Trade-Offs between Phosphorous Discharge and Hydropower Production Using Reservoir Regulation
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 143, Issue 9
Abstract
The management of water flow using reservoirs for the purpose of hydropower production can have significant impacts on solute transport. Reducing the phosphorous load to downstream areas can be of great importance for aquatic habitats associated with recipient waters, as well as for the overall health of coastal and estuary areas. This study demonstrates a combined operation of a network of reservoirs with the objectives of hydropower production and improvement of water quality in downstream areas using a multiobjective approach and incorporating the transport of phosphorous in the watershed. A genetic optimization method was used to determine the trade-off between power production and mitigation of phosphorous discharge in the reservoir network of the Dalälven River, Sweden. The phosphorous export can be reduced () with a limited loss of power production (), but further reduction is associated with a significant loss in total power production. The trade-off between the two objectives is determined using Pareto diagrams and examined for varying particulate conditions.
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Acknowledgments
The joint Baltic Sea research and development program, BONUS, and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, provided funding for this research. The authors are also grateful to the Swedish Hydropower Centre (SVC), a center for education and research on hydropower and mining dams, for their financial support of this research on reservoir operation.
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Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 143 • Issue 9 • September 2017
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©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 5, 2016
Accepted: Mar 17, 2017
Published online: Jun 26, 2017
Published in print: Sep 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Nov 26, 2017
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