Flood Control in the Cuiabá River Basin, Brazil, with Multipurpose Reservoir Operation

Periodic flooding in the Cuiabá River Basin (CRB), which is located in the upper Pantanal region, in central-western Brazil, led to the construction of the Manso multipurpose reservoir and power plant. This study evaluates the influence of the Manso reservoir on the attenuation of downstream flooding specifically in the metropolitan area of Cuiabá, which is the capital city of the state of Mato Grosso. The flood routing provided by the Manso reservoir was simulated by means of the Puls modified method (level-pool routing method), and the translation of the flood wave during floodplain passage was calculated with the CLiv hydrodynamic model for critical hydrological events. It is demonstrated that the reservoir reduces the frequency of flood risk to downstream communities for return periods between 50 and 100 years. Despite the flood attenuation, other measures should be undertaken in addition to the reservoir operation to mitigate the impacts of flooding in a comprehensive and appropriate way. In particular, measures related to floodplain land use planning and management are important to ensure that the safety of the population does not exclusively depend on the upstream reservoir.