Journal article
Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operation within an Actively Managed Distributed Storage Network Using the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh Product
Journal of water resources planning and management, Vol.151(2), 04024065
02/01/2025
DOI: 10.1061/JWRMD5.WRENG-6516
Abstract
An increase in extreme rainfall frequency across the midwestern United States has been accompanied by an increase in damaging floods. The US has over 90,000 dams, more than 75% of which are small and rarely used for flood mitigation. Recent research focused on operating these ponds for flood reduction using gated outlets, a technique known as activated distributed storage, has confirmed its potential for reducing flood impacts. Here, the authors build upon this work by developing a hydrologic model to simulate the active management of a distributed network of 130 ponds that employs up to 18 h of forecasted rainfall for operational decision making, a process known as forecast-informed reservoir operation (FIRO). Using five observed rainfall events and a single dam operations scheme, the effects of using FIRO for real-time gate operations on both downstream peak flows and basin wide storage utilization are evaluated. Simulation results that use the high-resolution rapid refresh (HRRR) product, were compared to those that (1) use no rainfall forecasts for decision making; and (2) use 18 h of observed rainfall mimicking an ideal forecast. Regardless of forecast accuracy or rainfall accumulation, shorter forecast lead times result in operational decisions that release water early in an event, vacating storage, while longer lead times result in increased storage throughout an event, thus reducing downstream flows. These results indicate that rainfall forecasts may not be solely capable of addressing the complexities governing a distributed storage network’s ability to release water. This suggests that a more nuanced approach, utilizing optimal control of the storage network is required to unlock the technique’s full potential.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operation within an Actively Managed Distributed Storage Network Using the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh Product
- Creators
- Riley Post - Stanford UniversityFelipe Quintero - University of IowaWitold F. Krajewski - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of water resources planning and management, Vol.151(2), 04024065
- Publisher
- ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS
- DOI
- 10.1061/JWRMD5.WRENG-6516
- ISSN
- 0733-9496
- eISSN
- 1943-5452
- Grant note
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP): 1945994 University of Iowa Post Comprehensive FellowshipRose and Joseph Summers EndowmentIIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering at the University of Iowa
Riley Post is supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP, Grant #1945994) and the University of Iowa Post Comprehensive Fellowship. Witold Krajewski is partially supported by the Rose and Joseph Summers Endowment. The authors are grateful for the assistance of the Iowa Flood Center and IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering at the University of Iowa.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 02/01/2025
- Academic Unit
- IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering; Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984751755402771
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