Predictive Control and Estimation for the Adaptive Management of Lake Levels and Stream Flows in Complex Watersheds

The surface watersheds of North America contain over 20% of the world’s freshwater with profound environmental and ecological importance. Large scale networks for the real-time monitoring of lake levels and stream flows are available throughout the United States and Canada. This paper investigates the use of predictive control for management of two large lakes in the Rainy River Watershed located on the Minnesota/Ontario border between the the United States and Canada. Simulation shows the potential for reduction in the magnitude and duration of summer flooding events from climate change and the need for better ecological management.