Operation and Water Management of Dam Cascade System

Abstract

The Larona River Basin which covers an area of 2,477 km2, including the three cascading lakes: Matano, Mahalona and Towuti, is a strategic watershed which acts as the water resource for three hydropower plants that supply 420 Megawatt of electricity to power a nickel processing plant and its supporting facilities and electricity need of the surrounding communities. The maximum and minimum operating levels of Lake Towuti are 319.6 meters (asl) and 317.45 meters (asl) respectively. The optimization of water resources management in the Larona Basin is important to fulfil the need to produce the energy sources. Weather Modification Technology in the form of cloud seeding is needed to produce rain which will increase the volume of water in the lake when the lake water level decreased. In the rainy season, spillway operations in all dams must be optimized because the water levels upstream and downstream are continuously monitored to prevent the impact of flooding in both areas.