Water‑supply staff outline automated demand methodology for DRAT modeling

Peymon Olami, senior specialist in the Water Supply and Demand Assessment and Instreamflow Section, presented the team's demand‑data methodology used to build inputs for the Drought Water Right Allocation Tool (DRAT), saying the approach has been applied to the Russian River and to datasets for nine other watersheds the unit is working on.

The procedure combines automated scripts that pull ERIMS flat files with manual GIS and record review. "I'd say about 80% of the process is automated and 20% is manual," Olami said, and he described a workflow that flags suspect records, applies standardized correction actions, and produces a CSV demand table DRAT consumes.

Why it matters: DRAT allocates available supply while respecting the water‑rights priority system. More consistent, QA/QC'd demand inputs affect modeled allocations and curtailment recommendations, making the accuracy of ERIMS reporting and the team's corrections consequential for downstream modeling and management.

How the process works: Staff begin by pulling multiple ERIMS (RMS) flat files using R scripts, then filter to include only active reporting points of diversion (PODs) and selected water‑right types. Included types were described as registrations, appropriatives, misstatements and stock bonds;…