With more information available, the reservoir operators can better decide how to retain or release water, based on the weather and likelihood of future conditions. | Courtesy of Unsplash
With more information available, the reservoir operators can better decide how to retain or release water, based on the weather and likelihood of future conditions. | Courtesy of Unsplash
Sonoma Water announced that a report has shown clear benefits of “forecast informed reservoir operations” in one of the area’s lakes.
Lake Mendocino has been the recipient of new data and a new approach to reservoir management, as outlined in a recent report. Through the use of forecasting tools, those in charge of the reservoir have been better able to weather the storms that are the inclement weather of California.
The report is titled "Final Viability Assessment for Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) at Lake Mendocino." It was a group effort of a number of federal, state and local organizations and was headed up by Sonoma Water and the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
Climate experts and scientists alike said that it is imperative that forecasts be able to discern how atmospheric river storms can be expected to act, especially as the planet continues to undergo climate change.
“The Lake Mendocino FIRO project is an example of how multiple agencies can collaborate to collectively explore the potential of emerging technologies in observations and forecasts and create an adaptive strategy with multiple benefits for water management in a changing climate,” Michael Anderson, state climatologist at the California Department of Water Resources, said.
FIRO has been able to use data and resources to inform operations in the reservoir. With more information available, the reservoir operators can better decide how to retain or release water, based on the weather and likelihood of future conditions. This program is the perfect marriage of the fields of science, technology and observation.
Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma Water Board of Directors, said that this is a breakthrough for Sonoma Water.
“This comprehensive report demonstrates significant regional benefits for people, the environment and the economy,” Hopkins said.
As the forecasting continues to improve, FIRO will continue to reveal new benefits to the area, even in times of drought or flood.
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