Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.j0zpc86sc

Description of the data and file structure

Four reservoir operation models were tested in this work. The archive contains the input data, evaluation spreadsheets for each solution, and the input/output data for three out of four models:

Problem_definition_and_input_data_spreadsheet.zip

Problem Definition and Input Data Spreadsheet.zip contains two files: problem definition (PDF format) and the “Upper Krishna Basin Input Data” Excel file. This Excel file is essential for those who want to test their own reservoir simulation tools using the same input data. It contains the following worksheets:

Worksheet “Inflows” with the following data entries (all data starting in row 3):

Simulated year in Column A, simulated week in column B, followed by the weekly inflows (m3/s) into Balakwadi, Dhom, Kanher and Urmodi reservoirs and Nodes 3 and 8 in columns C, D, E, F, G, and H, respectively. Column I contains weekly reservoir evaporation in mm that should be applied to the average weekly surface area for each reservoir. Precipitation directly on the water surface areas in mm on the surface areas of Urmodi and Kanher reservoirs is given in columns J and L.

Worksheet “Water Demands” has the following entries (values starting in row 5):

Simulated year in Column A, simulated week in column B, followed by weekly water demands (m3/s) for DRBC1, DLBC1, Drinking & Industry from Dhom Reservoir, KLBC, DLBC2, KRBC, U, JK, Khatav-Man, Kavatha Kenjal, Vasna, Wangna, Inter-Basin Transfer (Dhom) in columns C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N and O. Weekly E-flow targets for outflows from Kanher and Urmodi reservoirs are given in columns P and Q.

Worksheet “EAC Tables for Reservoirs” has the following entries (values starting in row 4):

Elevation (m), Area (hectares), Volume (1000m3) for Balakwadi reservoir in columns A, B and C

Elevation (m), Area (hectares), Volume (1000m3) for Dhom reservoir in columns D, E and F

Elevation (m), Area (hectares), Volume (1000m3) for Kanher reservoir in columns G, H and I

Elevation (m), Area (hectares), Volume (1000m3) for Urmodi reservoir in columns J, K and L

Evaluation_spreadsheets_for_all_model_solutions.zip

The archive “Evaluation Spreadsheets for All Model Solutions.zip” contains an evaluation spreadsheet that checks the compliance of model solutions with the stated water rationing policy. This spreadsheet can be used by those who want to check if their simulation tools are able to conform to the operating policies defined in the paper. There are four evaluation spreadsheets:

Analyses of HEC-ResSIM output.xlsx

Analyses of Mike-Hydro Basin output.xlsx

Analyses of WEB.BM output.xlsx

Analyses of WEAP output.xlsx

The format of the above files is the same, except that the HEC-ResSIM evaluation spreadsheet is 7 times longer since the simulation was carried out using a daily time step, since HEC-ResSIM is limited to daily (or shorter) time steps.

All four archives above have the same format for output evaluation, which is explained at the end of the summary for each worksheet. Their difference is caused by the different model outputs which are copied and pasted into the evaluation spreadsheet as explained below. The following explanation can be used to incorporate model output for any additional model that was used to solve this benchmark problem using the weekly time step (the same approach was used for the daily time step in the HEC-ResSIM output evaluation):

Worksheet Balakwadi:

Simulated Balakwadi water levels need to be copied into column B, starting from cell B3. The other input into this worksheet is the allocated inter-basin transfer in column H. The inter-basin demand in column G is part of the model output that has to be input into this worksheet. Column C calculates the allowable deficits based on the storage levels, which are compared to the actual deficits in percent points in column D, which are based on the calculated allocation deficits in the model from column I. The actual deficits are calculated in column I based on the target demand in column G and the simulated value of inter-basin transfer in column H. The comparison between the deficits in columns D and E should reveal any instances when the actualized model deficits in column D are higher than the maximum allowable deficits in column E, which is based on the storage levels. This principle has been followed for all other reservoirs.

Units:

• Column A: date [year-month-day]
• Column B: water level [m]
• Columns C, D and E: [percent]
• Columns G, H: [m3/s]
• Column I: fraction, a decimal between [0, 1]

Worksheets “Dhom”, “Urmodi” and “Kanher”:

Column A contains the date of the end of the simulated time step, starting from the initial starting date, 1977-05-28. Column B contains the simulated reservoir levels, and column C contains the maximum allowable deficits based on the simulated storage levels. Those deficits should be less than or equal to the actual simulated deficits for the water use components specified by the respective dams. Columns that have the “Used Water” in their headings were copied and pasted from the model output. The generated plot, starting in row 5 on the right-hand side of the worksheet, shows the deficits, with one single bold black line used to denote the maximum allowable deficits, while the other colored lines show individual deficits for the selected water use components supplied from the given reservoir identified by the name of the worksheet. For reference, these plots have been presented in the publication. They can be regenerated automatically by copying and pasting the storage levels and the achieved water supply into the appropriate “Used Water” columns.

