Blue and Green Water Scarcity in the McKenzie Creek Watershed of the Great Lakes Basin

Abstract

Climate change and extreme weather events affect hydrology and water resources in catchments worldwide. This study analysed Blue Water (BW) and Green Water (GW) scarcity in the McKenzie Creek watershed in Ontario, Canada, and explored how changes in temperature and precipitation may impact water scarcity dynamics. The McKenzie Creek is the main water source for agricultural activities for the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve (the largest Indigenous community in Canada) and other non-Indigenous communities in the watershed. Data from the water use surveys and streamflow simulations performed using the Coupled Groundwater and Surface-Water Flow Model (GSFLOW) under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios 4.5 and 8.5, representing moderate and high greenhouse gas emissions and climate warming, respectively, were used to calculate BW and GW scarcity. Study results showed that BW scarcity may increase to ‘moderate’ levels if water users extract the maximum permitted water withdrawal allocation. This level of scarcity has the potential to cause ecological degradation and water quality issues in the watershed. GW scarcity will steadily increase throughout the 21st century due to climate warming with the western portion of the McKenzie Creek watershed projected to experience slightly higher levels of GW scarcity. This may cause users to withdraw more water resources, thereby decreasing BW available for downstream communities, including the Six Nations of the Grand River. This study provides water resource managers and regional planners with important information about potential challenges facing the watershed due to increased water use and changing climate conditions.