Snow and reservoir management for the Columbia River treaty decision

Management of Columbia River Treaty storage reservoirs in Canada to increase hydroelectric power generation and flood control in the United States and Canada is described. Water management criteria are presented, consisting of operating rules, seasonal runoff forecasting procedures and short-term streamflow forecasting methods. The criteria, primarily derived by empirical methods, attempt to optimize the storage operation. Draft of the storage is governed by power generation requirements and seasonal runoff forecasts; refill of the storage is governed by seasonal runoff forecasts, short-term forecasts and power generation requirements.The seasonal runoff forecasts consider combined winter precipitation and snowpack water equivalent, spring and summer precipitation, antecedent precipitation and mean monthly maximum temperatures of the forecast period. Glacier melt is considered in the Mica drainage basin.