Formed by a prehistoric landslide, Bull Run Lake sits abovethe headwaters of Bull Run River, which is a highly productive
source of fresh water for the City of Portland.
Delivering reliable, high-quality water requires a delicate balance between water supplies and customer demands. While water managers continually have strived to maintain this supply-and-demand balance through long-term water resources planning and demand management, new challenges exist due to the impacts of climate change, putting the world's water resources at risk.
From extreme rainfall events and flooding to prolonged drought, watersheds throughout the world are experiencing greater variability in weather patterns. Solely relying on historical data to predict future precipitation, snowpack, runoff and river and stream flows no longer is practical. In addition to climate change, population growth, increased water demands, water quality concerns and endangered species-related issues make the availability of water resources a critical concern for water providers.
The Water Utility Climate Alliance is dedicated to collaborating on climate change issues affecting drinking water utilities. By enhancing climate change research and developing adaptation strategies, water utilities will be positioned to respond to climate change and protect our water supplies.