Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations
FIRO is a reservoir-operations strategy that better informs decisions to retain or release water by integrating additional flexibility in operation policies and rules with enhanced monitoring and improved weather and water forecasts (American Meteorological Society; 2020).
FIRO is being developed and tested as a collaborative effort in the Russian River Basin (Lake Mendocino), the Santa Ana River Basin (Prado Dam), and the Yuba-Feather River Basins that engages experts and stakeholders in civil engineering, hydrology, meteorology, biology, economics and climate from several federal, state and local, universities and others. There is significant interest and support for developing FIRO at other appropriate locations in the Western U.S. and elsewhere.
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Steering Committee Jay Jasperse (Sonoma Water) John James (Yuba Water) John Leahigh (California Department of Water Resources) Greg Woodside (Orange County Water Distrcit) F. Martin Ralph (Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography) Cary Talbot (US Army Corps of Engineers) Support Staff Arleen O’Donnell (Eastern Research Group) Elissa Yeates (US Army Corps of Engineers) Rob Hartman (RKH Consulting Services) |
Eight Annual Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) Workshop Virtual webinars FIRO Workshop Webinars: Wednesday, Oct 13, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT FIRO Project Updates – Goals, Status, Results, and Challenges to Date Leaders from current FIRO projects will provide results to date including lessons learned and opportunities/challenges ahead. Wednesday, Nov 10, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT Expanding FIRO including opening remarks on national USACE policy, National FIRO screening level process, forecast needs associated with FIRO expansion into other parts of the U.S., and integrating FIRO and Water Control Manual Updates. Wednesday, Dec 8, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT Science and Technology Advances that Benefit FIRO including opening remarks on progress to date, update on Atmospheric River forecasting tools, new developments in Atmospheric River Reconnaissance, and recent accomplishments from NOAA’s Physical Sciences Laboratory. Wednesday, Jan 12, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM PT FIRO as a Climate Resiliency Strategy including opening remarks, the future climate in the context of FIRO in California, FIRO and water management in a changing climate and complementary climate resiliency operation enhancements related to FIRO. |