Rule-Based

Reservoir Operation
HEC-ResSim

Hydrologic Engineering Center

Outline
Review Zones and Guide Curve Operation
Go over some Terms & Definitions
Take a quick look at the available Rule Types
Discuss the different Release Limit Types
Walk through ResSims Release Decision Logic
Understand Conflicts
Generate releases and interpret decisions
Look forward to Further Complexities

Review

Flood Control
Zone

Water Conservation
Zone

Storage

Elevation

What are reservoir storage zones ?

Zones partition reservoir storage among
different purposes.

Top of
Con.

Review
What is a guide-curve?
The seasonally variable target pool elevation
The desired water storage level
What is Guide-curve operation?
Release or store to get back to guide curve.
Flood Control
Zone

Water Conservation
Zone

Storage

Elevation

Release water when

flood pool is
encroached
Store water to refill
conservation pool

Review
What is an operating rule ?
A rule is an objective for, or constraint on, the operation
of a reservoir or system of reservoirs.
When evaluated, a ResSim rule specifies an operational
goal or constraint as a desired limit on the range of
allowable releases.

Terms & Definitions

Range of Allowable Releases the minimum and

Release (cfs)

maximum values that the release can be while

satisfying the governing physical and operational
constraints on the reservoir.
75,000

Physical Release
Capacity - Max
Range of
Allowable
Releases

50,000
25,000
0

Physical Release
Capacity - Min

Terms & Definitions

Rule Priority describes the order in which the rules

are computed and applied to the region of allowable

releases.

Order of the rules in each zone

indicates priority
the rule at the top of the list
has the highest priority
in that zone.

Rule Types
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Release Function (at-site)

Flow Rate of Change Limit
Elevation Rate of Change Limit
Downstream Control Function
Induced Surcharge
Tandem Operation
Hydropower Schedule
Hydropower Power Guide Curve
Hydropower Time Series Requirement
Hydropower System Schedule
Pump Schedule
User Defined (Scripted)

O D R
O D R
R
R
R
R
O
O
O
O
O
O D R

*A rule can be applied to:

O=Outlet
D=Dam or Group
R=Reservoir

Flow Limit Types

Min Limit

Max Limit
Allowable range of
releases (cfs)

Allowable range of
releases (cfs)

5,000

Decreasing
Rate of Change

5,000

15,000

Allowable range of
releases (cfs)

Allowable range of
releases (cfs)

15,000

10,000

5,000

Increasing
Rate of Change

10,000

10,000

5,000

15,000

Allowable range of
releases (cfs)

15,000

15,000

10,000

Specified Limit
10,000

5,000

Examples - Release Rules

2. The tailwater channel has

a capacity of 10,000 cfs.

15,000

Allowable range of
releases (cfs)

1. Maintain at least 150 cfs

in the tailwater channel
throughout the year.

10,000

2.

5,000

1.
0

3. During the non-growing season, the maximum

release can linearly increase from 11,000 when the
reservoir pool level is 711 feet to 20,000 cfs at pool
level of 712 feet. (not illustrated)

Examples Flow Rate-of-Change Rules

1. Release below Crazy Mountain Dam must not
increase by more more than 3,000 cfs per hour.

Allowable range of
releases (cfs)

15,000

10,000

1.

5,000

2.
0

2. Release below Crazy

Mountain Dam must
not decrease by more
more than 1,000 cfs
per hour.
Assume that the previous
release was 5,000 cfs

Example
Elevation Rate of Change

2. Pool drawdown rate

should not exceed
0.25 ft/hr.

15,000

Allowable range of
releases (cfs)

1. Do not allow the pool to

fill by a rate that is more
than 1 ft/hr.

10,000

2.

5,000

1.
0

Walking through
The Release Decision Logic
1. Determine physical limitations
2. Apply operation rules to identify region of

allowable releases
3. Calculate desired guide-curve release
4. Decide which release applies
5. Release!

Walking through
The Release Decision Logic
1. Determine physical limitations

Use Pool Elev -> Lookup Maximum Release Capacity

Use Release -> determine Max and Min Release Ability using Rate-ofChange constraints

Releases (cfs)

15,000
10,000
5,000
0

Walking through
The Release Decision Logic
2. Apply operating rules

Use Current Pool Elevation -> Get Current Zone and its Rules
Evaluate Rules in Priority Order, narrowing the range of allowable
releases as appropriate
Releases (cfs)

15,000
10,000
5,000
0 0

1 2 3

0. Physical Capacity
1. IROC - 3000 cfs
2. Max Release - 10,000 cfs
3. Min Release 700 cfs
4.Allowable Range: 700-8000 cfs

Walking through
The Release Decision Logic
3. Calculate desired guide-curve release
(When pool elevation is above guide curve)

Net Inflow + Current pool elevation (685 ft)

Guide-curve elevation (683 ft)
Elevation (+2 ft)
Storage

/ time-step

Desired GC release (26,000 cfs)

Elev.

Walking through
The Release Decision Logic
4. Decide !
(when pool elevation is above guide curve)
30,000

Release (cfs)

GC
20,000

10,000

Yes

RD
AR

GC: desired guide curve release

RD: release decision
AR: allowable range

No

Is Guide-Curve release
within allowable range?

