Water quality
The water quality module refers to the simulation of nitrogen removal rates, chlorophyll-a concentrations, & primary production in the water column.
This module can help assess potential changes in water quality dynamics resulting from various sizes, locations & operational schemes of proposed river diversions; however, results of these analyses do not reflect & are not aimed to establish actual ‘water quality’ standards as could be perceived by the module name. The approach is based on statistical models that include a large variety of coastal ecosystems (e.g., geomorphological settings) in the USA & other sites around the world.
Percentage of N Removal by Subprovince
N removal is estimated for all boxes (subprovinces) in relation to the actual N exported by the system. Potential evapotranspiration & stream flow is included in the hydrological calculations to correctly account for the effect of freshwater diversions in the water budget for each region.
Mass balance model for the Barataria Bay estuary
The hourly salinity & water quality model encompasses six major water bodies in the Barataria Basin & adjacent wetland areas. The hydrodynamic forcing functions include tides, freshwater inflow from precipitation, runoff, & man-made diversions, & evaporation. The primary purpose of this water quality module is to provide conceptual & mathematical frameworks for the assessment of eutrophication in coastal watersheds & estuaries influenced by the Mississippi River. It describes the key processes affecting the nitrogen budget - denitrification, remineralization, uptake by phytoplankton & burial. It also describes temporal changes in phytoplankton biomass (Chlorophyll a), in response to changing water residence times, nitrogen concentration, ambient light intensity, & zooplankton grazing.
.png "Schematic representation of a 6-box mass-balance model for the Barataria Bay estuary (Box Model / Water Quality Dev. 2006).")
For more information on Water quality, view these publications:
Assessment of Integrated Hydrodynamic & Transport for Long-term Predictions: FVCOM & Water Quality Modeling of the Pontchartrain Estuary
Box Model / Water Quality Development
Water Quality Module