NERTO Synopsis: The project will develop approaches to model how climate variability and non-stationarities affect streamflow and aquatic habitat conditions in the western United States. Further, this project will analyse how improved climate forecasts can contribute to ecosystem management and human use of water. These approaches will then be used to develop assess policy options to reduce the risk of water shortages (for human and ecosystem uses) and investigate the monetary value of better climate and precipitation prediction ability. The project will be structures as a case study of one or more watershed sin the western United States that contain Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed populations of Pacific salmonid species. The project will inform management of protected fish populations covered by the NOAA Fisheries' responsibilities under the ESA.