By 2040, the region is projected to grow by 500,000 people, 200,000 households, and 200,000 jobs. Understanding changing water supply needs and securing a sustainable supply of plentiful, clean water for these growing communities is the primary goal of our water supply planning work.
Changing water supply
Evidence is mounting that Minnesota’s climate is changing, including in the seven-county metro area. The most recent National Climate Assessment (NCA), produced by the U.S. Global Change Research Program in 2018, synthesizes climate change impacts by sector and by region. The report from the Midwest regional chapter of the NCA highlights current and future impacts related to climate change within Minnesota.
State climatologists are confident that Minnesota’s warming temperatures and increasingly severe flood events will trend upwards in the coming decades, impacting the state's water resources. Changes in precipitation patterns may lead to more frequent floods and droughts, and water temperature may increase as a result of increasing summer and winter temperatures.
We are learning more about how climate change will impact the Twin Cities metro area and have produced recommendations and tools for communities and other stakeholders. Learn more about our analysis.