ABSTRACT
Largely because of the difficulty of monitoring and predicting non-point source pollutants from large areas, water quality modeling has been an important area of water science since the late 1960s. Water quality modeling plays many roles in evaluating and improving the quality of our environment. Models have a major role in helping management and regulatory agencies determine how water quality standards can be met, especially when water quality problems are due to non-point sources. Water quality models are used to compare different management strategies designed to control non-point source pollution. Models are used to estimate the effects of inputs (including pollutants) on the internal dynamics of water bodies. Water quality modeling is also used to summarize and estimate the various sources of pollutants, especially nutrients, in large basins in order to provide a basis for geographic targeting of pollutant sources.
