Three-Dimensional Modeling of Hydrodynamic and Water-Quality Processes in a Wetland

Abstract

Few studies have been published on three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic and water quality modeling of a wetland with extensive data sets for model calibration and verification. Wetland plants include submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and emergent aquatic vegetation (EAV). A major difference between SAV and EAV is that SAV resides primarily in the bottom layer of the water column, whereas EAV extends through the entire water column. In a SAV area, the surface velocity can be very different from the bottom velocity. In this study, the Lake Okeechobee Environmental Model for Constructed Wetland (LOEM-CW) is enhanced to simulate hydrodynamic and water quality processes in the Everglades Stormwater Treatment Area 2 (STA-2) in Florida. The 3D LOEM-CW is applied to 2 years (January 1, 2015–December 31, 2016) of extensive data sets for model calibration and verification. The 3D LOEM-CW was capable of resolving the vertical profiles of vegetation in wetland so that stratifications of key parameters were simulated realistically. The model is also applied to support STA operation and management.