Dams In Thailand To Be Kept 50 To 60% Full

[webfact]

Dams to be kept 50 to 60% full

PIYANART SRIVALO

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The government is adjusting its water-management plan in line with His Majesty's advice and the current situation. Under the new scheme, the volume of water in dams will no longer be kept at or below 45 per cent of their total capacity.

"Water levels in some dams might be allowed to hit 50 or 60 per cent," Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said, adding that the proposal to set up a forest-development company was a good idea.

The Strategic Committee for Reconstruction and Future Development (SCRF) had made this proposal in line with the King's advice. In an audience granted to Yingluck and two government panels on Friday, His Majesty emphasised the importance of forestation as a flood-prevention measure.

Damrong Pidej, chief of the department of Wildlife, National Parks and Plant Conservation, said yesterday that he would convene a meeting of relevant officials for a plan to plant 80 million saplings in the country's upstream areas.

"We will focus on the basins of Ping, Wang, Yom, Nan, Sakae Krang, Pa Sak, Chao Phraya and Tha Chin rivers," he said.

Last year's flood crisis hit the country hard, killing hundreds of people, submerging seven industrial estates and swamping millions of homes.

In a bid to prevent flooding this year, the Yingluck-led government initially suggested that the water level at dams be left no higher than 45 per cent and insisted that dams should be used for flood prevention, not irrigation purposes. However, after emerging from the Cabinet meeting yesterday, Yingluck said the Royal Irrigation Department was now instructed to ensure that there is enough water for irrigation as well.

"The department needs to decide how much water will be stored in dams. It should be an appropriate level," she said.

Yingluck added that relevant authorities needed to take into account the issue of both flood prevention and adequate water supply. "The current situation seems to suggest that drought might be on its way," she said.

The Cabinet yesterday set up the Water and Flood Policy Committee (WFPC) and Water and Flood Management Committee (WFMC) to address the issue of water management. The WFPC will be chaired by the prime minister and the WFMC by Science Minister Plodprasob Surassawadee.

Dr Anond Snidvongs, an expert in climate change and water management, will sit on both committees and double as their assistant secretary. The Bangkok governor is also a member of the WFPC.

-- The Nation 2012-02-29

[bushwacker]

I am confused. If we had flooding when the dams were allowed to be 45% full, then how is it a flood stopping decision to allow the dams to now be 50-60% full? Not sure, but I think that Flooding = too much water!

[GentlemanJim]

I actually see big trouble here. The PM and her cohorts were simply given 'ideas', they will now implement policy decisions based purely on the ideas without doing an in depth study on their validity. The originator of the ideas, would want a full study conducted and would not expect 'blind implementation'. Should the floods re-occur this year, Yingluck can (will) now pass the buck (and the blame) somewhere else and wipe her and her governments hands of any responsibility.

I wish we could get Murdoch and some of those News of The World reporters to tap into some phones in Dubai !!

[Pib]

First the decision is made to keep the dam levels at or below 45% to help prevent flooding, now a few months later the cabinet decides 50 or 60% is OK...which means 60%. After some more cabinet meetings which I think occur weekly we may be back to, "Oh crap!!...we are in the middle of rainy season and the dams are at 100%...better release some water....looooook-out Bangkok!....put your swimming suits on....sorry, we'll do better next year....trust us. P.S. Be sure to invest in Thailand the Venice of the Far East."

Edited February 29, 2012 by Pib

[timber]

If you maintain records dam levels should be able to be projected with

about 95% certainty, with a 15 - 20% margin for error. To maintain 50%

dam levels during the dry season Feb. through April is asking for a whole

lot of different problems. To have dam levels at 100% in September is

a criminal matter or gross negligence.

[Macmundi]

I'm confused. Wasn't it because too much water was contained in the dams the problem? Why are they talking about 'at least 45%'? What is the 'at most' percent then?

[Robby nz]

Hasnt she just done a grand tour round the provinces telling everyone what to do?

After that she goes to see the king and ask his advise.

Shouldnt she have seen him before she made her pronouncements?

River at present is about 4m above the level this time last year so water is still being drained from the dams at great speed.

