WQ Visualization

Owned by Duy Pham
Last updated: 19 Jul, 2022 by Bui Bich Thuy (Deactivated)

2DH View

To display the Water Quality in the 2DH View, open a new 2DH View from the 2DH View menu or the 2DH View button from the main toolbar of EE main form.  Then click the Add New Model Layer from the Layer Control (Figure 1). In the 2DH View Option, the primary group is selected as Water Quality. The drop-down list includes parameters.

  • Ammonia Nitrogen (NHX)
  • Nitrate Nitrogen (NOX)
  • Particulate Biogenic Silica (SiP)
  • Dissolved Available Silica (SiA)
  • Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
  • Dissolved Oxygen (DOX)
  • Total Active Metal (TAM)
  • Fecal Coliform Bacteria (FCB)
  • Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
  • Particulate Organic Carbon (POC)(Derived)
  • Particulate Organic Phosphorus (POP)(Derived)
  • Particulate Organic Nitrogen (PON)(Derived)
  • Total Nitrogen (TN)(Derived)
  • Total Phosphate (TP)(Derived)
  • Total Organic Nitrogen (TON)(Derived)
  • Total Inorganic Phosphate (TION)(Derived)
  • Total Organic Phosphorus (TORP)(Derived)
  • Trophic State Index (TSI)(Derived)
  • TSS ( Inorganics + Organics)(Derived)
  • Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN)(Derived)
  • Total Dissolved Phosphorus (TDP)(Derived)
  • Water Quality Zone
  • Vegetation Height
  • Vegetation layer penetrated
  • Biota: Concentration
  • Biota: Density
  • Biota: Growth Factor
  • Biota: Basal Metabolism Temperature Effect
  • Biota: Predation Temperature Effect

The method EE uses to calculate the derived parameters can be found in Appendix C of this Knowledge Base. 

Figure 1. Add a WQ layer to the 2DH View.


In terms of biota parameters, the user can select the biota class and the unit display in the biota options, as shown in Figure 2.


Figure 2. Add Biota Density.


With the new macrohydro options in EFDC+ vegetation can grow between layers. EEMS11.3 now allows vegetation height to be displayed, as well to show when vegetation penetrates layers. Figure 3 shows a map of macrophyte height in the 2DH View and Figure 4 shows a time series of macrophyte height from a selected cell.

Figure 3. Vegetation Height: Macrophytes.

Figure 4. Time Series of Macrophytes Height of a selected cell.


The number of vegetation layers penetrated by macrophytes can also be viewed in the 2DH View. The number of water layers that the fixed biota group passes through can be seen in Figure 5.

Figure 5. Vegetation Layer Penetrated: Macrophytes.

Time Series Extraction

To extract the time series of a WQ parameter from a cell or multiple cells, we can select the cells from the 2DH View and then access the Time Series menu to select New Time Series option or click the icon  of the main toolbar provides access to the time series graphing utility (Figure 6).


Figure 6. Access Time Series


Once New Time Series is selected, an Extract Time Series Data form will be displayed, and it is necessary to define the cells and parameters to plot (Figure 7). Define the start and stop day for the time series in Time Series Start/Stop frame (note that the start and stop days should be within the model's start and end date). For the Biota: Growth Factor, there are many options for time series data, including Net Growth Factor, Light Limitation, Temperature Limitation, Limiting Nutrient: P or N, Phosphorus Limitation and Nitrogen Limitation. After clicking the OK button from that form, the time series of the selected WQ parameter will be shown (Figure 8). 


Figure 7. Extract Time Series Data form.

Figure 8. Time series of WQ parameter from the cells selected.

Use the Average Selected Cells checkbox to plot the time series of the average parameter values from multiple cells selected as shown in Figure 9. Note that after selecting the checkbox, the user needs to click the Update button and then click the OK button. An example of the averaged depth time series from the selected cells is shown in Figure 10.

Figure 9. Average Selected Cells.

Figure 10. An averaged light limitation time series plot from selected cells.


The vegetation height at a specific time is illustrated with symbols in 2DV (this feature is added to EEMS11.3) as shown in Figure 11. Vertical Profiles, 2DV View, and Longitudinal Profiles are the same as the description in the Salinity Visualization.

Figure 11. The Macrophyte Height in 2DV View.