-round rainfall. Water resource managers must be prepared for these changes.