Document Type

Report

Publication Date

12-1974

First Page

1

Last Page

99

Abstract

The adoption of stream standards, whether for direct application or for the establishment of realistic effluent standards, creates a need to predict the impact of pollution loads on river water quality during critical flow periods or as the result of future user demands. Because of the complexity of aquatic systems, mathematical models are an excellent medium for bringing together the state-of-the-art knowledge from a variety of disciplines into a form which can be readily applied to practical problems. Applying a mathematical model to a river system has the added advantage of providing a structure for the systematic consideration of the many diverse aspects of water quality phenomena. This report describes the development of a river simulation model (QUAL-U) for predicting water quality and its preliminary application to the Weber River drainage basin in northeastern Utah. The model involves the numerical solution of a set of differential equations representing the aquatic system under steady state conditions. The development and use of a second model which provides the flow boundary conditions for the first model is also described. This model is a simple interactive procedure for obtaining flows at specified locations on the river system given the measured flows at other locations and typical flow ranges of headwater, diversions, surface and subsurface lateral inflows, and point loads. Previous river water quality models are reviewed and the structure of QUAL-U is presented. The economic and physical characteristics of the study area are described and the Weber River system is represented by subbasins, reaches, and computational units. Model calibration was based on water quality data collected at over eighty sampling locations in the study area during a four day period in September, 1973. Each of the sampling points was subsequently surveyed to obtain representative hydraulic characteristics for each reach of the river system. Coefficients for the mathematical equations representing hydraulic characteristics and chemical and biological reactions were estimated and adjusted during the model calibration procedure until model responses satisfactorily resembled the observed data. Results for the calibration period and also for studies involving critical low flow conditions are described and model limitations are considered. The work on which this report is based was performed for the State of Utah, Department of Social Services, Division of Health as part of a Waste Load Allocation Study on the Weber River. The scope of this project provided only for supplying the calibrated model to the client and does not include predictive runs or interpretation of management alternatives.

Comments

This work made publicly available electronically on May 21, 2012.

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