A short-term real-time reservoir operation model is developed for irrigation of multiple crops. Two major features of the model distinguish it from the earlier models which address the problem of reservoir operation for irrigation: its capability to consider interdependence of crop water allocations across time periods and its ability to provide an adaptive release policy. Integration of reservoir operation with on-farm utilization of water by crops is achieved through the use of two models: An operating policy model, which optimizes reservoir releases across time periods in a year, and an allocation model, which optimizes irrigation allocations across crops within a time period. The model is applied to a case study of an existing reservoir in India.¿ 1997 American Geophysical Union