The decision making process of the Ottawa River Regulating Committee

The purpose of this paper is to describe the decision-making process of the Regulating Committee during the spring flood period which involves a combination of cooperation, coordination, operational experience and technology. Mid and short-term decisions are based on several factors including the state of the system, forecasts of natural inflows, flooding concerns, hydro-electric production requirements and operating constraints. An integrated system of data collection and transmission and a series of mathematical models are used as tools to assist the Regulating Committee in its decision-making process. The final step in the process in often taken at a conference call of the Regulating Committee where the state of the system is discussed, potential problems identified and, hopefully, resolved and a consensus reached concerning operating decisions at principal reservoirs and other critical points in the system.