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Climate Change Assessment for Water Resources Region 03 South Atlantic -Gulf concurrent with the warming climate "transition" period previously noted in Section 2.1, Temperature. These findings are supported by a regional study by Small et al. (2006). This study, using HCDN data for the period 1948 — 1997, identified statistically significant negative trends in annual low flow for multiple stations distributed throughout the South Atlantic -Gulf Region (but even more stations exhibited no significant trend at all). The Patterson et al. (2012) study also observed a "transition" period occurring around 1970, as well as identified significant decreasing trends in streamflow in the South Atlantic -Gulf Region for the period 1970 — 2005 (Figure 2.13). Results were mixed for an earlier time period (1934 — 1969), with some decreasing and some increasing trends. These results again highlight the noted transition period of the 1970s. Figure 2.13. Observed changes in annual streamflow, South Atlantic Region, 1934 — 2005. Triangles point in the direction of the trend, size reflects the magnitude of the change. Blue indicates a decreasing streamflow trend. Red indicates and increasing streamflow trend. (Patterson et al., 2012). Ivey point: A naild downward trend in Inean str eatttflow in the study region, particularly since the 1970s, hers been identified by naulliple authors. 2.4. Summary of Observed Climate Findings The general consensus in the recent literature points toward mild increases in annual temperature in the South Atlantic -Gulf Region over the past century, particularly over the past 40 years. While much of the area is located within the so- called "warming hole" identified by various researchers (including Carter et al., 2014), recent studies have demonstrated significant warming for other parts of the area (particularly northern portions) since the 1970s. USACE Institute for Water Resources 19 January 9, 2015