DOI: 10.5061/dryad.j0zpc86sc
title: Data from: A benchmark test problem for reservoir simulation models and comparison of their results

description: 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.
description: # Data from: A benchmark test problem for reservoir simulation models and
 comparison of their results Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.j0zpc86sc](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.j0zpc86sc) ##
 Description of the data and file structure Four reservoir operation models
 were tested in this work. The archive contains the input data, evaluation
 spreadsheets for each solution, and the input/output data for three out of
 four models: ### Problem_definition_and_input_data_spreadsheet.zip Problem
 Definition and Input Data Spreadsheet.zip contains two files: problem
 definition (PDF format) and the “Upper Krishna Basin Input Data” Excel
 file. This Excel file is essential for those who want to test their own
 reservoir simulation tools using the same input data. It contains the
 following worksheets: Worksheet “Inflows” with the following data entries
 (all data starting in row 3): Simulated year in Column A, simulated week
 in column B, followed by the weekly inflows (m3/s) into Balakwadi, Dhom,
 Kanher and Urmodi reservoirs and Nodes 3 and 8 in columns C, D, E, F, G,
 and H, respectively. Column I contains weekly reservoir evaporation in mm
 that should be applied to the average weekly surface area for each
 reservoir. Precipitation directly on the water surface areas in mm on the
 surface areas of Urmodi and Kanher reservoirs is given in columns J and L.
 Worksheet “Water Demands” has the following entries (values starting in
 row 5): Simulated year in Column A, simulated week in column B, followed
 by weekly water demands (m3/s) for DRBC1, DLBC1, Drinking & Industry
 from Dhom Reservoir, KLBC, DLBC2, KRBC, U, JK, Khatav-Man, Kavatha Kenjal,
 Vasna, Wangna, Inter-Basin Transfer (Dhom) in columns C, D, E, F, G, H, I,
 J, K, L, M, N and O. Weekly E-flow targets for outflows from Kanher and
 Urmodi reservoirs are given in columns P and Q. Worksheet “EAC Tables for
 Reservoirs” has the following entries (values starting in row 4):
 Elevation (m), Area (hectares), Volume (1000m3) for Balakwadi reservoir in
 columns A, B and C Elevation (m), Area (hectares), Volume (1000m3) for
 Dhom reservoir in columns D, E and F Elevation (m), Area (hectares),
 Volume (1000m3) for Kanher reservoir in columns G, H and I Elevation (m),
 Area (hectares), Volume (1000m3) for Urmodi reservoir in columns J, K and
 L ### Evaluation_spreadsheets_for_all_model_solutions.zip The archive
 “Evaluation Spreadsheets for All Model Solutions.zip” contains an
 evaluation spreadsheet that checks the compliance of model solutions with
 the stated water rationing policy. This spreadsheet can be used by those
 who want to check if their simulation tools are able to conform to the
 operating policies defined in the paper. There are four evaluation
 spreadsheets: Analyses of HEC-ResSIM output.xlsx Analyses of Mike-Hydro
 Basin output.xlsx Analyses of WEB.BM output.xlsx Analyses of WEAP
 output.xlsx The format of the above files is the same, except that the
 HEC-ResSIM evaluation spreadsheet is 7 times longer since the simulation
 was carried out using a daily time step, since HEC-ResSIM is limited to
 daily (or shorter) time steps. All four archives above have the same
 format for output evaluation, which is explained at the end of the summary
 for each worksheet. Their difference is caused by the different model
 outputs which are copied and pasted into the evaluation spreadsheet as
 explained below. The following explanation can be used to incorporate
 model output for any additional model that was used to solve this
 benchmark problem using the weekly time step (the same approach was used
 for the daily time step in the HEC-ResSIM output evaluation): Worksheet
 Balakwadi: Simulated Balakwadi water levels need to be copied into column
 B, starting from cell B3. The other input into this worksheet is the
 allocated inter-basin transfer in column H. The inter-basin demand in
 column G is part of the model output that has to be input into this
 worksheet. Column C calculates the allowable deficits based on the storage
 levels, which are compared to the actual deficits in percent points in
 column D, which are based on the calculated allocation deficits in the
 model from column I. The actual deficits are calculated in column I based
 on the target demand in column G and the simulated value of inter-basin
 transfer in column H. The comparison between the deficits in columns D and
 E should reveal any instances when the actualized model deficits in column
 D are higher than the maximum allowable deficits in column E, which is
 based on the storage levels. This principle has been followed for all
 other reservoirs. Units: * Column A: date [year-month-day] * Column B:
 water level [m] * Columns C, D and E: [percent] * Columns G, H: [m3/s] *
 Column I: fraction, a decimal between [0, 1] Worksheets “Dhom”, “Urmodi”
 and “Kanher”: Column A contains the date of the end of the simulated time
 step, starting from the initial starting date, 1977-05-28. Column B
 contains the simulated reservoir levels, and column C contains the maximum
 allowable deficits based on the simulated storage levels. Those deficits
 should be less than or equal to the actual simulated deficits for the
 water use components specified by the respective dams. Columns that have
 the “Used Water” in their headings were copied and pasted from the model
 output. The generated plot, starting in row 5 on the right-hand side of
 the worksheet, shows the deficits, with one single bold black line used to
 denote the maximum allowable deficits, while the other colored lines show
 individual deficits for the selected water use components supplied from
 the given reservoir identified by the name of the worksheet. For
 reference, these plots have been presented in the publication. They can be
 regenerated automatically by copying and pasting the storage levels and
 the achieved water supply into the appropriate “Used Water” columns. Units
 in worksheet “Dhom”: * Column A: date [year-month-day] * Column B: water
 level [m] * Columns C through K: [percent] * Columns M, N, P, Q, S, T, V,
 W, Y, Z, AB, AC, AE, AF [m^3^/s] * Columns O, R, U, X, AA, AD, AG:
 fraction [0, 1] * Units in worksheets “Urmodi”: * Column A: date
 [year-month-day] * Column B: water level [m] * Columns C through G:
 [percent] * Columns I,J, L,M: [m^3^/s] * Columns K, N: fraction [0, 1]
 Units in worksheets “Urmodi”: * Column A: date [year-month-day] * Column
 B: water level [m] * Columns C through G: [percent] * Columns I,J, L,M,
 O,P: [m^3^/s] * Columns K, N, Q: fraction [0, 1] Worksheets “E flows
 Urmodi” and “E flows Kanher” contain the storage levels in column B (m),
 weekly E-flow targets in m3/s (as defined in the input data file),
 simulated outflows to downstream river reaches from Urmodi and Kanher
 reservoirs, absolute E-flow deficits in column E and the percent deficits
 (with respect to the E-flow target in column C) displayed in column F.
