North Dakota
Global climate change poses risks to human health and to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Important economic resources such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and water resources also may be affected. Warmer temperatures, more severe droughts and floods, and sea level rise could have a wide range of impacts. All these stresses can add to existing stresses on resources caused by other influences such as population growth, land-use changes, and pollution.
Climate Change in North Dakota
Below are some of the potential impacts:
- By 2100 temperatures in North Dakota could increase by 3°F in summer (with a range of 1-5°F) and 4°F in the other seasons (with a range of 2-7°F).
- Warmer temperatures could increase the incidence of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in North Dakota, because populations of ticks, and their rodent hosts, could increase under warmer temperatures and increased vegetation.
- Major river basins in North Dakota include the Missouri, which drains the west-central part of the state, and those of the Souris River and Red River of the North, which drain northward into Canada. These surface waters are the primary source of water in the state, and agriculture is the dominant user of water. The mainstem of the Missouri and the lower Red River of the North are dependable sources, but other rivers are not reliable because of low flows and variable water quality. Runoff in North Dakota is influenced largely by spring-summer rainfall and spring snowmelt.
- Warmer temperatures would lead to earlier spring snowmelt, resulting in higher streamflows in winter and spring. In the summer, without large increases in precipitation, higher temperatures and increased evaporation would lower streamflows and lake levels.
- Although large storage reservoirs such as Lakes Sakakawea and Oahe might be able to moderate these impacts, the numerous smaller reservoirs throughout the state could be adversely impacted. Less water would be available to support important uses such as irrigation, hydropower production, industrial and mining operations, municipal water supplies, recreation, and fish and wildlife habitats. Evaporation often exceeds precipitation in this semiarid state, and many small rivers and streams run dry in the summer. Warmer, drier summers would exacerbate this situation.
- The mix of crop and livestock production in a state is influenced by climatic conditions and water availability. As climate warms, production patterns could shift northward. Increases in climate variability could make adaptation by farmers more difficult. Warmer climates and less soil moisture due to increased evaporation may increase the need for irrigation. However, these same conditions could decrease water supplies, which also may be needed by natural ecosystems, urban populations, industry, and other users.
The above are based on from the Environmental Protection Agency's report on climate change, which uses data from the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001).
For more info on climate change impacts on North Dakota in areas such as water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, you can download pdf of full EPA Report.
CO2: How Does Your State Rank?
North Dakota is the highest emitter of C02 of all 50 states and the most populous.
Maps
See CO2 output by sector, coastal population maps, and maps of regional initiatives.
Regional Initiatives
In the absence of federal action, many U.S. states are banding together to explore and employ greenhouse gas-reducing policies.
North Dakota participates in the following:
Powering the Plains
Western Governors' Association (WGA): Clean and Diversified Energy Initiative
Learn about climate initiatives in all U.S. states and regions
Your Impact
Estimate your CO2 footprint by using a carbon calculator such as the one on the Inconvenient Truth web site.
How green is your energy? The EPA has a power profiler that can tell you.
