Hydroelectric dams struggle to cope with intensifying global weather

Enlarge / THE Hemenway port Marina has Lake Mead, THE from the country the biggest artificial water reservoir, shape by Vacuum cleaner Dam on THE Colorado River In THE South West United States, as seen Since Rock Beach on August 14, 2023. THE Lake Mead, A national Recreation area, located In THE States of Nevada And Arizona 24 kilometers East of THE The ace Las Vegas Band, serves water has THE States of Arizona, California, Utah, Colorado, And Nevada, as GOOD as rooms of Mexico, provide costs water has almost 20 million people And big windrows of agricultural land. George Rose/Getty Pictures

It is has been A of THE the wettest years In California Since recordings began. From October 2022 has March 2023, THE State was struck down by 31 atmospheric rivers – colossal bands of water steam that form above THE Peaceful And become fire hoses When they reach THE West Side. What surprised climate scientists was not THE number of storms, but their strength And rat-a-tat frequency. THE rain shocked A water system that had just experimented THE the driest three years In checked in State history, provoking floods, mass evacuations, And has less 22 death.

Swinging between wet And dry extreme East typical For California, but last Winter rain, potentially intensified by climate change, was almost unmanageable. Add has that THE arrival of El Child, And more extreme weather report looks likely For THE State. This East going has TO DO life very difficult For THE dam the operators charge with capture And control a lot of THE States water.

As most of THE of the world 58,700 big dams, those In California were built For yesterday's more stable climate motives. But as climate change taxes THE of the world water systems—affecting the precipitations, melt of ice, And evaporation - this is get difficult has predict how a lot water gets has A dam, And When. Dams are more and more either hungry for water, unable has maintain supplies of power And water For their the communities, Or overwhelmed And strength has release more water that desired - risk flood downstream.

But has A major dam In North California, the operators to have has been demonstrating how has not just weather report these erratic And intense storms, but capitalize on them. Management crews has New Bullards Bar, built In 1970, between last winter armed with new forecast tools that gave unprecedented preview In THE size And strength of THE future storms - allowing them has develop a strategy how has handle THE rain.

First of all, they to leave THE rains recharge their reservoir, A typical move After A long drought. SO, as more storms shape has sea, they do THE difficult choice has release a few of This precious nest egg through their hydroelectricity wind turbines, confident that more rain was future. "I felt A little nervous has First of all," said John James, director of Resource planning has Yuba Water Agency In North California. Costs showers Soon valid THE move. New Bullards Bar finished winter with plumped water supplies, A 150 percent booster In power generation, And A to do the housework security save. THE strategy offers A preview of how better forecast can allow hydroelectricity has adapt has THE climate change.

Modeling studies to have long suggested that better weather report forecasts would be be invaluable For dam managers. NOW This East be confirmed In real life. New Bullards Bar East A of A half a dozen pilot sites team up up with THE WE Army Body of Engineers has test how avant-garde forecast can be used has to optimise operations In THE real world. Early tests of THE methods, called informed of forecasts reservoir the operations, to have given the operators THE trust has socket 5-20 percent reserve margins beyond their tanks ...