Coupling of hydrological and hydraulic simulation models with numerical optimization algorithms has proven to be effective for optimizing operations of reservoir systems with respect to different management objectives. The combination of accurate reservoir inflow forecasting and optimization technology can provide more efficient balanced solutions for multi-purpose operations of reservoir systems and thereby improve the economy of hydropower production. The technology can be used for both long-term planning purposes for deriving optimal operation rule curves and for short-term water management and hydro scheduling. The forecasting and optimization system is established within a decision support system for real-time operation.

The developed forecasting and optimization technologies are demonstrated on optimization of the Hoa Binh reservoir in Vietnam considering hydropower production and flood control. Optimization of reservoir operation rules provides optimal solutions that have both a smaller flood risk and a larger hydropower potential compared to the present regulations. Simulations with a balanced optimum solution show a substantial increase of hydropower production of 210 million kWh on average per year. Real-time optimization in normal flow situations provides solutions that trades-off the immediate and the future value of hydropower production. In flood situations, inflow forecast information is used to optimize reservoir releases to meet storage requirements to reduce downstream flooding.

The relationship between stream flow and water temperature in the waters affected by Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) DeSabla-Centerville Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 803, (Project) was an important relicensing issue. The Project diverts cool water from the West Branch of the Feather River (WBFR) into Butte Creek, a stream that supports the largest population of spring-run Chinook salmon in California. Annually, PG&E and resource agencies develop a coordinated plan to maximize the cool water benefits in Butte Creek through changes in Project operations (e.g., timing and magnitude of releases from Project reservoirs). The development of a predictive stream temperature model, focusing on summer months (June through September) when high water temperatures can be a limiting factor, improved our ability to manage stream temperatures. The Army Corp of Engineers CE-QUAL-W2.v.3.2 (W2) was used for modeling the portion of the study area that is operationally adjusted to control temperatures in spring-run Chinook salmon summer holding habitat. W2 is a two-dimensional, laterally averaged, hydrodynamic, water temperature and water quality model. It was successfully used in this high gradient stream system by producing a hydro-dynamically equivalent model of the plunge-pool topographies typical of most of our study area. The model accommodated multiple waterbodies representing reservoirs and streams, multiple inflows and outflows, time-varying boundary conditions, and layer/segment addition and subtraction. W2 is a finite difference equation model that can compute water temperatures at sub-minute time intervals; as such it effectively modeled daily variations in water temperatures (i.e., daily minimums, means and maximums). We calibrated W2 with two years (2004, 2005) of summer water temperature data from stream, canal and reservoir locations, travel time (from dye studies) at four stream locations, and stream wetted width versus flow relationships from 22 instream flow transects. Error statistics indicated model calibration was successful in producing good to excellent performance across all metrics. Simulations were conducted using 2005 hydrology (above normal) and meteorology (hot) and 2001 hydrology (dry) combined with the hot 2005 meteorology. To investigate the effects of alternate operational scenarios on summer-time Butte Creek water temperatures a total of 32 simulations were conducted. Effectiveness of an alternative to manage water temperatures was determined by comparing a base case (reflecting current operations) with the alternative. Simulation results were then used by relicensing participants to develop instream flow recommendations.

We compared summer stream temperature patterns in 40 small forested watersheds in the Hoh and Clearwater basins in the western Olympic Peninsula, Washington, to examine correlations between previous riparian and basin-wide timber harvest activity and stream temperatures. Seven watersheds were unharvested, while the remaining 33 had between 25% and 100% of the total basin harvested, mostly within the last 40 years. Mean daily maximum temperatures were significantly different between the harvested and unharvested basins, averaging 14.5C and 12.1C, respectively. Diurnal fluctuations between harvested and unharvested basins were also significantly different, averaging 1.7C and 0.9C, respectively. Total basin harvest was correlated with average daily maximum temperature (r2 = 0.39), as was total riparian harvest (r2 = 0.32). The amount of recently clear-cut riparian forest (<20 year) within 600 m upstream of our monitoring sites ranged from 0% to 100% and was not correlated to increased stream temperatures. We used Akaike’s Information Criteria (AIC) analysis to assess whether other physical variables could explain some of the observed variation in stream temperature. We found that variables related to elevation, slope, aspect, and geology explain between 5% and 14% more of the variability relative to the variability explained by percent of basin harvested (BasHarv), and that the BasHarv was consistently a better predictor than the amount of riparian forest harvested. While the BasHarv is in all of the models that perform well, the AIC analysis shows that there are many models with two variables that perform about the same and therefore it would be difficult to choose one as the best model.

