Hydroclimatic Extremes as Challenges for the Water Management Community: Lessons from Oroville Dam and Hurricane Harvey

American Meteorological Society (AMS) | December 31st, 2018

Record-breaking extreme storms were a hallmark of 2017 in the United States. An extremely wet winter on the West Coast and brutally damaging hurricane season in

Record-breaking extreme storms were a hallmark of 2017 in the United States. An extremely wet winter on the West Coast and brutally damaging hurricane season in the U.S. Southeast and the Caribbean challenged communities and power-, water- and flood-management systems in ways that raised climate change concerns. Among the most severe were two periods of heavy precipitation and high runoff that exposed dangerous weaknesses in water management infrastructure and land use practices in California and Texas. In California, a record-breaking string of atmospheric river landfalls and remarkably wet winter conditions came close to causing a catastrophic failure of the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam (France et al. 2018; Abbott 2018; White et al. 2019) and less publicized concerns elsewhere (Holland et al. 2018; CNRFC 2017). In Texas, near record-doubling rainfall accumulations from Hurricane Harvey led to massive flooding (Blake and Zelinsky 2018) and dam safety challenges in Houston (Wax-Thibodeaux et al. 2017). We use these events as examples to ground the concept that attribution studies, with careful management-focused framing, can help water management better navigate such unprecedented extremes. *Chapter from the American Meteorological Society's Explaining Extreme Events of 2017 from a Climate Perspective.

Impacts of California’s Five-Year (2012-2016) Drought on Hydroelectricity Generation

Pacific Institute | April 13th, 2017

The severe hydrological drought afflicting California between 2012 and 2016 has ended, with an extremely wet winter beginning in October 2016. That five-year per

The severe hydrological drought afflicting California between 2012 and 2016 has ended, with an extremely wet winter beginning in October 2016. That five-year period was the driest and hottest in the instrumental record going back to the late 1800s. Impacts on communities, ecosystems, farmers, and the economy were widespread but have been unevenly distributed. The Pacific Institute has regularly analyzed the consequences of California droughts, beginning with comprehensive assessments of the 1987-1992 drought (Gleick and Nash 1991, Nash 1993), the 2007-2009 drought (Christian-Smith et al. 2011), and this most recent drought (Cooley et al. 2015, Gleick 2015, Cooley et al. 2016, Feinstein et al. 2017). This analysis is the third assessment of the impacts of the drought on hydropower production and greenhouse gas emissions from California’s energy sector (Gleick 2015, Gleick 2016). This analysis finds that during the five years ending September 30, 2016 (the end of the 2016 “water year”), hydropower generation was substantially below average, and the associated economic cost to California ratepayers was approximately $2.45 billion dollars. The additional combustion of fossil fuels for electricity generation also led to a 10 percent increase in carbon dioxide emissions from California’s in-state power plants (CARB 2015) along with increased emissions of other pollutants.

Independent Review Panel (IRP) Report for the 2014 Long-Term Operations Biological Opinions (LOBO) Annual Science Review

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | December 1st, 2014

Inferring efficient operating rules in multireservoir water resource systems: A review

Wires Water (Wiley) | November 20th, 2019

Coordinated and efficient operation of water resource systems becomes essential to deal with growing demands and uncertain resources in water‐stressed regions. System a

Coordinated and efficient operation of water resource systems becomes essential to deal with growing demands and uncertain resources in water‐stressed regions. System analysis models and tools help address the complexities of multireservoir systems when defining operating rules. This paper reviews the state of the art in developing operating rules for multireservoir water resource systems, focusing on efficient system operation. This review focuses on how optimal operating rules can be derived and represented. Advantages and drawbacks of each approach are discussed. Major approaches to derive optimal operating rules include direct optimization of reservoir operation, embedding conditional operating rules in simulation‐optimization frameworks, and inferring rules from optimization results. Suggestions on which approach to use depend on context. Parametrization–simulation–optimization or rule inference using heuristics are promising approaches. Increased forecasting capabilities will further benefit the use of model predictive control algorithms to improve system operation.

Initial Alternatives Information Report for the North/Central Delta Improvement Study (Delta Cross Channel, Franks Tract, and Through- Delta Facility Evaluation)

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) | March 17th, 2010

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) are evaluating the feasibility o

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Interior) Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) are evaluating the feasibility of using conveyance and operations actions in the north and central region of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) to improve water quality and fish conditions. Specifically, Reclamation is evaluating the feasibility of these actions in the North/Central Delta Improvement Study (NoCDIS or Study). The Initial Alternatives Information Report (IAIR) identifies, discusses, and screens measures to address the problems and opportunities. These measures are used to develop initial alternatives. Initial alternatives from the IAIR will be incorporated into and refined in the subsequent Plan Formulation Report (PFR). Subject to continued appropriations and a determination of federal interest, the Study should culminate in an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) and a Feasibility Report. Reclamation is the federal lead agency for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, and DWR is the state lead agency for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance.

