Insights from a history of seasonal inflow forecasting with a conceptual hydrologic model

BC Hydro has used a conceptual hydrologic model for forecasting the seasonal inflows to its Mica project, on the Columbia River, for more than 20 years. The model estimates the snowpack on the forecast date using recently observed weather data and then calculates the runoff response to approximately 30 historical weather sequences over the remainder of the year. The ensemble of equally likely seasonal inflows makes up the forecast. Forecasts are issued as of the first of each month from January to August. The same model and modeller have made all of such forecasts for the Mica project. While some may see this as a failure to progress, others may see it as an unique opportunity to learn how well an older hydrologic model has performed, in practice, over the long term. Comments on both perspectives are offered, after the analyses of the forecasts have been presented. The forecasts have been analysed, as of each of the monthly forecast dates, to determine the accuracy of the mean and to establish any differences between ex post and ex ante measures of uncertainty. Results are then compared with those from a regression model that has also been used for forecasting the seasonal inflows to the Mica project over the same period of record.