Coupled GIS-water quality modeling system

A modeling framework is developed which uses a geographic information system (GIS) to perform many of the time-consuming tasks needed to set up and run a general water quality model. The GIS is used to store and manage data, either measured or calculated as model output. It also provides graphical representations of data and allows visual comparisons of model output and measured values. Software interfaces are developed to allow direct communication between the model and the GIS database, so that different models for the same system may be run in series. In the present paper an application of the system is described for modeling dissolved oxygen in the lower Buffalo River, Buffalo, New York. Several simulation results are reported to demonstrate the use of the system and model results are compared with measured data and with previous modeling studies.