Simulating the Thames water resource system using IRAS-2010

The Interactive River-Aquifer Simulation 2010 (IRAS-2010) is a computationally efficient open-source water resource management simulation computer program. Given hydrological inflows, evaporation rates, water allocation and reservoir release rules, consumptive water demands and minimum flows, IRAS-2010 estimates flows and storages throughout the node-link water resource network at each time period. The program is an updated version of a code originally developed at Cornell University. It now links to a generic customizable user-interface for water models called HydroPlatform. This paper briefly describes IRAS-2010 then describes an application of IRAS-2010 to the Thames river system (UK). The system is simulated weekly over an 85 year historical record. IRAS-2010 results are compared to those of an existing calibrated simulation model built with Aquator, a simulator commonly used by the UK water industry. IRAS-2010 satisfactorily emulates the more sophisticated model with some discrepancies resulting from its current limitations. IRAS-2010 limitations, benefits and plans for future improvements are outlined.