 Units in worksheets “E Flows Urmodi” and “E Flow Kanher”: * Column A: date
 [year-month-day] * Column B: water level [m] * Columns C through F:
 [percent]  The Mass Balance calculation worksheet is of interest to the
 Mike Hydro Basin analysis spreadsheet, where the lack of mass balance is
 demonstrated by comparing the total inflow via Canals D10 and D8 and the
 total outflow into command areas DLBC2, Khatav-Man, KLBC and KRBC
 calculated in column H. The units in each column are listed in the header
 of the table. The next three data archives are only of interest to the
 expert users who are familiar with HEC-ResSIM, Mike Hydro Basin, or the
 WEB.BM model: ### HEC-ResSIM_Input_and_Output_files.zip **HEC-ResSIM
 Folder** This folder unpacks to a folder called
 "UP_KR_07102022_rev_09022023". All files in this folder are in
 binary format, and they are generated by the HEC-ResSIM application either
 as saved input data files or as the saved output. This folder is reserved
 for users who are familiar with the HEC-ResSIM application and who would
 like to examine the setup of the model for this particular problem. More
 information about the HEC-ResSIM is available from the User Manual that
 can be downloaded from
 [https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ressim/documentation/HEC-ResSim_33_UsersManual.pdf](https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ressim/documentation/HEC-ResSim_33_UsersManual.pdf) The HEC-ResSIM model has three modules, which are created by the HEC-ResSIM application for the users. i. Watershed Setup: the big picture of the system of stream alignment, reservoirs, diversions, computation points, etc. ii. Reservoir Network: The details of the system network, including data of reservoirs, reaches, diversion,s and junctions. Alternatives include data definition related to selection of network, operation sets, initial conditions, and time series data for inflows and demands.  iii. Simulation: Enables time window, runs the model for selected alternatives, and analyzes the results. The zip folder contains Watershed setup files and folders generated by HEC-ResSIM, including the input data files and the system-generated files. All files can be accessed using the HEC-ResSIM model. Watershed folders & files: * Maps folder- contains shape files, dlgs, dems, etc. * Rss folder- contains network files, Alternative files and Simulation folders: * Network files: Network represents hydrologic features, data definitions and reservoir definitions. The format of the files is .rsys, .dbf, .dbt, .mdx and .dss. * Alternative files: Alternatives are a combination of a network, time step setting, operation scheme, set of initial conditions and a set of inflows, the data is stored in .ralt, .fits, .malt file format. * Simulation folder: simulations are a time window and a set of alternatives to run, refine and compare the results, the files are in stored in .simperiod, .simrun, .dss format. * Shared folder- input data, notes, etc. * Study – contains watershed database files * Supplemental The watershed folder also consists of files for the inflow and demand time series created by the modeller, which are stored in .dss files (HEC-Data Storage System) format. The DSS file format is a specific format used by HEC models for entering time series data. These files may be created using the HEC-DSSVue tool, allowing the HEC-ResSIM to read inputs and write simulation results.  ### Mike_Hydro_Basin_input_and_output_data.zip **Mike Hydro Basin Folder** The archive Mike_Hydro_Basin_input_and_output_data.zip unpacks to the FinalModel_MHB folder. Much like the HEC-ResSIM folder, all files in the Mike Hydro Basin folder can be accessed by the Mike Hydro Basin model (version 2023 was used to conduct the simulation of this benchmark run). Note that Mike Hydro Basin is a commercial product that is available to licensed users. More information is available at: [https://www.dhigroup.com/technologies/mikepoweredbydhi/mike-hydro-basin](https://www.dhigroup.com/technologies/mikepoweredbydhi/mike-hydro-basin) Although the experienced Mike Hydro Basin users would likely be familiar with the I/O file structure, the purpose of the internally generated files in the folders is explained in the attached spreadsheet `MIKE_Hydro_File_Functions.xlsx`. ### webbm_output_files_and_project_backup.zip web.bm output files and project backup data.zip contains two text files (simulated values and target values output files in matrix form year by year, text files), one Excel file of outputs in column format for all simulated weeks, and an additional project backup zip file which should not be unziped, but should rather be uploaded as such to the web.bm model at [www.riverbasinmanagement.com](http://www.riverbasinmanagement.com/)