Evaluation of hydropower dam water supply capacity (II): estimation of water supply yield range of hydropower dams considering probabilistic inflow

Identifying the available water resources amount is an essential process in establishing a sustainable water resources management plan. Dam facility is a major infrastructure storing and supplying water during the dry season, and the water supply yield of the dam varies depending on dam inflow conditions or operation rule. In South Korea, water supply yield of dam is calculated by reservoir simulation based on observed historical dam inflow data. However, the water supply capacity of a dam can be underestimated or overestimated depending on the existence of historical drought events during the simulation period. In this study, probabilistic inflow data was generated and used to estimate the appropriate range of the water supply yield of hydropower dams. That is, a method for estimating the probabilistic dam inflow that fluctuates according to climatic and socio-economic conditions and the range of water supply yield for hydropower dams was presented, and applied to hydropower dams located in the Han river in South Korea. It is expected that the understanding water supply yield of the hydropower dams will become more important to respond to climate change in the future, and this study will contribute to national water resources management planning by providing potential range of water supply yield of hydropower dams.