Reservoir Water Allocation Research Articles

A real-time market-based framework for basin-wide surface water pricing and allocation considering the available water uncertainty

Market-based approaches are increasingly considered reallocating instruments that put water consumption at its highest economic value among competing water users. Setting up a water market can have a lot of environmental, social, economic, and legal complexities. One of the main issues is the uncertain nature of the available water, which can cause the failure of markets, especially during drought conditions. Therefore, there is a need for market mechanisms to consider and reduce the adverse impacts of available water uncertainty on market outcomes. Accordingly, this paper proposes a new real-time seasonal smart water market framework for basin-wide surface water pricing and allocation. The framework uses the results of the reservoir water allocation optimization models and ANFIS-based monthly river discharge forecasts to better assist the water users with their bidding. The market manager uses updated available information at the beginning of each season to provide users with a more accurate understanding of available water to adjust their tradings for the rest of the year. The applicability and efficiency of the proposed framework are evaluated by applying it to the Gorganrood River basin in Iran. According to the results, the framework increased users' benefits from 721 to 1050 billion rials, which is more efficient than an annual market. Water markets can use this framework to improve their ability to cope with the uncertainty of available water, increase their users' benefits, and encourage them to improve their efficiency. Furthermore, the proposed framework allows the decision-makers in water sectors (e.g., industrial, agricultural, etc.) to discover time and location specific water allocation and price for different water users.

Determination of irrigation water quantity and its impact on crop yield and groundwater

The objective of reservoir water allocation based on considering the ecological water demand of the downstream river has an important impact on the water allocation of each water user and the downstream ecology. Agricultural irrigation with large water consumption will directly affect crop yield. Irrigation water, as the recharge of groundwater in irrigation districts, also plays an important role in the restoration of groundwater. This research used the range of variability approach (RVA), a method of flow management considering the water demand of river ecosystems, to provide the recommended outflow range (RVA target) of the Huangbizhuang Reservoir upstream of the Shijin irrigation district. First, we used the RVA target to determine the water allocation of each water user, set 27 irrigation schemes with the water allocation of agriculture as a constraint, and used the validated AquaCrop model (seven years of field experiment data were used to calibrate AquaCrop model parameters) to evaluate the most appropriate irrigation schemes and their impact on groundwater restoration in the irrigation district. The results showed that the amount of water available for agricultural irrigation in the flood season under the RVA target was 84 mm, which was 36 mm less than the current irrigation quota (120 mm). Three irrigation schemes better than the current scheme (scheme 0) were selected, i.e., scheme 1 (irrigate 42 mm at the seedling and jointing stages), scheme 16 (irrigate 42 mm at the seedling stage), and scheme 22 (irrigate 84 mm at the seedling stage). Scheme 22 increased the yield of corn and WP (water productivity), which were 17 kg/ha and 1 kg/ha/mm higher than scheme 0, respectively, which provided the greatest increase in yield. Scheme 22 can restore 0.727 m of the groundwater table. The yield increased in scheme 16 was 4 kg/ha higher than that in scheme 0. Scheme 16 can restore 0.982 m of the groundwater table, which was the most conducive scheme for groundwater recharge. The WP of scheme 16 and scheme 1 was slightly different from that of scheme 0. There was a slight difference in biomass among the four schemes. The yield increased in scheme 1 was 12 kg/ha higher than that in scheme 0, which could restore 0.727 m of the groundwater table simultaneously, which was for a normal year. This research can provide a reference for the formulation of a local irrigation scheme to stabilize and increase summer maize yield on the premise of satisfying the ecological water demand of the river and restoring the groundwater table.

Assessing water system vulnerabilities under changing climate conditions using different representations of a hydrological system

ABSTRACT Changes in climate are altering the historical characteristics of the streamflow regime and affecting the performance of water systems. Here, the role of representing natural streamflow conditions in quantification of water system vulnerability under changing climate is evaluated in the Oldman River Basin, Canada. Four hydrological models are developed using point- and grid-based climate data and considering lumped and semi-distributed representations of the watershed. These hydrological models are then coupled with a reservoir water allocation model. Using an ensemble of climate model projections fed into these integrated models, changes in the water system’s behaviour are evaluated. Although intensified and earlier peak flows and more critical water deficits are projected, the estimated risks of failure strongly depend on the considered hydrological model configuration. The divergence among models’ projections for water deficit can be as high as 300%. Therefore, usage of all configurations is recommended to revise the reservoir operational policies.

