Development of a waste load allocation model for the Charleston Harbor estuary, phase II: Water quality

The development of a waste load allocation model within the Charleston Harbor estuary was conducted to further understanding of the estuary as an integrated system, and to provide a tool for a quantitative assessment of various management practices. This working tool is capable of accurately isolating the cumulative impacts of the various point-source discharges on the dissolved oxygen levels during critical conditions of water temperature, river flow, and tidal regime. This paper demonstrates how numerical models in conjunction with monitoring programmes can be used to provide a quantitative assessment of the relationships between waste load and the instream concentration. In addition, the study is a clear example where modelling and visualization techniques can supplement monitoring programmes. (C) 2000 Academic Press.