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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Watershed Physical Processes Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #394575
Research Project: Computational Tools and a Decision Support System for Management of Sediment and Water Quality in Agricultural Watersheds

Location: Watershed Physical Processes Research

Title: Receiving water quality models

Author
item CAMACHO, RENE - Tetra Tech
item ZHANG, ZHONGLONG - Portland State University
item CHAO, XIAOBO - University Of Mississippi

Submitted to: American Society of Civil Engineers
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2022
Publication Date: 2/28/2022
Citation: Camacho, R., Zhang, Z., Chao, X. 2022. Receiving water quality models. In: Total Maximum Daily Load Development and Implementation Models, Methods, and Resources. Zhang, H.X; Quinn, N.W.T; Borah, D.K,; Pandmanabhan, G. Eds. American Society of Civil Engineers. Vol. 150, p 85-106.

Interpretive Summary: This chapter presents reviews of 11 receiving water quality models commonly used in Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development and implementation. Capabilities and limitations of each of the models are discussed. Like watershed modeling, receiving water quality modeling has been a topic of active research and developed for over half a century, and the advances in water quality modeling, including better representation of biochemical processes or advances in computational efficiency and parallel processing, are typically incorporated in models such as the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP) and released to the public. In some cases, the state-of-the-practice has caught up with the state-of-the art. However, the state-of-the-practice is at present limited by the cost of monitoring data to set up, calibrate, and validate receiving water quality models. This chapter serves as a valuable resource to understand the generalities and limitations of 11 models commonly used in water quality applications. This information can help modelers to make informed receiving water quality model selections in TMDL studies.

Technical Abstract: The ASCE/EWRI TMDL Analysis and Modeling Task Committee was established in part to produce guidance documentation to help modelers to identify current modeling approaches to address some of the most important causes of water quality impairment in the United States. This chapter presents a review of some of the most widely used receiving water quality models used in TMDLs to simulate eutrophication processes, including carbon and nutrient cycling, phytoplankton dynamics, dissolved oxygen, and fate and transport of toxic chemicals and mercury. The models discussed in this chapter have been identified by the ASCE/EWRI TMDL Analysis and Modeling Task Committee as a representative subset of models that can illustrate the main capabilities and approaches currently used to support TMDL studies.