FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON FRESNO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND PUBLIC POLICY

The California State University Fresno, Institute of Climate Change, Oceans and Atmosphere (ICOA) assisted the City of Fresno in evaluating the potential effects of climate change on the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) and in developing mitigation and adaptation measures for reducing the impacts of climate change. Key effects include changes in the timing and duration of precipitation events, extended heat spells and associated public and worker health effects, changes in the types of crops grown, extended air pollution seasons and more severe summer smog levels, and increased wildfire risk.

Water supply for the SJV’s agricultural business and residents is currently a primary issue. The Valley is America’s largest farming region with Fresno County the richest and most productive agricultural county in America (out-producing 24 states). However, water pumping from aquifers underlying the SJV is significant and currently constitutes ~20% of all ground water pumped in the U.S. The aquifer is recharged from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and is directly affected by climate change in the amount and seasonal timing of the snowpack melting. Warming temperatures results in earlier snowmelt and thus earlier peak discharge in streams and rivers. Warming temperatures also affect quality of life issues. For example, high summer temperatures are a major contributor to the SJV having some of the most polluted air in the country.

The City of Fresno is using the ICOA report to make informed decisions to develop public policy in sustainability. Mitigation and adaptation strategies include shifting the energy supply mix to a greater proportion of renewable energy, implementing water conservation programs, and expanding current green building programs, e.g. over 300 days of sunshine per year make Fresno an ideal place for solar power generation, and the City is working to toward greater solar energy projects. The City is also taking steps to implement residential water conservation. Water usage is currently the highest in the United States at 296 gallons per capita per day. A recent University of California Davis report recognized these and other initiatives and ranked Fresno as the top city in the SJV for developing sustainable programs.