A Water Quality Model for the Czech Part of the River Elbe

Abstract Low water quality is an enduring problem in water management and has global importance due to the increasing use of water by the world’s growing population. Based on climate change trends, the availability of water of acceptable quality will increasingly be a hot topic. The main objective of this work was the compilation and validation of a water quality model for the river Elbe (Czech: Labe) for the prediction of water quality under different scenarios (impact of point and nonpoint sources; effect of climate change). The assessment of water quality in the Elbe catchment is extremely important because the Elbe is one of the most important rivers in Europe. We focused on the water quality in the Czech part of the river Elbe, which was simulated and analysed with the QSim water quality simulation model. The model was applied from the Srnojedy weir to the Hrensko at the Czech-German border (river km 961 to km 726), comprising a cascade of 23 impoundments. Based on the measured input parameters for 2010-2015, the water residence time, oxygen conditions, and nutrients were simulated and validated. The model’s results strongly agree with the measured data from the monitored period. The proposed model can, therefore, be used to simulate the development of pollution or climate change effects in this watercourse, allowing for the prediction of water quality under different scenarios.