A Distributed Parameter Control Systems Approach to the Analysis of Water Allocation

The optimal diversion and consumption of water is examined in a framework acknowledging both diversionary water demands and instream water demands. Return flow relationships among a basin's water users recommends that optimization be conducted over time and space domains jointly. The distributed parameter control methodology is employed to satisfy this need in a generalized model. Results demonstrate the power of the method and identify how attention to instream demands influences optimal water use by the basin's diverters.