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Published on: August 14, 2020
Multi-objective optimal reservoir operation considering algal bloom control in reservoirs
Yang Song1, Chunqi Shen2, Ying Wang3
1Key Laboratory of Hydraulic and Waterway Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China; Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States.
Optimizing reservoir operations using a coupled NSGA-II and GLM-AED model effectively reduced algal blooms by increasing outflow, while also improving flood control and power generation. This approach offers a transferable framework for reservoir managers to mitigate eutrophication.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Water Resource Management
- Ecological Modeling
Background:
- Algal blooms pose significant challenges in reservoirs, impacting water quality and ecosystem health.
- Reservoir operation strategies (ROSs) are a low-cost method for bloom control but must balance ecological goals with traditional objectives like flood prevention and power generation.
- Multi-objective optimization is crucial for developing effective ROSs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a coupled modeling framework for optimizing reservoir operations to control algal blooms while considering flood prevention and power generation.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced outflow strategies in mitigating algal bloom development.
- To provide a transferable technical framework for reservoir managers.
Main Methods:
- Coupling the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) with the General Lake Model-Aquatic EcoDynamics (GLM-AED) library for multi-objective optimization.
- Utilizing the Zipingpu Reservoir as a case study to test the coupled model.
- Analyzing the trade-offs between peak of outflow discharge (POD), total power generation (TPG), and peak of chlorophyll a concentration (PCC).
Main Results:
- Optimized ROSs reduced peak outflow discharge by 19% and peak chlorophyll a concentration by 36%, while increasing total power generation by 8%.
- The Pareto frontier illustrated clear trade-offs between algal bloom control, flood prevention, and power generation.
- Enhancing outflow, particularly by maintaining higher average water levels in spring, was identified as a key factor in reducing algal blooms, independent of water age variations.
Conclusions:
- Optimized reservoir operations, specifically enhancing outflow, are vital for effectively controlling algal blooms and mitigating eutrophication.
- The coupled NSGA-II and GLM-AED model provides a robust and transferable framework for reservoir managers to balance competing objectives.
- This research offers new insights into governing mechanisms for reservoir management, emphasizing outflow enhancement for improved water quality.
