panama canal river forecasting System
Client: U.S. National Weather Service/Autoridad Del Canal De Panamá
Location: Panama
Period: 1997 -Present
Project Summary
Panama Canal Forecast System Displays
The Autoridad del Canal de Panamá required forecast information on a more timely basis to insure better decisions are made regarding reservoir operations in the Panama Canal. Riverside Technology, inc. developed, implemented, and trained Autoridad del Canal de Panamá personnel on an inflow forecasting system based on the National Weather Service River Forecast System for the Panama Canal watershed.
Project Details
Beginning in 1996, Riverside Technology, inc. (Riverside) worked with the Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) to transfer the National Weather Service River Forecast System (NWSRFS) technology to ACP to help forecast inflows and operations of reservoirs in the Panama Canal. ACP operates Gatun and Madden Lakes to maintain proper water levels for ships transiting the canal, and to provide municipal water supply and hydropower generation. Additionally, water elevations in the lakes must be maintained below maximum levels to avoid flooding lock operations in Gatun Lake and to preserve flood control storage in Madden Lake.
Riverside implemented NWSRFS and trained ACP engineers in forecast operations to provide timely information about current and future reservoir inflows. With this information, the forecasters make better decisions regarding reservoir operations and water conservation during the six-month dry season. Riverside worked with ACP personnel in collecting and analyzing precipitation, streamflow, evaporation, and reservoir operation data used to calibrate the hydrologic and hydraulic models within NWSRFS. As a result of Riverside’s analyses of the precipitation network, ACP decided to install additional gages in upper portions of the canal watershed. During this project, Riverside developed a new Joint Reservoir Regulation Operation model (RES-J) to account for the joint operation of Gatun and Madden Lakes. Riverside incorporated RES-J into NWSRFS and the model is now a part of the official program, used by the NWS offices throughout the United States.
Throughout the project, Riverside worked closely with ACP engineers and provided training on each phase of the work. Since the final delivery of the system in October 1998, Riverside has been under contract with ACP to provide technical support, software upgrades and maintenance, and to perform related studies for the ACP.