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Page 6 <br /> <br /> <br />7. Climate Adaptation and Resilience: <br /> <br />a) Describe the climate trends in the general location of the project (see guidance: Climate <br />Adaptation and Resilience) and how climate change is anticipated to affect that location <br />during the life of the project. <br /> <br />As a result of climate change, Minnesota’s climate is expected to increase in temperature, <br />precipitation, and extreme weather events. Between 1895 and 2020, average annual temperatures <br />have increased by 30 F, and annual precipitation has increased by 3.4 inches. These warmer and <br />wetter trends have been concentrated in the past several decades (6). Minnesota’s increase in <br />average annual temperature is 25% greater than the global average (7). In addition to the <br />accelerated average annual temperature, the state has also experienced more frequent storms (8). <br />The frequency of heavy rain events is expected to double by 2100, and smaller rain events will <br />become less frequent (9). Exhibit 1 from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources <br />(MnDNR) outlines not only the increased one-day precipitation totals but also the number of 2”+ <br />precipitation event readings over a 40-year term (1916-2016). <br />Exhibit 1. Minnesota is Getting More and Bigger Rainstorms <br /> <br />More specifically, within the Mississippi River – St. Cloud Watershed, where the project is <br />located, historical and projected trends are similar to that of the entire state. According to the <br />MnDNR Minnesota Climate Explorer tool, annual average temperatures between 1895 and 2024 <br />have increased by 0.260 F per decade within the watershed (Table 2) (10). Graphs for all four <br />metrics (precipitation, minimum, average, and maximum temperature) are included in Appendix <br />B. <br /> <br /> <br />