ERG Facilitates Lake Mendocino Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations Workshop

ERG’s Arleen O’Donnell recently facilitated a group of 52 experts from multiple disciplines and organizations at the third annual Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) workshop. The workshop was co-sponsored by Sonoma County Water Agency and the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and was held in La Jolla, California. FIRO is a management strategy that uses data from modern weather and water forecasting to help water managers selectively retain or release water from reservoirs to better adapt to droughts and floods. Given California's recent severe drought, and serious impacts on agriculture, endangered fish, and water supply, optimizing water management is particularly important throughout California and in other parts of the country. Participants shared scientific advancements, communications strategies, and progress in developing a preliminary viability assessment for using FIRO at Lake Mendocino. Participants also discussed the transferability potential of FIRO to other reservoirs.