Make GC release

Make allowable release that is

closest to GC release (8,000 cfs)

Walking through
The Release Decision Logic
3. Calculate desired guide-curve release
(When pool elevation is below guide curve)

Net Inflow + Current pool elevation (678 ft)

Guide-curve elevation (683 ft)
Elevation (-5 ft)

Need to store water

Elev.
Desired GC release (0 cfs)

Walking through
The Release Decision Logic
4. Decide !
(when pool elevation is below the guide curve)

Release (cfs)

30,000

?
20,000

10,000

Yes

Make GC release

AR
RD

Is Guide-Curve release
within allowable range?

GC

GC: desired guide curve release

RD: release decision
AR: allowable range

No

Make allowable release that is

closest to GC release (150 cfs)

Conflicts
What is a conflict?
Websters says: A .. struggle resulting from incompatible or
opposing needs, drives, wishes, or external or internal
demands
In ResSim context - a situation when one goal or constraint
(rule) desires a release limit that is incompatible with the
release limit desired by another goal or constraint.
Example:
A minimum rule calls for a release of 5,000 cfs but due to
downstream local flow and channel capacity, the reservoir
should not release more than 2000 cfs.

Resolving Conflicts
Priority resolves (addresses) virtually all

conflicts
The priority stack that governs ResSim release

decisions:
1. Physical Limitations
2. The prioritized Operating Rules
3. Desired Guide Curve Release

Resolving Conflicts
What happens if
The Desired GC Release is outside the Allowable
Range?
The release will be the limit of the allowable range
closer to the Desired GC Release.

Resolving Conflicts
What happens if
An operating rule prescribes a release limit
outside the range defined by the physical limits?
In general, the rules desired release will be capped
(adjusted) by the physical limit.
But, Lets be more specific

Resolving Conflicts
What if
A minimum rule calls for a release greater than the
maximum physical limit?
Since a minimum rule cannot force the reservoir to
release more than it is able, the rule will pull the
minimum limit of the allowable range up to the
maximum (physical) limit (the range will become a
single value) .

Resolving Conflicts
When Guide-Curve and operating rules conflict

with physical limitations

Release (cfs)

30,000

20,000

GC

AR

HEC-ResSim will try to make the

release that is closest to that
desired by GC operation and the
region of releases allowed by
operating rules.

Physical limitations override

(16,000 cfs), so GC and op rules
may be violated.

RD

10,000
PC

0
GC: desired guide curve release
RD: release decision
AR: allowable range (rules only)
PC: physical capacity

Is this a Conflict?
A power rule calls for 5 MWHs to be generated

during the next hour. But the pool elevation is so

low, your 80 MW plant can only produce 3 MWHs
during the next hour.
Yes. The power rule is in conflict with the
physical limitations of the reservoir.
How is this resolved?

ResSim will release to generate the 3 MWHs.

The power rule is violated and constrained, but
NOT ignored.

Is this a conflict?
The pool is below guide curve but a minimum rule

calls for a 1000 cfs release.

Yes. The minimum rule is in conflict with the
desired guide curve release.
What is the desired guide curve release?

0.

How is this resolved?

ResSim will release 1000 cfs. The guide curve

operation is violated, but NOT ignored. It
effectively forces the release to the minimum of
the allowable range.

Is this a conflict?
A minimum rule calls for a 1000 cfs release all year

long. Another minimum rule calls for 2000 cfs during

the Spring growing season. It is now May 15th.
No. The 1000 cfs min does not preclude a larger
release.
What is the effect of these rules?

Remember the rule of thumb!....

The minimum limit of the allowable range of
releases will be set to 2000 cfs.

A Rule of Thumb
When a sequence of minimum rules are together
in the rule stack, their relative priority does not
matter the highest min Wins.
Similarly
When a sequence of maximum rules are together
in the rule stack, their relative priority does not
matter the lowest max Wins.

Interpreting Release Decisions

Use the Simulation

Module to verify
and refine your
reservoir operations
Right-click on a
reservoir, view
Reservoir Editor
Plots & Reports
Release Decision
Report

Interpreting Release Decisions

View results through:
The Release Decision
Reports
Plots (Flow & Elevation
hydrographs)
Summary Reports

Adding Complexities
Zone-specific rules
Prioritizing rules
Rising/Falling Conditions
Operating for a downstream location
Seasonally Varying Release and Downstream

Control Functions
Hydropower rules (and zones)
Induced surcharge (minimum required release
based on inflow and storage)
Jointly operating multiple reservoirs (for same
flow objective and/or a balanced pool state)

And MORE Complexities

Separate rules for outlets, dams, and reservoirs
Allocating Releases
Prioritizing or Balancing Releases across the
reservoir outlets
Outlet Outages and Capacity Overrides
Decision Schedules
Allowing the reservoir to make release decisions at
intervals greater than the compute time-step.
Release overrides
Release specified timestep by timestep; ignore
operating rules

Take-home points
12 types of operating rules are available in HEC-ResSim
Physical constraints and Reservoir operating rules limit
the range of allowable releases

Current inflow and pool elevation, previous release,

physical limitations, applicable operating rules, and
desired guide-curve release all factor into release
decisions

Priority resolves conflicts it determines who wins

Use release, elevation, and release decision reports to
identify active rule