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Reservoir Operations Troubleshooting

Situation: On-channel reservoir will not fill to capacity.

  1. Check if there are sufficient storage rights (*.rer) to meet the reservoir capacity, as defined in the reservoir station (*.res) file.
  2. Review the reservoir target file (*.tar) to see if the monthly target equals the reservoir capacity set in reservoir structure (*.res) file.
  3. Check if the storage right is assigned to the correct accounts in the reservoir rights file (*.rer).
  4. Check if there is sufficient physically and legally available flow available to the reservoir.
    • Review the River Balance information in the direct diversion summary output file (*.xdd), specifically reviewing River Inflow, Reach Gain, Available Flow, and Control Location at the reservoir.
    • If the reservoir is located at the top of a tributary, make sure that natural flow has been distributed up to the reservoir.
    • If there is physical flow but no available flow, there is a downstream calling right that is causing the reservoir to bypass the physical flow in the river to meet the downstream demand.

Situation: Diversion demand is not being fully satisfied from supplemental storage supplies.

  1. Check if reservoir account(s) specified as source(s) in the operating rule file (*.opr) has water in storage available for release; review reservoir contents for each account in the reservoir summary file (*.xre).
  2. If the release is via exchange, check if exchange potential is limiting the released amount. Review the River Balance information in the direct diversion summary output file (*.xdd) for each of the intervening structures.
  3. Check if the diversion demand capacity in the direct diversion station file (*.dds) is limiting additional releases from being diverted, particularly if the releases are being made via an operating rule with a carrier.
  4. Make sure the River Inflow to reservoir (River Inflow (+) column in *.xre file) is not equal to or greater than the reservoir maximum release rate (FloMax) assigned in the reservoir station (*.res) file, thus limiting releases due to downstream channel capacity.