David Yates
Boulder, CO
yates@ucar.edu
303-497-8394
David Yates is a Scientist in the Research Applications Laboratory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder Colorado and an SEI Associate located in Boulder, Colorado. His research has focused both on local scale hydrologic problems (flash floods, land use-land cover, climate change), as well as climate change impacts and adaptation on water and agricultural systems. Dr. Yates has been a part of the development team of SEI's Water Evaluation and Planning model and has focused on applying WEAP to help water utilities with long-range planning that includes climate change impacts and adaptation strategies. With his NCAR colleague, Kathleen Miller and support from the Water Research Foundation, Dr. Yates developed an educational primer for use by the drinking water utility industry that outlines the current state of scientific knowledge regarding the potential impacts of global climate change on water utilities, including impacts on water supply, demand and relevant water quality characteristics. A follow-on study with The Foundation has focused on robust adaptation strategies, with several utilities, including the Inland Empire, El Dorado Irrigation District, Portland Water, Colorado Springs Utilities, Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, Durham Water, and Palm Beach County Water.
David Yates received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1996.
Recent Publications by David Yates
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Water Management Adaptations to Prevent Loss of Spring-Run Chinook Salmon in California under Climate ChangeJournal of Water Resources Planning and Management, published online ahead of print Author(s): Thompson, L.C. ; Escobar, M. ; Purkey, D. ; Yates, D. ; Mosser, C.M.; Moyle, P.B.Year: 2011 Research Area(s): Water Resources Description: Spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) are particularly vulnerable to climate change because adults over-summer in freshwater streams before spawning in autumn. In this study, the authors examined streamflow and water temperature regimes that could lead to long-term reductions in spring-run Chinook salmon (SRCS) in a California stream and evaluated management adaptations to ameliorate these impacts. For all climate scenarios and model combinations, the model found increased adult summer thermal mortality and population declines. Of management adaptations tested, only ceasing water diversion for power production from the summer holding reach resulted in cooler water temperatures, more adults surviving to spawn, and extended population survival time, albeit with a significant loss of power production.More information External Link |
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Potential impacts on hydrology and hydropower production under climate warming of the Sierra NevadaJournal of Water and Climate Change 2:1, 29-43 Author(s): Mehta, V. ; Yates, D. ; Purkey, D. ; Young, C. ; Rheinheimer, D.E.; Viers, J.H.; Mount, J.F.Year: 2011 Research Area(s): Water Resources ; Energy Modeling Description: Watersheds of the Cosumnes, American, Bear and Yuba (CABY) rivers in the Sierra Nevada, Calif., are managed with a complex network of reservoirs, dams, hydropower plants and water conveyances. While water transfers are based on priorities among competing demands, hydropower generation is licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and regulated by federal and state laws and multi-party agreements. This paper presents an integrated river basin management (IRBM) model for the CABY region, built to evaluate management and regional climate change scenarios using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system. We simulated potential impacts of climate warming on hydrology and hydropower production by imposing a fixed increase of temperature (+2, 4 and 6°C) over weekly historical (1981-2000) climate, with all other climate variables unchanged. Results demonstrate that climate warming will reduce hydropower generation if operational rules remain unchanged, making the case for climate change-induced hydrological change as a foreseeable future condition to be included in the FERC licensing process. IRBM tools such as the CABY model presented here are useful in deliberating the same.External Link |