Outdoor recreation is a major contributor to the Intermountain West’s economy, but the future viability of many businesses—particularly small businesses—in the industry is threatened by their drought vulnerabilities and the region’s projected increases in drought severity and frequency.

Public lands managers are being asked to plan for ecosystem change due to climate shifts. They must decide among untested approaches such as resisting change, boosting resilience, or encouraging transformation. A new study, supported in part by CPO’s Western Water Assessment RISA team, explored managers’ views on the subject.

Analysis of the last millennium reanalysis climate reconstruction shows a clear connection between Southwest drought and La Niña sea-surface temperature patterns. However, this pattern only explains a small part of the variability associated with past U.S. droughts.

The collaboratively built tool helps answer the common question asked of Alaskan climatologists: has it been particularly hot/cold lately? 

The study may have large implications for the climate and weather forecasts made by ocean models in the future.