Optimal Flood Control with a Hydroelectric Reservoir:a Colombian Case Study

In recent years weather phenomena such as “El Niño” and “La Niña” have caused negative effects on inhabitants, infrastructure and economy in Colombia. Both phenomena test the effectiveness of the emergency services and the strength of the energetic Colombian system. During “La Niña” Colombian people are exposed to flood events in many areas of the country. Such floods can be avoided or reduced with an optimal flow control of the reservoirs. This paper presents a stochastic model for optimal flood control of a multipurpose reservoir that aims to minimize the impact of the rainy season (and specially “La Niña” phenomenon) over a flood control zone, while meeting physical and operational constraints. The proposed model is tested with a real case study of a Colombian reservoir. Results show that preventing floods over the flood control zone is achievable. Also, the effect of constraints enforcement on the reliability of the flood control zone is analyzed.