Innovation in Monitoring: The U.S. Geological Survey Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, California, Flow-Station Network

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | January 1st, 2016

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) installed the first gage to measure the flow of water into California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta from the Sacramento River

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) installed the first gage to measure the flow of water into California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta from the Sacramento River in the late 1800s. Today, a network of 35 hydro-acoustic meters measure flow throughout the delta. This region is a critical part of California’s freshwater supply and conveyance system. With the data provided by this flow-station network—sampled every 15 minutes and updated to the web every hour—state and federal water managers make daily decisions about how much freshwater can be pumped for human use, at which locations, and when. Fish and wildlife scientists, working with water managers, also use this information to protect fish species affected by pumping and loss of habitat. The data are also used to help determine the success or failure of efforts to restore ecosystem processes in what has been called the “most managed and highly altered” watershed in the country.

Instream flow evaluation: Temperature and passage assessment for salmonids in Mill Creek, Tehama County

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) | May 8th, 2017

Mill Creek is among the essential streams for recovery and perpetuation of wild stocks of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and support

Mill Creek is among the essential streams for recovery and perpetuation of wild stocks of Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and supports Central Valley steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; Armentrout et al. 1998). In addition, Mill Creek is utilized by fall-run Chinook salmon, late fall-run Chinook salmon, and Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus). The Recovery Plan for Central Valley Chinook Salmon and Steelhead (NMFS 2014) classified Mill Creek as a high priority Core 1 watershed because of its potential to support independent viable populations. Mill Creek is also identified as a priority stream in the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Instream Flow Studies for the Protection of the Public Trust Resources: A Prioritized Schedule and Estimate of Cost (SWRCB 2010), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Final Restoration Plan for the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program: A Plan to Increase Natural Production of Anadromous Fish in the Central Valley of California (USFWS 2001). The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department) has interest in ensuring that water flows within streams are maintained at levels which are adequate for long-term protection, maintenance, and proper stewardship of fish and wildlife resources. The Department’s Instream Flow Program develops scientific information to determine what flows are needed to maintain healthy conditions for fish and wildlife. For each species of interest, life stage, and stream, relationships between flow and habitat are developed. The Department recommends using the federal Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM) to evaluate and develop instream flow criteria for projects which may affect California’s aquatic resources. The IFIM process, and instream flow evaluations, in general, should include broad consideration of the structure and function of riverine systems while also providing examination of five core components (i.e., hydrology, biology, geomorphology, water quality, and connectivity) of the riverine system. The Public Resources Code (PRC) §10000-10005 outlines the Department’s responsibilities for developing and transmitting flow criteria to the SWRCB for consideration as set forth in 1257.5 of the Water Code. The results from this study are intended to be used, along with other supporting information and data, to identify stream flow requirements necessary for upstream passage of adult Chinook salmon and steelhead into the upper Mill Creek watershed pursuant to the Department’s PRC mandate. Flow criteria for lower Mill Creek will be developed by the Department in a future document.

Intensification of hydrological drought in California by human water management

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | January 25th, 2017

Interagency Fish Passage Steering Committee 2014 Annual Report Focusing on the Shasta Dam Fish Passage Evaluation

Delta Stewardship Council (Delta Council) | July 1st, 2014

Interbasin water transfers in the United States and Canada

Nature Portfolio (Springer Nature) | January 13th, 2023

Interbasin water transfers (IBTs) can have a significant impact on the environment, water availability, and economies within the basins importing and exporting water, as

Interbasin water transfers (IBTs) can have a significant impact on the environment, water availability, and economies within the basins importing and exporting water, as well as basins downstream of these water transfers. The lack of comprehensive data identifying and describing IBTs inhibits understanding of the role IBTs play in supplying water for society, as well as their collective hydrologic impact. We develop three connected datasets inventorying IBTs in the United States and Canada, including their features, geospatial details, and water transfer volumes. We surveyed the academic and gray literature, as well as local, state, and federal water agencies, to collect, process, and verify IBTs in Canada and the United States. Our comprehensive IBT datasets represent all known transfers of untreated water that cross subregion (US) or subdrainage area (CA) boundaries, characterizing a total of 641 IBT projects. The infrastructure-level data made available by these data products can be used to close water budgets, connect water supplies to water use, and better represent human impacts within hydrologic and ecosystem models.