Estuarine and Coastal Water Quality Models

Two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) water quality models have been developed for simulating estuarine/coastal environments, harbors, and embayments. The 2D CE-QUAL-W2 model (mentioned on the reservoir modeling page) is recommended for deep, narrow estuaries. A versatile, multidimensional model (CE-QUAL-ICM), based on the finite volume modeling approach, has been developed for 2D horizontal (i.e., depth-averaged) and 3D studies. CE-QUAL- ICM has evolved from a 3D water quality model developed for Chesapeake Bay to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrient reduction proposals on Bay eutrophication. This model contains a bottom sediment chemistry submodel that interacts with the water column for simulating sediment oxygen demand and nutrient fluxes. The CE-QUAL-ICM modeling approach involves first applying a 2D or 3D hydrodynamic model and coupling the output to CE-QUAL-ICM for driving the transport terms. The water quality model can then be applied for a variety of conditions without having to rerun the hydrodynamic model. The CE-QUAL-ICM model has been used on a number of systems, including Chesapeake Bay, the New York Bight, Lower Green Bay, Los Angeles - Long Beach Harbor, and Indian River - Rehoboth Bay.