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Operation of reservoirs is one of the most important and complicated issues in usage of dams that the designers have had challenges with for long. One of the most important solutions is choosing the best study method as well as utilizing the best engineering techniques. By using these methods and techniques, not only the operational method is studied, but also the capacity of reservoir is estimated. The most important methods in determining the capacity of reservoir are: critical period method (mass curve, sequent peak method, working table), optimization methods or system engineering techniques (linear programming, dynamic programming) and simulation method. Optimization is a method that should result in the best answer to a problem based on given purpose and limitations defined as mathematical functions. In this method, the design parameters such as the height of the dam could be estimated using mathematical models. It is also possible to evaluate the approximate operation of reservoir, based on the dam height. This paper aims at investigating the process operational studies of reservoirs. Also, it investigates the potentialities as well as the limitations of computational methods of reservoir functions in simulation and optimization methods. Finally, necessary guides in order to choose a suitable method as well as evaluating the results will be suggested.