| Abstract | The Fort Frances-International Falls Dam traverses the Rainy River and the United States-Canada border. Low-water events in the south forebay of the dam adversely affected the operation of an industrial water intake in 2019. To elucidate the causes, records of measured water levels in the forebay were analyzed, and events threatening intake operations were identified. For each of the events, recorded water levels in Rainy Lake and the forebay, and dam operations were reviewed to identify underlying factors and conditions. A TELEMAC-2D numerical hydrodynamic model was then used to explore a broader range of hydraulic conditions potentially resulting in low water level events at the intake location. The results were used to characterize the complex inter-relationships between water levels in Rainy Lake, dam gate configurations and discharges, and water levels in the dam forebay. Recommendations for dam operators to reduce the risk of low-water level events at the intake were developed. |
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