Hydrodynamic Characterization and Solute Transport Modeling in a River Using a Transient Storage Approach

Abstract

One of the most common dynamic phenomena occurring in surface waters is the transport of soluble and insoluble contaminants from various sources, such as industry and agriculture. A key concern associated with this transport is the rate at which contaminants migrate downstream to a point of interest, as well as their overall impact. In order to characterize the transport of contaminants in a body of surface water (in this case, a river), this study applied a one-dimensional advection–dispersion model that incorporated transient storage effects. This enabled the characterization of nutrient transport considering varying flow velocities along the river’s course. Adopting a more comprehensive, systemic approach enables a more holistic environmental application and facilitates parameterization of a considerably larger river than in previous case studies. The model’s innovation lies in using routinely monitored water quality constituents to evaluate their ability to inform the characterization of mixing conditions and solute transport in surface water streams. Its dynamic nature provides a reasonable approximation of the real system’s behavior over time. Finally, for management purposes, the proposed model can be replicated without extensive changes to its fundamental structure.