Reservoir Water Quality Analysis - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Surveyors and Architects

Reservoir Water Quality Analysis

Course Outline

This course will provide the knowledge for the assessment of reservoir water quality conditions. Water quality parameters will be discussed including chemical and biological characteristics and processes, reservoir releases, tailwater and diagnostic techniques.

This 6 hour course will provide the reader with the knowledge to assess reservoir water quality conditions.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student would have learned the following:

The causes of water quality changes in reservoirs;
The purposes for authorizing a reservoir project;
The changes in water as the temperature changes;
The various density and temperatures of water at different layers in a reservoir;
How to define the specific heat of water;
How to determine the water balance;
The unique properties of water;
The various stratification zones in a reservoir;
The Nitrogen demand for plant growth in reservoirs;
The three major forms of inorganic carbon;
The role of iron, manganese and sulfur concentrations in reservoirs;
The various types of density stratification;
The major energy sources for mixing in many lakes and reservoirs;
How oxygen demand declines in reservoirs;
How conditions in which periphyton algae grows;
The contributing factors to scour;
The contributing factors to taste & odor;
How to calculate the mean depth;
The definition of photosynthesis
The definition of Littoral zones;
How to calculate the mean breadth;
How to define biochemical oxidation;
The various dimension models; and
The effect of water quality on fish and wildlife conservation.

Intended Audience and Benefit

This is intended for environmental engineer, environmental scientists, hydrologists, civil engineers, geotechnical engineers, designers, project managers, or anyone with an interest in Reservoir Water Quality Analysis.

Course Introduction

Course Content

This course will provide the reader with the knowledge to provide assessment for reservoir water quality conditions. The course material is based on the document “Reservoir Water Quality Analysis,” published on the website of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Reservoir Water Quality Analysis

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

Course Summary

The information presented in this course provided a detailed overview of the design and maintenance of Reservoir Water Quality Analysis.

Using good engineering judgment is always paramount in any situation. Utilizing good judgment and the knowledge gained in this course will aid the reader with the knowledge to successfully assess reservoir water quality.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites:

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
http://www.noaa.gov/
http://www.epa.gov

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.