Prioritize & Plan

Climate change-related effects on lake and coastal ecosystems—such as warming waters and intense precipitation—can result in unsafe conditions for recreation. Moreover, because standard E. coli tests can take more than 18 hours, local advisory decisions are frequently incorrect. Virtual Beach, a software package developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, allows users to generate statistical models to predict levels of disease-causing pathogens such as E. coli and enterococci at specific freshwater/saltwater beach sites.

EPA's Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is used throughout the world for planning, analysis, and design related to stormwater runoff, combined and sanitary sewers, and other drainage systems in urban areas. There are many applications for drainage systems in non-urban areas as well.

EPA’s National Stormwater Calculator is a downloadable application (requires a computer running Microsoft© Windows operating system) for estimating the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site anywhere in the United States (including Puerto Rico). Estimates are based on local soil conditions, land cover, and historic rainfall records. A climate change component is included to help users explore how climate change impacts may affect the amount of stormwater runoff produced by a site, and how it is managed.

Small- to medium-sized water utilities can use this guide to help them prepare for flooding. The PDF file provides information, worksheets, and short videos that outline a four-step assessment process that can help any water utility determine their flooding threat and identify practical mitigation options to protect their critical assets.

The four-step assessment process is

CREAT provides registered users with access to the most recent national assessment of climate change impacts and helps utility operators consider how events such as sea level rise, shifting precipitation patterns, temperature changes, and extreme weather may impact their operations. 

The Strawberry Advisory System is a plant disease decision support system for strawberry fields in Florida. This management tool helps growers assess the risk of epidemics from anthracnose and Botrytis on their farms. The use of the system enables growers to apply fungicides against these diseases only when conditions are favorable for disease so that they can avoid unnecessary sprays and reduce production costs.