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A Three-Dimensional Water Quality Model of Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS)

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Abstract

As outfalls from various water reclamation plants, pumping stations, and combined sewer overflow outfalls discharge into the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS), an enhanced understanding of the final fate of crucial water quality state variables is of utmost importance. This paper reports the development and application of a 3D water quality model for a modified CAWS combined with the hydrodynamic kernel of Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The modified CAWS is used to demonstrate the usefulness of the model while eliminating complications beyond the scope of this initial effort. The water quality model developed and presented in this research is a simplistic dissolved oxygen (DO)—biochemical oxygen demand model with the facility to account for the interaction between the water column and the bed. The aforementioned model is applied for the month of May 2009. The results from the hydrodynamic (EFDC) and water quality model is validated with the help of the observed data obtained from United States Geological Survey gaging stations and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago monitoring stations present inside the modeled domain. The 3D modeling captured the hydrodynamic and water-quality processes in CAWS in a satisfactory manner. Furthermore, modeling results showed and proved the interdependence of water quality characteristics in Bubbly Creek and CAWS with the effluent concentration from Racine Avenue Pumping Station situated at the head of Bubbly Creek, South Fork of South Branch of Chicago River.

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Acknowledgments

This research has been funded by MWRGDC, authors would also like to extend acknowledgement towards USGS researchers who were very helpful in providing the observed data for various gauging stations. We would also like to thank Mr. Richard Lanyon for his support in the research presented here and his valuable inputs in improving the quality of the manuscript. Finally the authors would like to extend their gratitude towards the reviewers for their constructive comments which improved the manuscript substantially. The opinions and findings presented in this paper are solely of those of the authors of the manuscript and do not represent the opinions of any state and federal agencies mentioned in the manuscript

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aquatic Ecosystem Analysis and Management, Helmholtz Environmental Research Center (UFZ), Brueck Strasse 3A, Magdeburg, Germany

    Sumit Sinha

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, One USTA Circle, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA

    Xiaofeng Liu

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Marcelo H. Garcia

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  1. Sumit Sinha
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Correspondence to Sumit Sinha.

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Sinha, S., Liu, X. & Garcia, M.H. A Three-Dimensional Water Quality Model of Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS). Environ Model Assess 18, 567–592 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10666-013-9367-1

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