We conclude that adding additional variables to the model does not change the basic findings that there is a relatively strong relationship between maximum daily stream temperatures and the total amount of harvest in a basin, and strong, but slightly weaker relationship between maximum daily stream temperatures and the total riparian harvest in a basin. Seventeen of the 40 streams exceeded the Washington State Department of Ecology’s (DOE) temperature criterion for waters defined as ‘‘core salmon and trout habitat’’ (class AA waters). The DOE temperature criterion for class AA waters is any seven-day average of daily maximum temperatures in excess of 16C. The probability of a stream exceeding the water quality standard increased with timber harvest activity. All unharvested sites and five of six sites that had 25-50% harvest met DOEs water quality standard.

In contrast, only nine of eighteen sites with 50-75% harvest and two of nine sites with >75% harvest met DOEs water quality standard. Many streams with extensive canopy closure, as estimated by the age of riparian trees, still had higher temperatures and greater diurnal fluctuations than the unharvested basins. This suggests that the impact of past forest harvest activities on stream temperatures cannot be entirely mitigated through the reestablishment of riparian buffers.

Many river restoration projects are focusing on restoring environmental flow regimes to improve ecosystem health in rivers that have been developed for water supply, hydropower generation, flood control, navigation, and other purposes. In efforts to prevent future ecological damage, water supply planners in some parts of the world are beginning to address the water needs of river ecosystems proactively by reserving some portion of river flows for ecosystem support. These restorative and protective actions require development of scientifically credible estimates of environmental flow needs. This paper describes an adaptive, inter-disciplinary, science-based process for developing environmental flow recommendations. It has been designed for use in a variety of water management activities, including flow restoration projects, and can be tailored according to available time and resources for determining environmental flow needs. The five-step process includes: (1) an orientation meeting; (2) a literature review and summary of existing knowledge about flow-dependent biota and ecological processes of concern; (3) a workshop to develop ecological objectives and initial flow recommendations, and identify key information gaps; (4) implementation of the flow recommendations on a trial basis to test hypotheses and reduce uncertainties; and (5) monitoring system response and conducting further research as warranted. A range of recommended flows are developed for the low flows in each month, high flow pulses throughout the year, and floods with targeted inter-annual frequencies. We describe an application of this process to the Savannah River, in which the resultant flow recommendations were incorporated into a comprehensive river basin planning process conducted by the Corps of Engineers, and used to initiate the adaptive management of Thurmond Dam.

As water is becoming less available during summer seasons, water managers are putting more emphasis on water storage and allocation during "high water season." While there are established methods and some consensus on how to determine direct fish habitat flows there is less consensus and information on how to set aside elevated flows for channel habitat maintenance and other ecological flow needs. This paper discusses a method which allows for the conditioning of instream water rights based on known processes including channel maintenance flows and ecological trigger flows. In other words, this document provides guidance in allocating peak flows.

As water is becoming less available during summer seasons, water managers are putting more emphasis on water storage and allocation during "high water season." While there are established methods and some consensus on how to determine direct fish habitat flows there is less consensus and information on how to set aside elevated flows for channel habitat maintenance and other ecological flow needs. This paper discusses a method which allows for the conditioning of instream water rights based on known processes including channel maintenance flows and ecological trigger flows. In other words, this document provides guidance in allocating peak flows.

As a result of past abuses, the Federal Power Act was amended to allow various state and federal resource agencies, among others, to participate in hydroelectric licensing procedures. The first portion of this paper briefly surveys some of the more prominent legislation authorizing state and federal resource agency involvement

Healthy fish populations are dependent on streamflow regimes that protect the ecological integrity of their habitat. Fish habitats are the consequence of linkage among the stream, floodplain, riparian, and upland zones, and watershed geography. Fluvial-geomorphic processes form and control fish habitat. Because of this, multiple in-channel and out-of-channel flows are needed to maintain these processes. We present a conceptual methodology for measuring tour types of streamflow regimes: instream flows, channel maintenance flows, riparian maintenance flows, and valley maintenance flows. The combination of these four streamflow types is designed to protect fish and their habitat. Using a case study of the Salmon River near Whitebird, Idaho, we demonstrate how the methodology could be used to develop a multiple flow recommendation.

Alaska water law, instream flow legislative proposals, Alaska's "experience" protecting instream flows, evaluation of instream flow protections

Most recent instream flow studies used one of three approaches. (1) PHABSIM remains popular but has major flaws, including the failure to establish and appropriate spatial resolution and use it throughout the method: a decision variable, Weighted Usable Area, that lacks biological meaning; and lack of a sound conceptual basis, which encourages ad hoc and poorly conceived methods for applying the approach. Some of PHABSIM