Laura Read, Head of Product Strategy for HydroForecast, recently presented at a dam safety workshop hosted by Uncommon Dialogue, a collaborative forum of experts facilitated by Stanford University's Water in the West program. Laura shared how Upstream has implemented AI streamflow forecasts that advance dam safety operations during extreme events in ways that traditional approaches are unable to achieve.
Dam safety and water management are facing unprecedented challenges due to climate variability. Balancing reservoir levels is a delicate act: storing enough water to provide for all the water demands on the system while preventing overtopping and spills during periods of unexpected high inflow.
These challenges highlight a pressing need for more reliable data and predictive models to guide decision-making. HydroForecast leverages cutting-edge AI and neural network technology to address these challenges. Designed to predict streamflow, reservoir inflows, and renewable energy dynamics, the platform integrates diverse data sources, including real-time satellite observations, weather forecasts, and snowpack measurements.
HydroForecast has demonstrated its effectiveness in real-world scenarios. In a year-long streamflow forecasting competition across 19 sites, it outperformed other models, delivering more accurate future forecasts and providing better insight in both drought conditions and 1,000-year storms. The forecasts extend across various timeframes—short-term, seasonal, and long-term—making HydroForecast invaluable in a number of dam safety applications, including dam rehabilitation, retrofitting, and removal projects.
Utilities like Tacoma Power and Valley Water are already benefitting from HydroForecast’s insights. Tacoma Power uses the platform to manage winter precipitation and snowmelt, mitigating flood risks and avoiding reservoir overtopping. Valley Water relies on HydroForecast to support event management and construction planning in flood-prone urban areas like California's San Francisco Bay Area.
Uncommon Dialogue unites policymakers, industry leaders, academics, environmental advocates, and community members. The forum's mission is to foster open communication and collaboration, tackling complex environmental and water-related challenges.
Through HydroForecast’s prediction horizons, the platform addresses the primary objectives— “The Three R’s”—of the Uncommon Dialogue on Hydropower, River Restoration, and Public Safety: rehabilitation, retrofitting, and removal. Presenting our model to this interdisciplinary industry group is an important step in increasing the accessibility and adoption of the technology, improving dam safety and hydropower operations, and shaping a more resilient and adaptive future for water management.
To learn more about the Uncommon Dialogue on Hydropower, River Restoration, and Public Safety, watch the full webinar.