[OzMick]

Drought coming? The towns in Queensland getting regular floods (as recently as last week) would be happy to hear that, if just for a change.

Trees do help to prevent flooding by holding water in their leaves and slowing run-off. It will quite a few years before saplings planted now will have any appreciable effect. If they keep planning for flood, they might lose a bit of rice - if they flood the industrial estates again this country could be set back 20 years.

[whybother]

The main complaint about the previous government in relation to last years floods was that the dams were too full at the start of the wet season - at 60% - and now they current government are PLANNING to have the dams at 60% full.

[anterian]

I seem to remember that dams were all overfull, I think one was at 99% and the other at 101% , so they had to release or risk a dam burst.

[yumidesign]

I actually see big trouble here. The PM and her cohorts were simply given 'ideas', they will now implement policy decisions based purely on the ideas without doing an in depth study on their validity. The originator of the ideas, would want a full study conducted and would not expect 'blind implementation'. Should the floods re-occur this year, Yingluck can (will) now pass the buck (and the blame) somewhere else and wipe her and her governments hands of any responsibility.

I wish we could get Murdoch and some of those News of The World reporters to tap into some phones in Dubai !!

its obvious that the government has not a clue what to do so all they are doing is using the ideas of others to cover their behinds.

committees are set up by people who are not capable of making informed decisions

[chrisinth]

I am confused. If we had flooding when the dams were allowed to be 45% full, then how is it a flood stopping decision to allow the dams to now be 50-60% full? Not sure, but I think that Flooding = too much water!

Just in case I have it all wrong I'll apologise before I start.

The problem was not so much to do with the dams, but the capacity of the reservoirs behind them. The problems arose when someone didn't get their calculations right and the reservoirs (not all, but most up country) reached the 95+% level, requiring the authorities to release water to relieve the pressure on the dams.

By that stage, worst weather for 50 years, blah, blah, blah the water courses were maxed out, the government trying to stop it in the vain attempt at reversing physics - we know the rest of the story; a lot of people still recovering from it and the industrial estates in ruin.

50-60%? Good call! It should give the relevant authorities time to take action (ie, release early) if we have major rainfall again.

One thing to remember, it was the worst rainfall pattern for 50+ years, some may say ever due to the damage that was done to the country and the people of the country. Unless we get a similar pattern this year again, forget it, ain't nothing going to happen. Then the government will be happy that all their ideas matured (nothing to do with nature) saving the country.

Don't think I'm wrong though.

[bigbamboo]

Th

If you maintain records dam levels should be able to be projected with

about 95% certainty, with a 15 - 20% margin for error. To maintain 50%

dam levels during the dry season Feb. through April is asking for a whole

lot of different problems. To have dam levels at 100% in September is

a criminal matter or gross negligence.

If you maintain records dam levels should be able to be projected with

about 95% certainty, with a 15 - 20% margin for error. To maintain 50%

dam levels during the dry season Feb. through April is asking for a whole

lot of different problems. To have dam levels at 100% in September is

a criminal matter or gross negligence.

Surely water management is all about retaining and releasing the water as and when required not maintaining a set level regardless?

Edited February 29, 2012 by bigbamboo

[ResX]

I think they are confusing themselves. Most likely nothing has changed. They just started to learn water management & dams from the very basic.

Capacity of a dam can be defined by means of two ways. First one is by using its total storage capacity. The second one is by using its useful/effective/live storage capacity. Let us work one example using.

Bhumibol total storage capacity is 13.5billon cubic meter. Useful storage is 9.7billion cubic meter. Subtract the later from the former you will get the death storage.

If we keep Bhumibol at 45% level based on its total storage then we get target storage level of (0.45 )X 13.5= 6.1billion cubic meter. If we use 62% level based on useful storage then the we get target storage level of (0.62 X 9.7) = 6.0 billion cubic meter. They are most likely the same thing.

