WSWC Webinar: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers FIRO National Screening Updates with Cary Talbot
Join us for an upcoming WSWC webinar featuring Cary Talbot, PhD, PE, National Lead Engineer for the Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations (FIRO) Program at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC). Mr. Talbot will provide an update on the progress the Corps has made over the past ten months and outline next steps in the FIRO National Screening process.
FIRO is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers research effort aimed at improving reservoir operations at USACE projects. The program equips water managers with forecast information on weather (precipitation), hydrology (discharge), and reservoir levels to support more flexible, efficient decision-making across authorized project purposes—including flood control, water supply, hydropower, recreation, and ecological benefits.
Mr. Talbot presented to WSWC members last fall during our September 2025 meetings in San Pedro, CA, where he provided an overview of the FIRO National Screening process as Stage A was wrapping up. The recording and slides for that presentation are available below. Shortly after, WSWC submitted a letter congratulating USACE on the successful completion of the Lake Mendocino Water Control Manual update at Coyote Valley Dam, which marked a historic milestone as the nation’s first fully formalized FIRO framework.
