Climate Resilient Floodplains: Assessing Climate Impacts of Concern to Puget Sound Communities.
Presenter: Julie Morse, The Nature Conservancy

The low elevation coastal floodplains of Puget Sound are particularly sensitive to changes in climate due to the intersection of sea level rise, increasing peak flows or extreme low flows, and changing sediment loads.  These changes have consequences for the economic, cultural, and natural resources that communities rely on.  Responding to climate change will not be a “one-size-fits-all” approach.  It is critical to understand the context of each watershed, so that climate information can be tailored to address the specific needs of stakeholders and decision-makers.  This presentation will summarize information gained through a series of climate interviews conducted in the Stillaguamish and Puyallup River watersheds.  The goal of this assessment was to identify priority floodplain issues that are affected by climate change and clarify the role that climate impacts information might play in support of climate resilient planning. This work is part of the larger “Climate Resilient Floodplains” project, funded by NOAA. A companion presentation will describe a synthesis of climate change impacts on floodplains and an evaluation of project-specific information needs for climate resilient planning.