Units in worksheet “Dhom”:

• Column A: date [year-month-day]
• Column B: water level [m]
• Columns C through K: [percent]
• Columns M, N, P, Q, S, T, V, W, Y, Z, AB, AC, AE, AF [m^3^/s]
• Columns O, R, U, X, AA, AD, AG: fraction [0, 1]
• Units in worksheets “Urmodi”:
• Column A: date [year-month-day]
• Column B: water level [m]
• Columns C through G: [percent]
• Columns I,J, L,M: [m^3^/s]
• Columns K, N: fraction [0, 1]

Units in worksheets “Urmodi”:

• Column A: date [year-month-day]
• Column B: water level [m]
• Columns C through G: [percent]
• Columns I,J, L,M, O,P: [m^3^/s]
• Columns K, N, Q: fraction [0, 1]

Worksheets “E flows Urmodi” and “E flows Kanher” contain the storage levels in column B (m), weekly E-flow targets in m3/s (as defined in the input data file), simulated outflows to downstream river reaches from Urmodi and Kanher reservoirs, absolute E-flow deficits in column E and the percent deficits (with respect to the E-flow target in column C) displayed in column F.

Units in worksheets “E Flows Urmodi” and “E Flow Kanher”:

• Column A: date [year-month-day]
• Column B: water level [m]
• Columns C through F: [percent] 

The Mass Balance calculation worksheet is of interest to the Mike Hydro Basin analysis spreadsheet, where the lack of mass balance is demonstrated by comparing the total inflow via Canals D10 and D8 and the total outflow into command areas DLBC2, Khatav-Man, KLBC and KRBC calculated in column H. The units in each column are listed in the header of the table.

The next three data archives are only of interest to the expert users who are familiar with HEC-ResSIM, Mike Hydro Basin, or the WEB.BM model:

HEC-ResSIM_Input_and_Output_files.zip

HEC-ResSIM Folder

This folder unpacks to a folder called "UP_KR_07102022_rev_09022023". All files in this folder are in binary format, and they are generated by the HEC-ResSIM application either as saved input data files or as the saved output. This folder is reserved for users who are familiar with the HEC-ResSIM application and who would like to examine the setup of the model for this particular problem. More information about the HEC-ResSIM is available from the User Manual that can be downloaded from https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ressim/documentation/HEC-ResSim_33_UsersManual.pdf

The HEC-ResSIM model has three modules, which are created by the HEC-ResSIM application for the users.

i. Watershed Setup: the big picture of the system of stream alignment, reservoirs, diversions, computation points, etc.

ii. Reservoir Network: The details of the system network, including data of reservoirs, reaches, diversion,s and junctions. Alternatives include data definition related to selection of network, operation sets, initial conditions, and time series data for inflows and demands.

 iii. Simulation: Enables time window, runs the model for selected alternatives, and analyzes the results.

The zip folder contains Watershed setup files and folders generated by HEC-ResSIM, including the input data files and the system-generated files. All files can be accessed using the HEC-ResSIM model.

Watershed folders & files:

• Maps folder- contains shape files, dlgs, dems, etc.
• Rss folder- contains network files, Alternative files and Simulation folders:
• Network files: Network represents hydrologic features, data definitions and reservoir definitions. The format of the files is .rsys, .dbf, .dbt, .mdx and .dss.
• Alternative files: Alternatives are a combination of a network, time step setting, operation scheme, set of initial conditions and a set of inflows, the data is stored in .ralt, .fits, .malt file format.
• Simulation folder: simulations are a time window and a set of alternatives to run, refine and compare the results, the files are in stored in .simperiod, .simrun, .dss format.
• Shared folder- input data, notes, etc.
• Study – contains watershed database files
• Supplemental

The watershed folder also consists of files for the inflow and demand time series created by the modeller, which are stored in .dss files (HEC-Data Storage System) format. The DSS file format is a specific format used by HEC models for entering time series data. These files may be created using the HEC-DSSVue tool, allowing the HEC-ResSIM to read inputs and write simulation results. 

Mike_Hydro_Basin_input_and_output_data.zip

Mike Hydro Basin Folder

The archive Mike_Hydro_Basin_input_and_output_data.zip unpacks to the FinalModel_MHB folder. Much like the HEC-ResSIM folder, all files in the Mike Hydro Basin folder can be accessed by the Mike Hydro Basin model (version 2023 was used to conduct the simulation of this benchmark run). Note that Mike Hydro Basin is a commercial product that is available to licensed users. More information is available at: https://www.dhigroup.com/technologies/mikepoweredbydhi/mike-hydro-basin

Although the experienced Mike Hydro Basin users would likely be familiar with the I/O file structure, the purpose of the internally generated files in the folders is explained in the attached spreadsheet MIKE_Hydro_File_Functions.xlsx.

webbm_output_files_and_project_backup.zip

web.bm output files and project backup data.zip contains two text files (simulated values and target values output files in matrix form year by year, text files), one Excel file of outputs in column format for all simulated weeks, and an additional project backup zip file which should not be unziped, but should rather be uploaded as such to the web.bm model at www.riverbasinmanagement.com