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The impacts of climate change on medium-term reservoir operations for the Peribonka water resource system (Quebec, Canada) were evaluated with annual and seasonal hydropower production indicators and flood control criteria. According to simulations under the current operating rules in a climate change context, the tendency is for a reduction in mean annual hydropower production and an increase in spills, despite an increase in the annual average inflow to the reservoirs. The main results indicate that annual mean hydropower would change by -12 to +2%, and spills by -49 to + 152%. A broad range of climate projections--a combination of five general circulation models with two greenhouse gas scenarios each--were used in order to evaluate the uncertainty of these future potential climates on floods and hydroelectric production. Climate projections were downscaled with the change factor method (also called the Delta method) at a horizon centered in 2050. To represent natural variability, a stochastic weather generator was used to produce 30 synthetic climate series of 30 years each, representative of each climate change projection as well as of the climate of the control period. The hydrological impacts of climate change were evaluated with a lumped hydrological model and the hydrological regimes were analyzed according to spring flood characteristics and the average inflows. In general, the projections indicate an increase in annual inflow, earlier peaks and greater volumes during the spring flood. The analyses show that a power plant managed with a reservoir is sensitive to the operating rules and that these rules should be re-examined in order to take account of new seasonal hydrological contexts. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000041 CE Database subject headings: Climate changes; Water management; Reservoirs; Hydro power; Hydrology; Water resources; Canada. Author keywords: Climate change; Water management; Reservoir operation; Hydropower; Hydrology.

Abstract: This study aims at evaluating the hydrologic impacts of climate change on the Chateauguay River basin in the province of Quebec, Canada. Three global climate models (GCMs) covering a [...]

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Different sets of calibrated model parameters can yield divergent hydrological simulations which in turn can lead to different operational decisions or scientific conclusions. In order to obtain reliable hydrological results, proper calibration is therefore fundamental. This article proposes a new calibration approach for conceptual hydrological models based on the paradigm that hydrological process representation, along with the reproduction of observed streamflows, need to be taken into account when assessing the performance of a hydrological model. Several studies have shown that complementary data can be used to improve hydrological process representation and make hydrological modeling more robust. In the current study, the process of interest is actual evapotranspiration (AET). In order to obtain a more realistic representation of AET, meteorological variables and the AET mean annual cycle simulated by a regional climate model (RCM) driven by reanalysis are used to impose constraints during the optimization procedure. This calibration strategy is compared to a second strategy which relies on AET derived from reference data and to the classical approach based solely on the reproduction of observed discharges. The different methodologies are applied to calibrate the lumped conceptual model HSAMI, used operationally at Hydro-Québec, for six Canadian snow-dominated basins with various hydrometeorological and physiographical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]