Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E)

This Final Viability Assessment (FVA) presents results and recommendations for future Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) at Prado Dam. In 2017, Orange County Water District (OCWD) initiated a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), UC San Diego, to form a multi-agency Steering Committee and test FIRO as a method to improve water supply reliability, while not impairing and possibly enhancing habitat and flood risk management. This FVA builds on the 2021 Preliminary Viability Assessment (PVA), which demonstrated that FIRO is viable at Prado Dam. The ultimate goal of this project is to inform the update of USACE’s Water Control Manual (WCM) for Prado Dam to allow flexible FIRO operations, as demonstrated by rigorous analyses and documented in this FVA.