nerc.ac.uk

Successful modelling of river dissolved oxygen dynamics requires knowledge of stream channel environments

Hutchins, Michael G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3764-5331; Qu, Yueming; Charlton, Matthew B.. 2021 Successful modelling of river dissolved oxygen dynamics requires knowledge of stream channel environments. Journal of Hydrology, 603 (B), 126991. 10, pp. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126991

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.
[img]
Preview
Text
N531144PP.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives 4.0.

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

Water quality in lowland rivers is sensitive to changes in flow during summer dry periods, when high temperatures and low pollutant dilution are problematic and may reduce oxygen concentrations to levels of ecological concern. A 10-year period of monitoring data was collated for a typical small lowland UK river. Two hourly-resolution applications of a process-based water quality model (QUESTOR) were made, with and without local knowledge, to establish whether specific information on stream channel hydraulics is an essential precursor to successful simulation. Results showed this information to be necessary, with considerably better goodness-of-fit statistics obtained when the local knowledge was used. In this regard, mean improvements in Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency across all monitoring sites were from -0.33 to 0.18 and from 0.24 to 0.78 for dissolved oxygen and water temperature respectively. Percent bias was within 10% for the local model. The 10-year record also allowed a detailed characterisation of how changes in flow, as described by a comprehensive range of Indicators of Hydrological Alteration, relate to the water quality determinants. Analysis revealed these dynamics were also captured more realistically when the model was driven by local knowledge. The research concludes that river dissolved oxygen simulations driven by national-level information are of some value as screening tools, but model refinement supported by sufficient provision of local information is necessary when detailed simulations are required to support specific decision-making.

Item Type: Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126991
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas: Pollution (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN: 0022-1694
Additional Keywords: dissolved oxygen, water temperature, river hydraulics, water quality model, local knowledge
NORA Subject Terms: Hydrology
Date made live: 30 Sep 2021 10:32 +0 (UTC)
URI: https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/531144

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Document Downloads

Downloads for past 30 days

Downloads per month over past year

More statistics for this item...