SYSTEM APPROACH AND

OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES IN
WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING

SEMINAR REPORT

RESERVOIR PLANNING

RESERVOIR PLANNING

INTRODUCTION
A reservoir is an enlarged natural or artificial lake, storage pond or impoundment
created using a dam or lock to store or regulate water. Dams are constructed for
two main functions: To store water in the lake behind the dam to even out the
fluctuations in river flow and to create a hydraulic head of water in the reservoir
upstream of the dam so that water can be diverted into a canal and flow due to
gravity. Reservoirs have become an integral part of human civilisation as water is
the most basic resource required for all human activities. Reservoirs are commonly
used for Irrigation, Municipal and Industrial Water Supply, Hydroelectric power,
Flood Control, Navigation, Thermal power generation, Recreation, Minimum flow
maintenance.

RESERVOIR PLANNING
Reservoirs are capital intensive projects, ie, they require huge investments. So
careful investigation and planning is necessary before a reservoir is constructed.
All the related data should be thoroughly analysed and further information are to
be obtained. It should be made sure that the best possible decision is taken
regarding the location, size and type of the reservoir. First, the site for the reservoir
is determined and then investigations are carried out.

SITE SELECTION
The following factors must be considered while selecting the site :

The site selected should be such that a large storage area is available.
The river valley should be narrow, so that the length of the dam is low.
The reservoir basin and sides should be watertight.
The site should have good hydrological conditions. A reservoir constructed
across a stream that goes dry for some seasons is not economical.

 The reservoir should be deep. Ie, the water should be stored more based on
the height rather than the area.
The submerged area should be small.
The area should not contain any objectionable minerals that can degrade the
quality of the water in the reservoir.
The cost of acquiring the land should be low.
The site should be easily accessible.
The silt inflow should be low.
INVESTIGATIONS FOR PLANNING A RESERVOIR
Meticulous investigations are necessary after the possible locations are identified.
The various investigations required for reservoir planning are :

Engineering Surveys.
Area-elevation and Storage-elevation Curves.
Geological Investigations.
Hydrological Investigations.
Reconnaissance (Preliminary) Investigations.
Feasibility Investigation.
Pre-construction Investigations.

ENGINEERING SURVEYS
The area around the dam sites selected are surveyed and contour maps with a small
contour interval is prepared. From the map, area-elevation curve and storageelevation curve are prepared. The details of the land and property likely to be
submerged, and suitable site to locate the dam are also identified from the contour
map. Conventionally, a plain table is used to prepare the contour map. Recently,
remote sensing techniques have also been used.

GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS
Geological investigations are really important. It may amount to between 0.25 to 1
percent of the project cost. Adverse geological conditions, if not identified before
commencement of the project can necessarily hinder the construction process.
These explorations help determine whether the foundation of the dam is stable and
watertight. The groundwater conditions in the region are also determined. The
location and extend of any permeable or soluble rocks in the site is also

investigated. The location of quarries are also identified so that materials for the
dam can be easily procured.
HYDROLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS
The hydrological studies are really important because the reservoir size, height,
capacity etc depend on the availability of water. The hydrological investigation
involves Study of runoff pattern at the proposed dam site to determine the water
availability and storage capacity required to meet the target demands,
determination of the hydrograph of the worst flood for spillway design, estimation
of evaporation and other losses from the reservoir particularly in an arid area,
sedimentation studies to determine the sediment inflow into the reservoir and its
impact on the reservoir performance, and simulation studies to study the
performance of the reservoir under a given inflow series and demand pattern.
Mathematical modelling tools are used to model the flow characteristics. A longer
data series will result in better, more reliable results.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION
The main purpose is to screen out inferior alternatives and to decide what all data
are further required. A preliminary survey will identify the scope of the project
plan. It is carried out in a short time with less accuracy. All physical, engineering,
economic, environmental and social aspects are considered in this survey.
Preliminary survey are usually conducted using the existing data.

FEASIBILITY INVESTIGATION
The aim of this investigation is to find the soundness and justification for the plan.
This analysis needs to be of high accuracy as the final decision will be based on the
result of this analysis. However, completion of feasibility investigation doesnt
mean completion of planning. The current data are updated and further data are
collected.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION INVESTIGATIONS
These investigations are carried out if the time elapsed between the feasibility
investigation and commencement of construction is large. It is essential that any

new information which might have become available during the intervening time is
incorporated in final designs.

RESERVOIR CAPACITY
The reservoir capacity depends on the water availability and the water demand. If
the inflow in the river is greater than the demand, a reservoir is not required. But, if
the inflow in a river is less than the demand then a reservoir becomes a necessity.
GRAPHICAL METHOD
The capacity of a reservoir can be determined using graphical method, by drawing
the mass inflow curve and the mass demand curve. The mass inflow curve is a
cumulative curve that always moves upward or sideways. The mass demand curve
can be assumed to be a straight line. The mass demand curve is superimposed on to
the crests of the mass inflow curve. The maximum vertical deviation of the mass
inflow curve from the superimposed demand curves is determined. This value
represents the required reservoir capacity.

CONCLUSION
Since reservoirs are capital-intensive projects, it is necessary that these projects are
carefully planned and executed. All the available data should be analysed and if
necessary, further information should be gathered so that the best decision is taken
with respect to location, size and type of structure and auxiliary facilities.