Abstract. Large-scale hydrologic forecasts should account for attenuation
through lakes and reservoirs when flow regulation is present. Globally
generalized methods for approximating outflow are required but must contend
with operational complexity and a dearth of information on dam
characteristics at global spatial scales. There is currently no consensus on
the best approach for approximating reservoir release rates in large spatial
scale hydrologic forecasting, particularly at diurnal time steps. This
research compares two parsimonious reservoir routing methods at daily steps: Döll et al. (2003) and Hanasaki et al. (2006). These reservoir routing
methods have been previously implemented in large-scale hydrologic modeling
applications and have been typically evaluated seasonally. These routing
methods are compared across 60 reservoirs operated by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers. The authors vary empirical coefficients for both reservoir
routing methods as part of a sensitivity analysis. The method proposed by
Döll et al. (2003) outperformed that presented by Hanasaki et al. (2006)
at a daily time step and improved model skill over most run-of-the-river
conditions. The temporal resolution of the model influences model
performances. The optimal model coefficients varied across the reservoirs in
this study and model performance fluctuates between wet years and dry years,
and for different configurations such as dams in series. Overall, the method
proposed by Döll et al. (2003) could enhance large-scale hydrologic
forecasting, but can be subject to instability under certain conditions.
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