Assessing the potential ability of repurposed small flood reservoirs to supply local agricultural irrigation demand in Southern Germany

The increased frequency of drought due to climate change has further underscored the need for sustainable water resources management, not only in water-limited but also in water-rich areas. In particular, the 2017-2020 drought years in Germany resulted in significant agricultural losses, prompting investigation of additional ways of supplementing irrigation demand. Here, we evaluate the potential of selected flood reservoirs in Southern Germany to supplement agriculture. Reservoir operation is modeled and modified to store water during high flow periods without impacting its original flood impounding function. The stored water is used to supply the agricultural irrigation demand within a radius from the main dam structure during the years 2017-2020. Agricultural irrigation demand is calculated on a daily scale using the FAO-56 method with crop maps derived from remote sensing. Preliminary results related to the efficacy of this strategy will be discussed and will provide insights onto the potential of repurposed flood reservoirs on sustainable water resources management.