From models to forecasts: Tools for better water operations
1:00 – 2:30 pm MDT
The Big Thompson Canyon experienced two separate "100-year floods" only 37 years apart—in 1976 and again in 2013–highlighting the need to improve the forecasting of these events. How can we better understand changes in intensity and frequency of floods over the next several decades? And what information do water system managers need for better operations in the face of uncertainty?
NSF NCAR scientist Kyle Nardi will discuss his research using global computer simulations of the Earth system to identify changes in future weather conditions that could affect flooding events. Claudia León-Salazar of the Bureau of Reclamation will also share information about the current operation of the Big Thompson water system and the tools that can help manage it into the future.
Arrive early for this presentation and explore the Colorado Big Thompson 3-dimensional relief map, as well as Connected by the Canyon: 50 years since the Big Thompson Flood exhibit, to prepare for this presentation.
Kyle Nardi
Kyle is a postdoctoral fellow at NSF NCAR in Boulder, Colorado. Prior to joining NSF NCAR, Kyle received his PhD in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science from Penn State University and his MS in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University. Kyle’s research focuses on using computer models to understand how extreme weather events, like floods, impact public lands and nearby communities. Kyle’s research interests are fueled by his passion for natural landscapes and the benefits they provide to society.
Claudia León-Salazar
Dr. Claudia León-Salazar is a Civil Engineer with the Eastern Colorado Area Office (ECAO) of Reclamation in Loveland, CO. She has 28 years of engineering experience, with 10 of those years in Reclamation. She has a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Central University of Venezuela, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in hydraulics and sediment transport from the Department of Civil Engineering at Colorado State University. Prior to joining Reclamation, Dr. Leon-Salazar specialized in the implementation of flow forecasting systems, system integration, hydraulic and hydrologic modeling and climate change impact analysis on water and sediment yield. In her current position, she works as a water scheduler for the Colorado Big-Thompson Project performing real-time reservoir operations and short-term streamflow forecasting.