Water Rights Analysis Package Modeling System

Abstract

The water rights analysis package simulates surface water development, allocation, management, and use and performs reliability and frequency analyses of simulation results. The computer modeling system facilitates assessments of hydrologic and institutional water availability and reliability in satisfying requirements for reservoir storage, water supply diversions, environmental instream flows, and hydroelectric energy generation. Reservoir system operations for flood control can be simulated. Capabilities are also provided for tracking salinity concentrations. Basin-wide impacts of water resources development projects and management practices are modeled. The modeling system is generalized for application anywhere, with input datasets being developed for particular river systems of concern. The water availability modeling system maintained by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and routinely applied by the professional water management community consists of the water rights analysis package and simulation input datasets for all of the river basins of Texas. Model-users modify the input datasets as appropriate to evaluate alternative water use scenarios, development projects, and management strategies of interest. This paper explores concepts and methodologies incorporated in the water rights analysis package and other comparable modeling systems, implementation of water availability modeling in Texas, and contributions to effective water management.