Risk analysis for flood control operation of seasonal flood-limited water level incorporating inflow forecasting error

The seasonal flood-limited water level (FLWL), which reflects the seasonal flood information, plays an important role in governing the trade-off between reservoir flood control and conservation. A risk analysis model for flood control operation of seasonal FLWL incorporating the inflow forecasting error was proposed and developed. The variable kernel estimation is implemented for deriving the inflow forecasting error density. The synthetic inflow incorporating forecasting error is simulated by Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) according to the inflow forecasting error density. The risk analysis for seasonal FLWL control was estimated by MCS based on a combination of the forecasting inflow lead-time, seasonal design flood hydrographs and seasonal operation rules. The Three Gorges reservoir is selected as a case study. The application results indicate that the seasonal FLWL control can effectively enhance flood water utilization rate without lowering the annual flood control standard.