Or maybe they are not. I'm not sure. But 60% level is very close to the figure that I have proposed for Thailand. The exception that I know at the moment is Bhumibol dam, It has to be brought close to 50% of its useful storage. About 5 billion cubic meter mark will do. It provides storage capacity by 4.7 billion cubic meter. At this level Bhumibol dam can easily beat the biggest flood in 50 years for its own catchment. Obviously other dams have to play their roles too.

The real challenge is about where they want to keep the level. As you can see what happened last year. It depends on how accurate they anticipate and coordinate excessive flood flows when dams water level starts to increase. Thailand should worry more about this one.

[hellodolly]

I think they are confusing themselves. Most likely nothing has changed. They just started to learn water management & dams from the very basic.

Capacity of a dam can be defined by means of two ways. First one is by using its total storage capacity. The second one is by using its useful/effective/live storage capacity. Let us work one example using.

Bhumibol total storage capacity is 13.5billon cubic meter. Useful storage is 9.7billion cubic meter. Subtract the later from the former you will get the death storage.

If we keep Bhumibol at 45% level based on its total storage then we get target storage level of (0.45 )X 13.5= 6.1billion cubic meter. If we use 62% level based on useful storage then the we get target storage level of (0.62 X 9.7) = 6.0 billion cubic meter. They are most likely the same thing.

Or maybe they are not. I'm not sure. But 60% level is very close to the figure that I have proposed for Thailand. The exception that I know at the moment is Bhumibol dam, It has to be brought close to 50% of its useful storage. About 5 billion cubic meter mark will do. It provides storage capacity by 4.7 billion cubic meter. At this level Bhumibol dam can easily beat the biggest flood in 50 years for its own catchment. Obviously other dams have to play their roles too.

The real challenge is about where they want to keep the level. As you can see what happened last year. It depends on how accurate they anticipate and coordinate excessive flood flows when dams water level starts to increase. Thailand should worry more about this one.

You are right they just started to learn water management. A large part of the problem is they just started. They are listing to experts who's main qualification is that they are Thai. In one year they have developed a plethora of experts.

They have approved a large sum of money for the various projects but just can't seem to link the dots together and see that what is needed is work. Plans and money will accomplish nothing on their own.

[chrisinth]

dam-ed if you do, dam-ed if you don't

Edited February 29, 2012 by chrisinth

[cdnski12]

DUH!!! Like maybe the Dam Operators should pay attention to long range weather predictions and operate their dams accordingly. I note the Mekong was only @ 50% flood levels; while other Thai rivers were rampaging. Why? Maybe the Yunanese Dam Operators can interpret computer generated weather patterns and thereby manipulate the reservoir levels accordingly .. like any other responsible dam operator in Canada, USA, Europe ... etc.

[poach]

It sounds like they want to keep the Japanese from abandoning their plants. It costs the country more to lose the Japanese plants and lose tourists than what cheap hydroelectricity is worth. Should they actually follow this plan, maybe they can actually use the dams for flood prevention, which should have always been the priority.

[chrisinth]

DUH!!! Like maybe the Dam Operators should pay attention to long range weather predictions and operate their dams accordingly. I note the Mekong was only @ 50% flood levels; while other Thai rivers were rampaging. Why? Maybe the Yunanese Dam Operators can interpret computer generated weather patterns and thereby manipulate the reservoir levels accordingly .. like any other responsible dam operator in Canada, USA, Europe ... etc.

Maybe the Yunanese Dam Operators are allowed to do their jobs without interference?

[Ricardo]

the proposal to set up a forest-development company was a good idea

Doesn't the Forestry Department already exist ? How about just kicking their ars's, and telling them to start doing their jobs, instead ?

[ResX]

It sounds like they want to keep the Japanese from abandoning their plants. It costs the country more to lose the Japanese plants and lose tourists than what cheap hydroelectricity is worth. Should they actually follow this plan, maybe they can actually use the dams for flood prevention, which should have always been the priority.

Power generation & flood control dam can get along nice and easy. A flood control dam as far as possible will be designed multi-purpose. The only thing that does not add up is "greed". Greed can alter the way dams are operated. If operations of dams is not regulated eventually flood control will be the first to be compromised. Remember last year's floods in Thailand?

Edited March 1, 2012 by ResX