Climate Change Impacts on Water Supply & Quality
Get your questions answered on the threats to coastal water supply & quality at this regionally supported webinar.
Learn about the threats to coastal water supply and quality as well as how other communities are assessing and adapting! The Community Resilience Partnership municipalities of Arrowsic, Georgetown, Phippsburg, Westport Island, and Woolwich are pleased to welcome regional leading experts for a presentation on climate change impacts on water supply and quality.
The virtual presentation will take place on Thursday, July 7th at 5:30 pm and will detail the characteristics of the region’s groundwater supply and what climate-related changes mean for groundwater. Participants are welcomed and encouraged to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the webinar.
With continued impacts from climate change - increasing droughts and severe rainfall events as well as sea-level rise - coastal communities are finding that their wells run low or dry, or are becoming contaminated from saltwater intrusion. Learn how these changes might impact your community and how other communities are assessing these threats to their water supply.
Ryan Gordon, a Hydrogeologist at Maine Geological Survey, will begin the webinar by discussing the impact of climate change on coastal Maine aquifers followed by a presentation from a New Hampshire project group on water supply assessment case studies. The New Hampshire project group includes Kyle Pimental, Principal Regional Planner, Strafford Regional Planning Commission; Jennifer Jacobs, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Hampshire; and Jayne Knott, Principal at JFK Environmental Services LLC.
The Community Resilience Partnership, administered by the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, assists communities in climate mitigation and adaptation activities through grants and technical assistance. Arrowsic, Georgetown, Phippsburg, Westport Island, and Woolwich are currently completing the enrollment process with assistance from the New England Environmental Finance Center, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership, and Kennebec Estuary Land Trust. As part of the enrollment process, town representatives identified an interest in learning more about the impacts of climate change on water supply and quality in order to better identify and prioritize relevant climate resilience actions. Enrollment in the Partnership allows communities to pursue Community Action Grants to address locally prioritized actions.
New England Environmental Finance Center partners with state and local governments, tribes, and the private sector to provide technical assistance and capacity building for innovative solutions to fund and finance environmental priorities and climate resilience.
Casco Bay Estuary Partnership works in collaboration with state and federal agencies, local government, and dozens of local organizations to conserve the ecological integrity of the Casco Bay Watershed through science, stewardship, and collaboration.
The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust is a membership-supported organization dedicated to protecting the land, water, and wildlife of the Kennebec Estuary. It maintains 12 preserves for public enjoyment and has protected 4,100+ acres of land since its founding in 1989.