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Alabama
Alabama Canebrake pitcher plant
Introduction
Climate Projections
Human Health
Agriculture & Forestry
Freshwater Resources
Biodiversity & Land Conservation
Fisheries
Coastal Development
AL Resources & Links
Freshwater Resources
Alabama's current population is almost 4.5 million and is projected to increase to about 5.2 million in 2025. The state's freshwater resources will be increasingly tapped for urban residential or industrial uses, irrigation, the prevention of saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers, and the maintenance of healthy aquatic ecosystems. Competing demands on limited water resources due to population and economic growth will increase freshwater management challenges with or without climate change. However, climate change would cause additional stress to the situation. Any change in rainfall, evaporation, groundwater recharge rates, and runoff patterns would affect ecosystems and all users of fresh water. For example:

  • Greater freshwater losses due to increased temperatures and evaporation will magnify the water resource challenges of the future even if rainfall stays at current levels. Where rainfall amounts decline, drought and widespread freshwater shortages could increase, especially during critical times of the growing season.

  • The Fish River empties into Weeks BayMore extreme rainfall events, a trend already detected, create their own challenges: extreme runoff can produce overload on the sewage systems with resulting septic contamination of surface and coastal waters, and negative consequences for health and the fishing industry.

  • Higher water temperatures impact aquatic ecosystems by changing aquatic food webs and species communities. Higher water temperatures also reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, diminishing water quality, and in extreme cases, leading to fish kills.

  • Mobil River and HarborWhere saltwater intrudes into coastal groundwater sources due to sea-level rise, freshwater resources could be further affected. Baldwin and Mobile counties (Mobile Bay and Gulf Shores), for example, are already experiencing higher salinity levels in wells. Where saltwater intrudes into freshwater marshes, vegetation with low salt tolerance would be decimated.

  • One of the largest freshwater users in the state is thermoelectric power generation. Reduced stream flow and higher water temperatures would cause problems for power production and efficiency of cooling systems and create significant ecological problems downstream as temperature tolerance of fish and water quality requirements for other aquatic organisms are no longer met.

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Photo Credits:
Alabama Canebrake pitcher plant - Threatened & Endangered Species of Alabama. R. Johnson & B. Wehrle; www.pfmt.org.
Fish River - NOAA Photo Library.
Mobil River and harbor - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, G. Edwards.
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