Abstract:
Since 2014, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been engaged in a multi-agency research and development effort called Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) which is exploring how advances in weather prediction and observations can inform operations and policy decisions at federal, state and local water management agencies with the collaborative engagement and support of researchers, engineers, operators and stakeholders. FIRO represents a new paradigm in water management for USACE wherein forecast information can now be used for planning future operations, a significant change from the decades-long policy of operating solely to “water on the ground.” FIRO is now beginning its third phase which will explore how the FIRO principles developed at the initial pilot sites can be applied to the broader portfolio of dams within the USACE and beyond. The results of FIRO Phases I and II will be presented along with plans for Phase III and the expected outcomes.
Bio:
Cary Talbot is Chief of the Flood & Storm Protection Division in the Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL), US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). He supervises the execution of research and development activities in a wide range of coastal, hydraulic, and hydrologic engineering, data collection and analysis applications. He also serves as the Program Manager of the Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) Program, which is assessing the viability of using advanced hydrometeorological forecasting capability and hydrologic and water management tools to operate reservoirs more efficiently for multi-purpose benefits.
He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Brigham Young University and a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Connecticut. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Mississippi.
