| This study examined the effects of model boundary conditions on dissolved oxygen (DO) predictions for the lower Truckee River, Nevada, using an augmented version of the USEPA's Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program, Version 5 (WASP5) that included periphyton, or attached algae, in eutrophication kinetics. Hypothetical scenarios were modeled to predict the impacts of nutrient load reduction and increased flow on DO concentrations in order to determine what conditions would prevent violations of the DO standard prescribed by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). Uncertainty analyses were performed on selected boundary conditions using Monte Carlo techniques. The stochastic model was run using boundary concentrations assigned from observed probability distributions. Ranges of simulated values were used to construct confidence intervals, the magnitudes of which indicated the uncertainty associated with model DO predictions and where resources would be best invested in order to more accurately predict Truckee River water quality. |
