OPPORTUNITIES FOR FORECAST-INFORMED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES

[...]despite continued research efforts, the accuracy or skill of subseasonal and seasonal forecasts is often inadequate to meet the needs of water resource managers. [...]water resources managers need forecasts with improved spatial resolution that can predict in which river basin precipitation will fall. [...]if more complex forecasts need to be translated to a widening group of stakeholders, it might be beneficial to employ specialists and social scientists who have a deeper understanding of effective cross-group communication. Because water resources agencies must meet very high standards of reliability, managers must be confident in the skill of a prediction before incorporating it into their decision-making process. Given the high stakes of WRM decisions, water managers tend to be risk-averse. [...]basing WRM decisions on the forecasts produced by new models will require extensive testing and evaluation.