As part of its water work in California, SEI researchers are helping to generate a tool that can issue forecasts for the coming water year based on natural water supply cycles and local water management.
2022–2024
Photo: Simon Hurry / Unsplash
The Stockholm Environment Institute is leading a team developing an automated hydrological and operations forecasting tool for the California State Water Resources Control Board.
The tool is built on the previously developed SacWAM and SJWAM water models that represent hydrology and water infrastructure operations in the Central Valley of California. The automated forecasting system harvests long-term forecasts (seven months) from NOAA’s North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) and California-Nevada River Forecast Center.
The system produces forecasts for the coming water year, including flow at 240 locations throughout the valley, estimates of reservoir storage, surface water deliveries and groundwater pumping.
Project / The Sacramento Water Allocation Model enables policy-makers to weigh difficult trade-offs in water use, by simulating a complex water system in the US.
2014 / About Planning and modelling and Water resources
Project / SEI researchers work throughout California to model complex water systems and explore sustainable management options.
2019 / About Planning and modelling, Water resources and Water-energy-food nexus
Feature / Water managers must balance the needs of aquatic habitat and human supply. SEI Scientist Doug Chalmers explains a new approach to help resolve that tension.
8 June 2023 / About Adaptation, Food and agriculture, Participation, Planning and modelling, Public policy and Water resources
Feature / SEI Senior Scientist Chuck A. Young explains why California saw severe water shortages this year and how better forecasting can help alleviate those challenges.
29 November 2021 / About Adaptation, Food and agriculture, Planning and modelling, Public policy and Water resources
Feature / The eWRIMS Analyzer transforms California’s water rights data into accessible reports on monthly water use in each watershed.
18 August 2021 / About Planning and modelling and Water resources
