Impact-Based Decision Support to Reservoir Operators for Extreme Climate Events

Reservoir operations can drive impacts both upstream and downstream of a dam when the available storage is significant compared to the inflow volume. Many reservoir operators do not have models that forecast the inflow into their reservoir based on observed and forecast snowmelt and rainfall. Therefore, they often operate in a reactive manner by looking at upstream gages to anticipate what will be coming their way during the next several hours. This limitation makes it very difficult to anticipate the runoff associated with a forecasted event or even an ongoing event. The National Weather Service River Forecast Centers calibrate and maintain hydrologic and hydraulic models to simulate river flows in watersheds across the United States. These models form the basis of a wide range of forecast products which support navigation, recreation, utilities, water supply, and flood operations. The North Central River Forecast Center is exchanging forecast data with reservoir operators to improve river forecasts and mitigate flooding. A few examples of these cooperative relationships will be presented.