Environmental Flow Recorders

Environmental Flow Node

Source has many standard recorders for flow nodes, which can also be reported for the Environmental Flow Node. Additional recorders specific to the Environmental Flow Node are found under ‘Environmental Flow – Name of Node – Actions – Name of Action’.

The environmental flow node has a standard set of node recorders that are common across all Source nodes. Specialist recorders are then present in each node type in addition to these common recorders. Environmental Flow Nodes's specialist recorders are all present at an action level. 

Actions

Spell Based Action

Antecedent Condition: Condition score for the action. This is a value between 0 (poor) and 1 (good). If the Override Condition checkbox is enabled, this recorder will return the result of the Override Condition.

Average Recurrence Interval: Based on Desired Frequency. For example, Desired Frequency is 2 in 3 years, the Average Return Interval is 3/2 = 1.5 (x365 days) = 547.5 days.

Cumulative Spell Shortfall: Records the difference between the Cumulative Spell Target Volume and the Cumulative Spell Volume (actual). This is used to track success based on volume.

Cumulative Spell Target Volume: Cumulative volume of the full requirement during a spell, not including the rise and fall.

Cumulative Spell Volume: Cumulative volume delivered during a spell.

Current Season Cost Estimate: This is the default cost estimate for the action. The cost is based on the full requirement, not taking into account any estimate of expected flow.

Full Requirement (Tracking): The required flow for an action, i.e. the targeted flow, including rise and fall. The following applies to the Full Requirement:

-          It is calculated based on the information available at the node

-          It is calculated even when node does not “allow orders”

-          Where a spell is not successful, the full requirement will stop when the Time in Current Spell stops and there will be no fall calculated.

-          When the node is connected to the manager:

• It calculates the water required based on the trigger and the seasonality and includes rate of rising and fall for every season, independent of return interval

-          When the node is not connected to the manager:

• It calculates (same as above) but takes into account the return interval and will not generate a Full Requirement before the return interval is up. 

Full Requirement (Managed Spells): As the recorder above, but includes the requirement for managed spells only.

Number of Spells Completed in Season: The number of spells that were completed in a season.   A spell is considered complete once it completes the rise-target-fall pattern or the spell has failed to meet it's success criteria and stopping failed actions is enabled. The counter is reset at the end of the action's season.

Number of Spells Started in Season: Number of times the start spell threshold flow value is exceeded within the required season, and therefore a spell is considered started. This includes ordered spells and natural spells as well as successful and unsuccessful spells. This includes completed spells, as well as spells that started but were stopped, when they were not able to be successfully completed within the season anymore. The counter is reset once the season is finished. The counter is reset at the end of the action season.

Required Target Volume: This is the flow target level specified by the user (used to calculate success based on target level). This will reduce according to the proportion specified in the target success criteria.

Residual Requirement: This is the order the environmental flow node would have to place on top of the downstream order to reach the full requirement. The full requirement is reduced based on downstream orders, minimum upstream constraints and other actions of higher priority. When the upstream minimum constraint is larger than the full requirement, no order will be placed by the flow node (i.e. the residual requirement would be zero). The requirement is calculated at the order phase. The Residual Requirement is not restricted by account balances. The Residual Requirement is not limited by available water in accounts.

Number of Successful Spells Completed in Season: Number of spells this season that are successful. A spell is deemed successful if the delivered volume meets the requirements specified by the action's success criteria. This includes both ordered and natural spells. The counter is reset at the end of the action's season.

Required Target Volume: This is the flow target level specified by the user (used to calculate success based on target level).

Residual Requirement: This recorder is only non-zero when the environmental flow node is used with a flow manager. The residual requirement is the amount this action will have to try to order. The full requirement is reduced based on downstream orders, minimum upstream constraints and other actions at this node that are a higher priority. This value is not restricted by account balances.

Spell Extension: Recorder flags days when spell was extended

Successful time steps in current spell: During a spell, this records the number of time steps that had a flow rate within the specified proportion of target flow required to mark success.

