Utilizing a Decision Support System to Optimize Reservoir Operations to Restore the Natural Flow Distribution in the Connecticut River Watershed

摘要

Reservoir development on the Connecticut River Basin has altered the natural hydrograph and detrimentally affected the region's aquatic ecosystems that thrive on natural variability. This paper examines ways in which flows in the river and its tributaries can be returned to a more natural regime without negatively impacting other users. The analysis offers alternative operations to meet various objectives as well as evaluates the impacts of climate change on the basin. This paper focuses on the upper third of the basin as a proof of concept to demonstrate the decision support system and to generate initial results for the larger effort.