Sustainable operation of the Yaqui River multiple reservoir system.

摘要

The Yaqui River watershed, especially the Yaqui valley, is a region affected by unsustainable development. Intensive agriculture in the valley has collapsed both water resources and soils and has resulted in degraded crop yields. The agricultural sector to date has had almost unrestricted access to water, with little competition from other sectors. However, growing urban and industrial centers suggest that new demands for water are emerging. The objective of this research is to design and apply sustainable reservoir operation rules to ensure a long-term water supply to water users of the Yaqui river watershed. For this research, an optimization model has been developed. The short-term model, which is a large and nonlinear model, is solved using genetic algorithms. This model optimizes the annual agricultural net benefits and minimizes water shortage or spills in each reservoir. The short-term model is interconnected with yearly models to develop a long-term model to define sustainable reservoir operation rules. The long-term model includes changes in water supply due to uncertainties in river runoff and changes in water demand due to uncertainties in crops' profits. Short-term model decisions and their long-term consequences are controlled by sustainable decision parameters.; The Yaqui River reservoir system storage capacity provides substantial facilities to minimize or mitigate the effect of droughts or flood events. Based on these facilities and the results of this research, workable operation policies have been designed to sustain the water resources of the basin and the activities associated with them. This work shows the feasibility of incorporating sustainability in the reservoir operation and planning process, as well as water resources management of the irrigation districts in Mexico. The Yaqui River reservoir operation rules developed in this study are being adopted by Mexico's National Water Commission for their inclusion in the Rules for the Operation, Conservation, Maintenance and Administration of the Hydraulic Infrastructure of Irrigation District No. 041 in the Yaqui River.