With extreme weather increasing around the world, scientists are working to help critical infrastructure, such as water management systems, adapt. On the U.S. West Coast, where both periods of prolonged drought and intense atmospheric river storms are common, effective water management can be particularly tricky. One strategy that water managers are now pursuing is known as Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO). The method relies on increasingly accurate weather forecasts to improve water supply reliability without increasing flood risks to downstream communities. … A new study helps advance the evaluation process by identifying the physical and operational constraints that influence how much forecast lead time would be needed to safely use FIRO at a given reservoir. The research, published in Water Resources Research, was led by DRI’s Christine Albano.