Dramatic short-term changes in climate or over-exploitation of the resource can produce major changes in lake regime with corresponding effects on other environmental and ecological variables. The sharp rise in Lake Victoria in the early 1960s, which took many years to subside, and the continual fall in level of the Dead Sea due to potash extraction, are examples of major changes that can occur.
Water Resource Associates has experience of a range of these issues. Each study should be based on a thorough understanding of the resource balance of the lake and the historical evidence of seasonal and longer term natural fluctuations. The lack of historical rainfall data over large lakes is a serious problem in accounting for lake behaviour, and it is helpful to compare implied lake rainfall with records from shore stations.
Stochastic models defined from the historical data can give indications of likely future behaviour, against which planned measures can be tested for control or exploitation of the water resource.
