Operational Planning for California Water System

Abstract

A detailed river basin simulation model has been developed by the California Department of Water Resources to simulate the combined operation of two major water project systems in California, namely the Central Valley Project (CVP), operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the State Water Project (SWP), operated by the California Department of Water Resources. Each agency operates upstream reservoirs in Northern California to serve local water users as well as to provide for exports of water to more arid Central and Southern California regions. Much of this export water flows through the Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta, which has become a major focal point for water policy controversy in California. The size and complexity of this combined CVPSWP system of reservoirs and conveyance facilities is such that proposed changes in water use or development of future water project facilities may involve analyzing or changing numerous system or operational constraints. The simulation model developed provides the necessary flexibility to analyze a wide range of assumptions for various planning alternatives. A major feature of the model is to allow proper sharing of Sacramento‐San Joaquin Delta inflows between the CVP and SWP to meet Delta water quality outflow requirements as well as respective project export needs. Many model features are incorporated so the model can be used to analyze the effect of various alternatives of future surface reservoirs, changes in cross Delta transfer proposals, proposed groundwater reservoirs, and many other proposed system changes. The range of model capabilities is described along with some example studies.