Management Layer for the ADHydro Model in the CI-WATER Project

Yoshiyuki Igarashi , Kristi Hansen , Robert Steinke , Nels Frazier , Fred Ogden
*Department of Ag & Applied Economics, University of Wyoming, **Department of

INTRODUCTION
This research examines the behavior of reservoir
operators, irrigators and transbasin water resource
manager through development of a management
layer for ADHydro which is a component of the CIWater project.

EPSCoR
EPS
1135483

Civil & Architectural Engineering, University of Wyoming

OBJECTIVES

POLICY QUESTIONS

Create a management layer to simulate the decisions of reservoir

Under the Colorado River Compact, Upper Basin States

(AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY) must curtail water use if flows drop
below a certain level. How would water management
change in response to a curtailment?

operators, irrigators and transbasin system managers on a daily time

step or less.

Create a systematic database that contains data and management rules.

Create models to answer questions that interest stakeholders.

How would widespread conversion from flood to sprinkler

RESERVOIR

IRRIGATED LAND

TRANSBASIN SYSTEM

Management Layer for Reservoir

Management Layer for Irrigated Land

Management Layer for Transbasin

Input

Input

Input

Current date, Stream flow (cfs), Appropriation date, Decreed amount (cfs),
Irrigation pattern, Parcel size (acre), Snow pack estimates, etc.

Current date, Inflow (cfs), Reservoir elevation (feet),

Snow pack estimates, Operating rules, etc.

Output

Output

No

Yes
Set operational
min flow (cfs)

Input from
ADHydro

Reservoir
capacity
full?

No

Set as much
as inflow
(cfs)

Irrigation
season?
Yes

No

Set spillway
max flow (cfs)

Irrigation
pattern
on?

Estimate from a
regression model
and set flow (cfs)
Set zero (cfs)

Output to
ADHydro

Yes

Example: Decisions for the

Curtailment in the Little
Snake River Basin, WY
Need
curtailment
?

Yes

Yes
Set water
demand (cfs)

Set water
demand after
curtailed (cfs)

Output to
ADHydro

End

End

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS

Need
curtailment
?

No

Yes

No
Yes

General
Framework

Input from
ADHydro

Need to
decrease
reservoirs
elevation?

Yes

No

Transdiversion (cfs)

Start

Start

During
spring
runoff?

No

Output

Appropriation
date after 1948
compact?

Yes

No

Historical Data: From Little Snake River Basin to North Platte

Annual Transdiversion (AF)

General Framework:
Reservoir not
Cooperating
with Others

Current date, Inflow (cfs), Reservoir elevations (feet), Snow

pack estimates, Operating rules, etc.

Diversion of Water (cfs)

Reservoir Release (cfs)

Dry
year?

irrigation affect water demands and return flow patterns?

30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000

very wet year

5,000
0

Allocate equally,
proportionally (cfs)

Allocate from the

older water rights
(cfs)

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) in May (%)

DATABASE MANAGEMENT

1.

Collect data and preprocess

2.

Analyze data and study management rules

We are adopting and extending the Water Management Data Model (WaM-DaM)
under development by our CI-WATER collaborators at Utah State Univ.

3.

Interview people familiar with management rules

Challenges

4.

Create a conceptual model

Format of management data varies among states

5.

Implement the model in ADHydro

Absence of documented reservoir operating rules for many reservoirs

6.

Run simulation and analyze the results

MAP

Acknowledgment
Research supported by
EPS-1135483 Collaborative
Research: CI-WATER,
Cyberinfrastructure to
Advance High Performance
Water Resource Modeling

Upper Basin States of

the Colorado River Basin

Contact Info: Igarashi

yigarash@uwyo.edu