A benchmark test problem for reservoir simulation models and comparison of their results

This paper tests different reservoir operation models on a relatively simple water rationing policy through a multi-year simulation of the Upper Krishna River Basin in India. The paper provides a problem description, input and output data, and the evaluation spreadsheet. The need to test simulation models originated from the findings of the National Hydrology Project (NHP) in India, where several models were tested using operating policies that involve reductions in water demand as a function of storage levels. Four of the tested models (Mike Hydro Basin, Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP), HEC-ResSIM, and the WEB.BM) are reviewed in this paper. They all utilize a single timestep progression and steady-state weekly flows. The results show that Mike Hydro Basin and HEC-ResSIM fail to allocate water according to the prescribed rules. Modelling practitioners can test the performance of their models by using the downloadable evaluation spreadsheet and input data for this benchmark.