Operable Water Quantity Model System to Support Water Quality Management in a River Sub-Basin

Abstract

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires the development of integrated water management technologies and tools for coherent policy and resource management decisions with flood protection and drinking water supply as overriding policy objectives. The Ruhr forms a highly structured sub-basin of the Rhine river basin. The presented integrated water quantity management system allows real-time forecast to operate the River Ruhr reservoir system continuously as well as the simulation of this reservoir system to derive improved operational rules. The water management system is implemented at the operation center of the Ruhr River Association; equipped with a WWW portable GIS interface it is suited to open the decision process to the scrutiny of those who will be affected by river basin management plans.