CalSim II Simulation of Historical SWP-CVP Operations Technical Memorandum Report

CalSim is a generalized water resources planning tool developed jointly by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the US Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region (Reclamation). CalSim II is the application of the CalSim software to model the State Water Project (SWP), the federal Central Valley Project (CVP) and areas tributary to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta). The primary purpose of the CalSim II model is to evaluate the water supply reliability of the CVP and SWP, 1) at current or future levels of development, 2) with and without various assumed future facilities and, 3) with different modes of facilities operations.

The purpose of the Historical Operations Study is to evaluate the ability of CalSim-II to represent CVP and SWP operations, in general, and the delivery capability of the projects, in particular, through the monthly simulation of recent historical conditions. The Historical Operations Study is part of a larger CalSim II evaluation process. Other components of the evaluation include a survey of the water community to gather their views and opinions of the model, a model peer review by leading academics and practitioners, and a sensitivity analysis on model inputs.

It is hoped that this effort, to assess the quality and limitations of CalSim II, will lead to a wider debate about critical model issues, help direct model development in both the near and long term, and eventually lead to greater public confidence and acceptance of the model.