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Storing and managing water for the environment is more efficient than mimicking natural flows

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah E. Null

    (Utah State University
    Public Policy Institute of California)

  • Harrison Zeff

    (University of North Carolina)

  • Jeffrey Mount

    (Public Policy Institute of California)

  • Brian Gray

    (Public Policy Institute of California)

  • Anna M. Sturrock

    (University of Essex)

  • Gokce Sencan

    (Public Policy Institute of California)

  • Kristen Dybala

    (Point Blue Conservation Science)

  • Barton Thompson

    (Stanford University)

Abstract

Dams and reservoirs are often needed to provide environmental water and maintain suitable water temperatures for downstream ecosystems. Here, we evaluate if water allocated to the environment, with storage to manage it, might allow environmental water to more reliably meet ecosystem objectives than a proportion of natural flow. We use a priority-based water balance operations model and a reservoir temperature model to evaluate 1) pass-through of a portion of reservoir inflow versus 2) allocating a portion of storage capacity and inflow for downstream flow and stream temperature objectives. We compare trade-offs to other senior and junior priority water demands. In many months, pass-through flows exceed the volumes needed to meet environmental demands. Storage provides the ability to manage release timing to use water efficiently for environmental benefit, with a co-benefit of increasing reservoir storage to protect cold-water at depth in the reservoir.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah E. Null & Harrison Zeff & Jeffrey Mount & Brian Gray & Anna M. Sturrock & Gokce Sencan & Kristen Dybala & Barton Thompson, 2024. "Storing and managing water for the environment is more efficient than mimicking natural flows," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49770-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49770-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Benjamin Docker & Ian Robinson, 2014. "Environmental water management in Australia: experience from the Murray-Darling Basin," International Journal of Water Resources Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 164-177, March.
    2. William Chen & Julian D. Olden, 2017. "Designing flows to resolve human and environmental water needs in a dam-regulated river," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. A. Park Williams & Benjamin I. Cook & Jason E. Smerdon, 2022. "Rapid intensification of the emerging southwestern North American megadrought in 2020–2021," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(3), pages 232-234, March.
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