Investigation of Data Mining Method in Optimal Operation of Eyvashan Earth Dam Reservoir Based on PSO Algorithm

Today, Metaheuristic Algorithms are considered one of the most important and appropriate methods to achieve good solutions and optimization. In this research, a Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm with a nonlinear objective function has been used to optimize the reservoir water allocation of the Eyvashan earth dam based on the reservoir water balance for irrigation periods (2014-2020). The results show that the highest agricultural demand downstream of the dam in June was 8.96 (MCM). The amount of reservoir release calculated by the model to meet the water requirement downstream of the dam (37.80MCM) is much more optimal than the total amount of downstream needs (41.03MCM). Also, the minimum amount of water shortage due to severe drought while controlling floods is easily possible due to the reservoir's useful volume and the reservoir's annual flow. According to the PSO model, in each period of operation of Eyvashan earth dam, about 7.9% can be saved in the reservoir release for the needs of downstream agriculture in the months of high water consumption in summer.

Study on Water Distribution Scheme Across Regions

For a long time, water conservancy projects across administrative region is mostly invest in the construction by superior government, each side unconditional benefit, this is difficult to arouse the enthusiasm of benefited party to investment, and makes the government faces a great financial pressure, at the same time, it is easy to produce regional imbalance and contradiction of water resources. Finally, it will affect the resource efficiency and investment efficiency of the project. The transregional water allocation is an important basis for implementing the total water use control system in drainage basin and regions and an important content for implementing tough water management measures. This article summarily analyses the typical engineering way of water allocation, and the basic principle of the water allocation, takes Qingxi Reservoir water allocation on concrete analysis, puts forward the main factors of Qingxi Reservoir water allocation, including the area of the Qingxi river basin in each administrative regions, water resources, effect of reservoir engineering constructions, the water demand and water deficit in each administrative regions, input factors, and then puts forward proposals on water allocation. Based on two water allocation proposals, this article puts forward proportion and recommended of water allocation in each administrative region. Each administrative region should own the same right to use water resources and shoulder the same responsibility based on the same proportion, same right, same profit and same responsibility. The water allocation plan can be used as reference for Qingxi Reservoir water allocation.

Inventory Theory-Based Stochastic Optimization for Reservoir Water Allocation

This study aims to develop an effective model for reservoir water allocation under conditions of uncertainty. To identify a practical method that increases the benefits by optimizing the water allocation policies while reducing the costs by optimizing the water transfer scheme, several stochastic programming models (EOQ-TSP models) were developed by integrating economic order quantity (EOQ) models into a two-stage stochastic programming (TSP) framework. The EOQ-TSP models are advantageous for analyzing the effects of the water inventory scheme on the reservoir water allocation benefits and better at optimizing water allocation policies while also considering uncertainties regarding different flow levels and different water inventory conditions in a water supply-inventory-demand system. Finally, the feasibility of the developed EOQ-TSP models was demonstrated by applying the models to a real-world case study. The results show that the benefits of the optimal water allocation policy will be further increased by optimizing the water transfer scheme, and these proposed models will be helpful for systematizing reservoir water management and identifying optimal reservoir water allocation plans in uncertain environments.

Development of an Optimal Reservoir Operation Scheme Using Extended Evolutionary Computing Algorithms Based on Conflict Resolution Approach: A Case Study

Optimal reservoir operation and water allocation are critical issues in sustainable water resource management due to increasing water demand. Multiplicity of stockholders with different objectives and utilities makes reservoir operation a complicated problem with a variety of constraints and objectives to be considered. In this case, the conflict resolution models can be efficiently used to determine the optimal water allocation scheme considering the utility and relative authority of different stakeholders. In this study, the Nash product is used for formulation of the objective function of a reservoir water allocation model. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to determine the importance of each stockholder in bargaining for water. The Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) and the Imperialism Competitive Algorithm (ICA) are applied to solve the proposed optimization model. System performance indices including reliability, resiliency and vulnerability are used to evaluate the performance of optimization algorithms. The simplest and most often-used reservoir policy (Standard Operating Policy, SOP) is also used in order to evaluate the performance of the proposed models. The proposed model is applied to the Karkheh River-Reservoir system located in south western part of Iran as a case study. Results show the significance of the application of conflict resolution models, such as the Nash theory and proposed optimization algorithms, for water allocation in the regional scale especially in complicated water supply systems.

Reservoir Water Allocation under Abrupt Pollution Condition

A suitable strategy for analyzing a water-resource system reaction to abrupt pollutants and for examining the necessity and the nature of management programs would necessitate quality-quantity modeling of the system and conflict-resolution methods to compromise between contradictory goals and desires. The allocation of drinking and agricultural water of the Karaj dam, one of the most strategic dams in Iran, is accomplished by using the CE-QUAL-W2 simulation model. In this study, an entering coliform pollution with 1013 mpn/m3 intensity is taken into account. In addition, a new conflict-resolution model is developed so that less water allocation is made based on the quality aspects desired. That is, poor quality water is allocated less, whereas more allocation is made along with an increase in the quality utility. Results show that, for abrupt pollution conditions, the developed quality-quantity model is 14% more suitable than the exclusion of water allocation. The present study with its developed methodology can be a guide for decision-makers to extract different reservoir allocations under abrupt pollution conditions.

