Assessment of Ilam Reservoir Eutrophication Response in Controlling Water Inflow

Abstract

In this research, a 2D laterally averaged model of hydrodynamics and water quality, CE-QUAL-W2, was applied to simulate water quality parameters in the Ilam reservoir. The water quality of Ilam reservoir was obtained between mesotrophic and eutrophic based on the measured data including chlorophyll a, total phosphorus and subsurface oxygen saturation. The CE-QUAL-W2 model was calibrated and verified by using the data of the year 2009 and 2010, respectively. Nutrients, chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen were the water quality constituents simulated by the CE-QUAL-W2 model. The comparison of the simulated water surface elevation with the measurement records indicated that the flow was fully balanced in the numerical model. There was a good agreement between the simulated and measured results of the hydrodynamics and water quality constituents in the calibration and verification periods. Some scenarios have been made base on decreasing in water quantity and nutrient inputs of reservoir inflows. The results have shown that the water quality improvements of the Ilam reservoir will not be achieved by reducing a portion of the reservoir inflow. The retention time of water in reservoir would be changed by decreasing of inflows and it made of the negative effects on the chlorophyll-a concentration by reduction of nutrient inputs and keeping constant of discharge inflow to reservoir, the concentration of total phosphorus would be significantly changed and also the concentration of chlorophyll-a was constant approximately. Thus, the effects of control in nutrient inputs are much more than control in discharge inflows in the Ilam reservoir.