For example, if the target flow is 10,000 ML/d and an 80% proportion was specified as required for success (see Success Criteria), then all days with flow >= 8,000ML/d are recorded as successful days.

Time in current spell: Time step recorder, counting number of time steps the spell has been underway. This is used in combination with the Successful time steps in current spell to determine success against the duration criterion.

Time since Last Successful Season: Time step counter that starts after the last successful spell in a successful season. The recorder is not reset until the end of the season, but will reset to the number of days since the last successful spell in the season (and hence may not reset to zero). If spell extension is enabled, the counter will be set to zero when the spells minimum duration has been reached and remains zero until the extended spell is finished.

Time since Last Successful Spell: Time step counter that starts after any successful spell in the season. If spell extension is enabled, the counter will be set to zero when the spells minimum duration has been reached and remains zero until the spell extension is finished. It counts from the end of the spell not including fall phase

Volume Ordered: This is the volume ordered by the environmental flow node on top of the downstream order. When the upstream minimum constraint is larger than the full requirement, no order will be placed. This is the default volume that will be debited from the account(s).

Volume ordered is constrained by the account balance (if the EFN is managed by the EFM), whereas Residual Requirement is not. The volume is calculated at the order phase. Volume ordered will be deducted during ordering phase for order debit or during flow phase for use debit. For order debit it will debit the order at min travel time (i.e. the number of timesteps between the EFN and the closest storage/weir node). For example: if there is a EFN and a storage node with 2 days travel time - if an order is placed on the 1/1/2000 it will be debited on the 1/1/2000 in order debit (i.e. when the order is placed in the system). For use debit, the account is debited on the 3/1/2000 (i.e. when the water arrives).

Timesteps Spell is Actively Ordering: This recorder indicates when ordering for the action is turned on. It includes the rise and fall phase. In this case ‘ordering’ means the node is actively managing the delivery of the action, it not necessarily means any orders are made. For example, the amount of water required may be zero (due to downstream orders or minimum constraints), then  the ‘ordering’ for the action is still on, only the amount ordered is zero. This can be used in environmental flow manager functions to determine if an action is currently ordering, and is often used in the function to estimate cost of an action to allow for cost to reduce as the action progresses.

Translucency Action 

Recorders available for translucency actions are listed below. If they are defined as above no further explanation is given. 

Antecedent Condition: By default, the antecedent condition for a translucency rule will be zero. As translucency actions do not have a return interval, the action will always be required.

Full Requirement: The required flow for an action. The product of Translucency Percentage and Translucency reference flow when in an event.

Residual Requirement: This is the order the environmental flow node has to place on top of the downstream order in order to reach the full requirement. The full requirement is reduced based on downstream orders, minimum upstream constraints and other actions of higher priority. When the upstream minimum constraint is larger than the full requirement, no order will be placed by the flow node (i.e. the residual requirement would be zero). Requirement is calculated at the order phase. The Residual Requirement is not restricted by account balances.

Time since Last Successful Event: Timestep counter that starts after a successful event. An event is considered successful if, once triggered, at least the Full Requirement is received every timestep until the End Threshold is met.

Note: if a translucency action is defined by a function Time Since Last Successful Event may become complicated. For example, using the function “if($Now.Month=1,1000,0)”, a reference flow of 1000 ML/d will be ordered in January. When a flow of 1000 ML/d is not achieved in January, the Time Since Last Successful Event recorder will begin counting, until 1000 ML/d is achieved again. However, a reference flow of zero will be required for Feb-Dec. The timesteps in these months will still be considered successful regardless of the flow, as it is always achieving what the function has defined (i.e. at least 0 ML/d) and Time Since Last Successful Event will be set to zero.

Volume Ordered: This is the volume ordered by the environmental flow node on top of the downstream order. When the upstream minimum constraint is larger than the full requirement, no order will be placed. This is the default volume that will be debited from the account(s).

Volume ordered in constrained by the account balance (whereas Residual Requirement is not). The volume is calculated at the order phase. Volume ordered will be deducted during ordering phase for order debit or during flow phase for use debit. For order debit it will debit the order at min travel time.

