Reservoir Simulations of Synthetic Rain Floods for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins

In response to the destructive floods of 1983, 1986, 1995, and 1997, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Reclamation Board of the State of California are partnering a study to investigate flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration opportunities in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins, California. This paper continues presentation of Comprehensive Study methods and details the construction and application of basin-wide reservoir models in support of ongoing system analyses. Discussion emphasizes model development, simulation results with a focus on headwater and major terminal reservoirs, and potential improvements to the flood damage reduction system. Conclusions are drawn regarding the influence of reservoirs in flood hydrology, use of HEC-5 software in flood analyses, and the role of this effort in the Comprehensive Study.