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Background
This presentation summarizes the reservoir reallocation analysis of Whitney Lake, conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District. Whitney Lake, situated 25 miles northwest of Waco and 65 miles southwest of Dallas, is a vital water resource for Central Texas, serving multiple purposes including flood mitigation, hydroelectric generation, water supply, and recreation. This project goals was to model Whitney lake across many different alternatives and provide important data to other disciplines within USACE.
Model
The study utilized the RiverWare model by CADSWES to simulate the Brazos River Basin, with a focus on Whitney Lake. The original model was updated to include validated input hydrology, updated reservoir tables, and new models were built for critical yield, water accounting, dependable capacity, and a 1957 surcharge scenario.
Results
The analysis considered seven alternatives for reallocating flood storage and/or hydroelectric storage to water supply. Some of the key findings include: :
- Flood risk assessments showed that converting lower flood water levels to water supply storage increased reservoir elevations during flood events but did not significantly affect reservoir releases.
- Despite reduced hydropower generation for peaking power, Whitney Lake has adequate yield to meet all additional water supply alternatives modeled.
The presentation will elaborate on these findings and their implications for the future management of Whitney Lake's water resources. |
