Dissolved Oxygen Model for a Dynamic Reservoir

A time‐variable one‐dimensional mathematical model has been applied to Round Valley Reservoir, New Jersey, to test its credibility for simulating oxygen resources in the hypolimnia of dynamic reservoirs. In particular, the model was used to simulate the documented accelerated depletion of hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen (DO) that accompanied the use of the reservoir to augment flow in a nearby river. The model successfully simulated the reduction in hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen that occurred, and displayed potential as a valuable research and management tool for the reservoir. For example, the model results suggested that the observed acceleration in DO depletion was mostly due to a decrease in the volume of the hypolimnion. Both a sensitivity analysis and a comparison of individual sources and sinks conducted with the model indicated that sediment oxygen demand (calibration $\mathrm{value}=0.43g\cdot m^{-2}\cdot {\mathrm{day}}^{-1}$ ) was the most important component of the oxygen budget in the hypolimnion of the reservoir.