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The development of a flow forecasting system for public dam management in southern Quebec is presented. The system is based on distributed hydrological models using 3-h time steps to correctly perform short-term forecasts on small watersheds, located upstream of these dams, with quick hydrological responses. The contribution of models in the complete process of forecast evaluation is also studied. A numerical application, using the flood of the Chaudière river in July 2001, illustrated that distributed models with short time steps are needed despite the added complexity in the installation, calibration, and operation of the forecasting system. Also, the analysis of flow forecasted for the Spring 2003 flood shows that interpretation of model runs can lead the operational forecaster to better forecasting of results and can be improved by the use of distributed models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]