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Managing a reservoir is less about storing water than about anticipating its release. Operators must balance three competing demands: flood control, which requires keeping storage low before anticipated storms; irrigation and municipal supply, which favour high storage through dry months; and hydropower generation, which needs consistent outflow to keep turbines running efficiently. Historically, many reservoirs were operated according to fixed seasonal rules devised decades ago, but these rules increasingly clash with observed rainfall patterns that no longer match historical averages. Some water authorities have begun using real-time rainfall forecasting to adjust release schedules dynamically, releasing water pre-emptively when heavy rain is forecast rather than waiting for reservoirs to near capacity. Critics warn that forecast-based releases carry their own risk: a forecast that fails to materialise can leave a reservoir under-filled just before a dry season begins, jeopardising the very supply the reservoir exists to protect.