Effectiveness of Weather Derivatives as a Cross-Hedging Instrument Against Climate Change: The Cases of Reservoir Water Allocation Management in Guanajuato, Mexico and Lambayeque, Peru

Ongoing climate change will increase competition for water. Diversified demand for water-in contrast with the rigid design of water systems, institutions and infrastructure-could hinder the implementation of adaptation policies in water management for Latin American countries. In this context, weather derivatives are proposed as a complementary mechanism for the successful adoption of more efficient water allocations in irrigation districts. Weather derivatives spread risks and incorporate a better understanding of climate system behavior, strengthening irrigation districts? ability to deal with water availability and demand. The model uses a dynamic water resource allocation model, historical precipitation and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios to find optimal water allocation strategies for the baseline scenario and in the presence of climate change. This analysis is applied to two irrigation districts in Latin America: one in Mexico and the other in Peru, with their corresponding particularities and results.

Optimal irrigation planning model for an existing storage based irrigation system in India

A weekly irrigation planning LP model is formulated for determining the optimal cropping pattern and reservoir water allocation for an existing storage based irrigation system in India. Objective of the model is maximization of net annual benefit from the project. In an irrigation planning of a storage based irrigation system, initial storage of the reservoir at the beginning of the reservoir operation, expected inflows into the reservoir during each intraseasonal period, capacity of channels, crop calendar and yield response to water deficit in each growth stage of crop play a vital role in deciding acreage and water allocation to each crop. The planning model takes into account yield response to water deficit in each intraseasonal period of the crop, expected weekly inflows entering into the reservoir, storage continuity of reservoir, land and water availability, equity of water allocation among sub areas and proportionate downstream river release. One year comprising of 52 weeks is considered as planning horizon. To account for uncertainty in water resources availability, the model is solved for four levels of reliability of weekly inflows entering into the reservoir (90%, 85%, 80% and 75%). Alternative optimal cropping patterns and weekly releases to crops grown in each sub area under each main canal are obtained for various states of initial storage at the beginning of reservoir operation and for various levels of weekly inflows into the reservoir. Results reveal the importance of initial state of reservoir storage for feasible solution and shows the impact on cropping pattern with the change in initial storage of reservoir for different levels of reliability of weekly inflows.

Reativação do perímetro irrigado de Gravatá: uma abordagem otimizante sobre agricultura irrigada e sustentabilidade hídrica

Neste trabalho se analisa a possibilidade de reativação do Perímetro Irrigado de Gravatá, com uma área potencial de 934 ha, localizado na bacia do Rio Piancó, no sudoeste do Estado da Paraíba. Com tal objetivo utilizaram-se o modelo de otimização ORNAP, para seleção, alocação de área e demandas hídricas mensais das culturas e o modelo de simulação MODSIM P32 para verificação da sustentabilidade hídrica dos reservatórios Canoas e Saco de Nova Olinda, responsáveis pelo suprimento de água para o perímetro; depois se avaliou o comportamento hídrico do sistema, através de análises, para diversos cenários climáticos e de volumes iniciais nos reservatórios considerando-se um horizonte de planejamento de dois anos. O estudo mostrou que, com as mudanças propostas no plano de cultivo e no sistema de irrigação e se utilizando de modelo de alocação otimizada de água através de um plano de operação dos reservatórios, é possível, mesmo em condições climáticas e de volumes iniciais nos reservatórios desfavoráveis, irrigar até 70% da área potencial do referido perímetro.

Optimization of Nebhana Reservoir Water Allocation by Stochastic Dynamic Programming

This study is devoted to the identification of an optimal rule that would permit to improve the water resources management of dam in arid condition. The Nebhana dam is considered in this study as a representative of a set dams situated in such condition. The water storage is used for irrigation purpose. The identification of an optimal rule is based on two opposite objectives: the satisfaction of the irrigation water demand and the safeguard of a minimal water storage in the dam. By considering different weights for these objectives, the stochastic dynamic programming technique was lead to various optimal rules for the water resources management of the Nebhana dam. This technique takes into account the variability of the volume of water inflow to the dam on the basis of their occurrence probability; the water losses by means of forecasting models and the water resources goals using weight coefficients. The identified optimal rule would permit to estimate the necessary water release volume for irrigation by considering the water storage and the decision period.