Integrating economic and hydrologic interdependence in reservoir management

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal allocation of reservoir water among competing uses (hydroelectric power generation, lake recreation and urban and rural water supply). An optimization model using nonlinear programming is developed to optimally allocate reservoir water among these uses. It is not unusual to optimize the values for flood control, hydroelectric generation, and urban and rural water uses, and to determine recreation values as a residual. Furthermore, if recreation values are considered, it may be in the form of constraints that maintain reservoir water levels within a specified range. In contrast, this study develops a model in which the recreational benefits depend explicitly on lake water levels, while the flood control capacity of the reservoir is maintained through upper bounds on the lake level. A mass balance equation is used to determine the water levels and volumes in the lake for each month over a twelvemonth period. The General Algebraic Modeling System with MINOS is used to solve this model. The results indicate that the total economic benefits for Lake Tenkiller could be increased by directly including recreational values in the model, and maintaining lake water levels at near-normal levels that maximize the number of summer visitations. The optimal allocation of Lake Tenkiller water among competing uses also satisfies the equimarginal principle. That is, the marginal value of water at the lake in each month is the same for the last unit of water used for hydroelectric, recreational, or urban and rural water uses. Use of this type of modelling framework would assist policymakers or reservoir managers in reallocation of reservoir water and in calibrating several policy scenarios.

Water Permit Trading for reservoir water under competing demands and downstream flows

“…The empirical model is built based on data for the study region, where water markets and instream flow valuation have been largely unexplored to date and water rights are fully allocated One final contribution of the current paper is an attempt to develop an institutional design that can be made operational for the allocation of reservoir water with competing uses from both consumptive and non-consumptive users. Debnath (2014) and Debnath et al (2015) have examined the optimal allocation of reservoir water for Lake Tenkiller in detail, with a focus upon the economic tradeoffs in hydropower versus recreational benefits. McKenzie (2003) examined the reservoir management practices for Broken Bow Lake located in southeastern Oklahoma.…”

Assessment of Ecosystem Services and Water Accounting Methodologies for Integrated Water Resources Management in water scarce basins.

“…Physical use of landscapes (recreation) 1997;Babel et al, 2005; Ward and PulidoVelazquez, 2008;Debnath, 2014;Debnath et al, 2015) Symbolic (habitat and biodiversity) It should be noted that some benefits of the physical use of landscape (i.e.…”

“…Since habitat quality is considered a good proxy for species population (Terrado et al., 2016b), the outputs of the HSM can be translated into captures and, next, into economic benefits using the market valuation for commercial fishing (Tuya et al, 2014;Jackson et al, 2015) and the travel cost method for the recreational fishing (Shrestha et al, 2002;Alvarez et al, 2014). In the case of reservoirs, statistical relationships between the water level or volume in the reservoir, provided by SIMGES, and fish density can be used Debnath, 2014). Figure 10 shows the diagram of the AHS evaluation.…”

“…The study also concludes that the consideration of environmental impacts is patchy, and proposes the ES approach as a systematic way to classify and assess them. Mullick et al, 2013; Surface and groundwater for drinking and nondrinking purposes 1997;Cai et al, 2002;Assimacopoulos et al, 2005;Babel et al, 2005;Divakar et al, 2011;Davidson et al, 2013b;a;Divakar et al, 2013;Mullick et al, 2013;Debnath, 2014;Debnath et al, 2015;Kahil et al, 2015) Filtration/sequestration /storage/accumulatio n by micro-org., plants, animals & ecosystems Assimacopoulos et al, 2005) Dilution by freshwater ecosystems Divakar et al, 2011;Divakar et al, 2013) Flood protection ) Global climate regulation Experiential use of plants, animals and landscapes (tourism) Kahil et al, 2015) Class Papers…”

“…34 66 3 35 67 4 (Diaz et al, 1992) 36 68 (Ward and PulidoVelazquez, 2012) 5 37 69 (Yang et al, 2012b) 6 38 ) 70 (Blanco-Gutiérrez et al, 2013 7 39 71 8 Lynch, 1996) 40 (Medellín-Azuara et al, 2007) 72 9 (Ward and Lynch, 1997) 41 73 (Davidson et al, 2013a) 10 42 74 (Davidson et al, 2013b) 11 43 75 (Divakar et al, 2013) 12 (Jenkins and Lund, 2000) 44 76 16 (Cai et al, 2002) 48 (Volk et al, 2008) 80 17 49 (Ward and PulidoVelázquez, 2008) 81 18 (Newlin et al, 2002) 50 82 19 (Cai et al, 2003a) (Cai et al, 2003b) 52 84 (Debnath, 2014) 21 (Draper et al, 2003) (Hasler et al, 2014) 23 (Burke et al, 2004) 55 87 ) 24 56 88 ) 25 57 (Divakar et al, 2011) 89 26 27 59 (George et al, 2011b) 91 (Debnath et al, 2015) 30 62 94 (Kahil et al, 2015) 31 63 95 32 Lund, 2006) 64 (Varela-Ortega et al, 2011) The 95 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 …”