This dissertation focuses on flood control and water supply adaptations to climate change. For water supply, potential climate warming impacts on surface runoff, groundwater inflows and reservoir evaporation for distributed locations in the inter-tied water system of California are analyzed. Increasing winter flows and decreasing spring snowmelt runoff are identified in a statewide. The potential magnitude of water supply effects of climate warming can be very significant. Integrated water resources management is a promising way for water supply adaptation to climate change. A multiple stage stochastic optimization model is formulated to integrate water demand, water conservation, conjunctive use of surface and ground waters and water transfers in an irrigated district and an urban area. The results provide optimal long-term and short-term crop mix, optimal permanent and temporary urban conservation measures, and conjunctive use and water transfer decisions. It is illustrated that conjunctive use and water transfers can complement each other and significantly improve water management flexibility. For flood control adaptations, optimal tradeoff of levee setback for height and flood levee re-design rules are first analyzed under static climatic and economic conditions. Under dynamic conditions, optimal levee height over time is examined with optimal control. A stochastic dynamic programming model is developed for long-term floodplain planning under climate change and urbanization, with levee height and setback as decision variables. The results demonstrate climate change and urbanization can have major combined effects on flood damage and optimal long-term flood management. The case study shows there is likely to be economic value to expanding lower American River setbacks and levee heights over long periods of time, and making present-day zoning decisions to preserve such options.
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