Environmental Flow Manager

Groups

Under ‘Groups’ > Group Name > ‘Actions’ > Action Name:

Enabled: Recorder indicates when the Environmental Flow Manager has enabled an event.

Priority: Recorder showing the priority of the action. The priority of an action is determined given condition and importance, as per the equation below.

                                                                       Priority = Condition /  Importance

Priority is used as a ranking, i.e. the action with lowest priority will be considered first.

Under ‘Groups’ > Group Name:

Estimated Cost: The estimated cost for the group. The cost of an action is specified by the user (and in case a function is used, the result for the function can be recorded). The cost of the group is the total of cost for all action within the group.

Priority: Recorder to show the priority of the group. Group priority is set to lowest priority ranking for any of the actions within the group (i.e. action with highest priority).

Under ‘Groups’:

Manager Priority: The Manager Priority is table presenting relevant information about the prioritisation process for every timestep. The user can select a date, or use the scroll bar or arrow buttons to step through the timeseries.

For the selected date, the table presents for each Group, whether it was Enabled, whether it was Actively Ordering, the Group’s Priority, Prioritised Order and Estimated Cost and Total Portfolio Balance.  

The table also presents per Portfolio, Initial Balance (excluding adjustment), Initial Balance (including adjustment), Final Balance (including adjustment), and Total Adjustment.

Portfolios

Under ‘Portfolios’ > Portfolio Name:

Account Balance After Prioritisation: The balance of the portfolio after each group has been prioritised. This will have the account balance at the end of the resource assessment phase minus the estimated cost of each enabled group (these costs are distributed as specified in the group's portfolio priority/share properties). This value includes any balance adjustment values.

Account Balance including adjustment: The portfolio account balance after resource assessment phase including any balance adjustment values.

Total Balance Adjustment: The sum of all account balance adjustments.

Flow Manager – Portfolios - Portfolio Name:

Account Balance After Prioritisation: The balance of the portfolio after each group has been prioritised. This will have the account balance at the end of the resource assessment phase minus the estimated cost of each enabled group (these costs are distributed as specified in the group's portfolio priority/share properties). This value includes any adjustment values.

Account Balance including adjustment: The portfolio account balance after resource assessment phase including any adjustment values.

Total Balance Adjustment: The sum of all account balance adjustments.

Flow Manager – Groups – Group Name:

Estimated Cost: The sum of each actions estimated cost. This is the value at the end of prioritisation phase (since this can point at functions that can evaluate multiple times in the priorisation process).

Priority: The priority of the group with the minimum value. If there are no enabled groups - it will return zero.

Flow Manager – Groups – Group Name – Actions:

Enabled: Recorder indicates when the Environmental Flow Manager has flagged/enabled the event (to be delivered the current/upcoming season).

Priority: Recorder showing the priority of the action.

Cost: Cost of the action as calculated by the cost function

Priority: Priority of the group of actions

Importance: Value returned by user configured importance function. If not configured the value will be zero

Resource Assessment

Resource Assessment was already existing in Source and is not specific to the Environmental Flow Functionality. The only difference in reporting is that Portfolios are listed under account hosts. Resource assessment recorders are reported per account, aggregated per account type, account host and for the whole system. 

Recorders of interest when examining environmental flow manager behaviour include:

Available Water

Account Balance

Carryover

Other relevant recorders (part of already existing Source software)

Minimum constraint: This is reported for every node at: ‘Node Type – Rules Based Orders – Constraints – Minimum’. The minimum constraint for the node upstream of the Environmental Flow Node is used as the (conservative) flow forecast, used for triggering (and ordering) environmental flow actions. 

Orders: The total order at the node is reported at: ‘Node Type – Rules Based Orders – Orders. (note: this includes downstream orders as well as the nodes orders)

Account Balance Pre Exit - Resource Assessment- X Accounting Recorder- Account Types - Account Type X- Account Balance Pre Exit   This is useful because it gives you the account balance after the resource assessment phase, but before the environmental flow manager evaluation phase and the ordering phase. The account balance recorder is the account balance at the end of the entire timestep.