diff --git a/include/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Formulation.hpp b/include/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Formulation.hpp
index c864535a00..13ad0b426d 100644
--- a/include/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Formulation.hpp
+++ b/include/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Formulation.hpp
@@ -14,9 +14,9 @@
 #define BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__INIT_CONFIG "init_config"
 #define BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__MAIN_OUT_VAR "main_output_variable"
 #define BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__MODEL_TYPE "model_type_name"
-#define BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__USES_FORCINGS "uses_forcing_file"
 
 // Then the optional
+#define BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__USES_FORCINGS "uses_forcing_file"
 #define BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__FORCING_FILE "forcing_file"
 #define BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__VAR_STD_NAMES "variables_names_map"
 // TODO: change this (and output_header_fields) to something like output_file_variables to distinguish from BMI output variables
diff --git a/include/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Module_Formulation.hpp b/include/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Module_Formulation.hpp
index d939e27734..286baf1aeb 100644
--- a/include/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Module_Formulation.hpp
+++ b/include/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Module_Formulation.hpp
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ namespace realization {
         bool model_initialized = false;
 
         std::vector<std::string> OPTIONAL_PARAMETERS = {
-                BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__USES_FORCINGS
+                BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__USES_FORCINGS
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__FORCING_FILE,
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__VAR_STD_NAMES,
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__OUT_VARS,
diff --git a/src/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Formulation.cpp b/src/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Formulation.cpp
index 008add30a1..2048a47a79 100644
--- a/src/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Formulation.cpp
+++ b/src/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Formulation.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 namespace realization
 {
     const std::vector<std::string> Bmi_Formulation::OPTIONAL_PARAMETERS = {
+                BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__USES_FORCINGS
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__FORCING_FILE,
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__VAR_STD_NAMES,
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__OUT_VARS,
@@ -15,6 +16,5 @@ namespace realization
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__INIT_CONFIG,
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__MAIN_OUT_VAR,
                 BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__MODEL_TYPE,
-                BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__USES_FORCINGS
         };
 }
diff --git a/src/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Module_Formulation.cpp b/src/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Module_Formulation.cpp
index ac52f8f4db..5c6c2c2623 100644
--- a/src/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Module_Formulation.cpp
+++ b/src/realizations/catchment/Bmi_Module_Formulation.cpp
@@ -304,9 +304,9 @@ namespace realization {
 
             // Then optional ...
 
-            auto uses_forcings_it = properties.find(BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__USES_FORCINGS);
+            auto uses_forcings_it = properties.find(BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__USES_FORCINGS);
             if (uses_forcings_it != properties.end() && uses_forcings_it->second.as_boolean()) {
-                throw std::runtime_error("The '" BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_REQ__USES_FORCINGS "' parameter was removed and cannot be set");
+                throw std::runtime_error("The '" BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__USES_FORCINGS "' parameter was removed and cannot be set");
             }
 
             auto forcing_file_it = properties.find(BMI_REALIZATION_CFG_PARAM_OPT__FORCING_FILE);