U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Open-File Report 2015–1027

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Improved Algorithms in the CE–QUAL–W2 Water-Quality 

Model for Blending Dam Releases to Meet Downstream 

Water-Temperature Targets

Improved Algorithms in the CE–QUAL–W2 Water-Quality 

Model for Blending Dam Releases to Meet Downstream 

Water-Temperature Targets 

By Stewart A. Rounds and Norman L. Buccola

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Open-File Report 2015–1027

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015 

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Suggested citation:

Rounds, S.A., and Buccola, N.L., 2015, Improved algorithms in the CE–QUAL–W2 water-quality model for blending 

dam releases to meet downstream water-temperature targets: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015-1027, 

40 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151027.

ISSN 2331-1258 (online)
iii

Contents

Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Purpose and Scope .................................................................................................................................................... 2

Blending Algorithms in CE–QUAL–W2....................................................................................................................... 3

Modified Blending Algorithms for Version 3.7 ............................................................................................................. 3

New User-Specified Inputs...................................................................................................................................... 5

Error Checks........................................................................................................................................................... 7

Using the Priority Input To Choose Outlets............................................................................................................. 8

Modified Blending Calculations ............................................................................................................................. 10

Temperature Target .......................................................................................................................................... 11

Iterative Solution and Convergence .................................................................................................................. 11

Blending to the Temperature Target.................................................................................................................. 11

Other Details in the Blending Algorithm............................................................................................................. 14

Examples to Illustrate New Capabilities.................................................................................................................... 14

Example 1: Power Production Shared with Spillway or Regulating Outlet ............................................................ 14

Example 2: Floating and Fixed Outlets with a Nonblended Release..................................................................... 16

Example 3: Eight Fixed Gates with Ranked Priorities ........................................................................................... 18

Example 4: Eight Fixed Gates with Identical Priorities .......................................................................................... 20

Example 5: Shared Floating Outlets with a Schedule ........................................................................................... 22

Comparison Test of New Algorithms ........................................................................................................................ 24

Summary and Conclusions....................................................................................................................................... 29

Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................................... 29

Supplementary Material............................................................................................................................................ 29

References Cited...................................................................................................................................................... 29

Appendix 1. Example w2_selective.npt Files........................................................................................................... 31
iv

Figures

Figure 1. Schematic showing examples of configurations of floating and fixed-elevation outlets that can be 

simulated by the modified model to blend releases to meet a downstream temperature target..................................... 4

Figure 2. Flow chart for determining which outlets are available and used, and for assigning those outlets to the 

nonblended group—high-priority set A and low-priority set B........................................................................................ 9

Figure 3. Flow chart for determining the temperature target, allocating flows among the outlets in sets A and B, 

and iterating to converge to an optimum blending solution that best meets the temperature target. ........................... 12

Figure 4. Example 1 uses three fixed-elevation outlets, in which the power outlet has the highest priority and is 

assigned at least 40 percent of the total release, and the regulating outlet (RO) has a maximum head constraint of 

50 meters..................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Figure 5. Example 2 uses a nonblended outlet (priority -1) and blends the remaining releases among a floating 

outlet and two fixed-elevation outlets........................................................................................................................... 17

Figure 6. Example 3 uses a tower of eight fixed-elevation gates, in which the priorities are assigned to ensure 

that releases are blended between the lowest outlet (highest priority of 1) and the highest available outlet ............... 19

Figure 7. Example 4 uses a tower of eight fixed-elevation gates, in which the priorities are all identical ................... 21

Figure 8. Example 5 uses two floating outlets that share the flow for the lower priority (set B) outlets because 

TSSHARE is set to ON................................................................................................................................................ 23

Figure 9. Map showing location of Detroit Lake and Detroit Dam in the North Santiam River Basin, 

northwestern Oregon................................................................................................................................................... 25

Figure 10. Outlets and user specifications for the Detroit Lake comparison test........................................................ 26

Figure 11. Comparison of daily mean release temperatures resulting from the use of blending algorithms in 

CE-QUAL-W2 version 3.1.2 (v3.1) and version 3.7 (v3.7) and applied to Detroit Lake, northwestern Oregon, 

for three environmental conditions: (A) cool/wet, (B) normal, and (C) hot/dry.............................................................. 27

Figure 12. Difference in the daily mean release temperatures (version 3.7 results minus version 3.1.2 results) 

from the “uro-float_400fmin” scenario as applied to Detroit Lake, northwestern Oregon, for three sets of 

environmental conditions (cool/wet, normal, and hot/dry)............................................................................................ 28

Table

Table 1. Description of user-specified inputs in the w2_selective.npt file for blending. ................................................. 6
v 

Conversion Factors and Abbreviations and Acronyms

Conversion Factors

Inch/Pound to SI 

Multiply By To obtain

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

cubic foot (ft3) 0.02832 cubic meter (m3) 

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3)

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

SI to Inch/Pound 

Multiply By To obtain

meter (m) 3.281 foot (ft) 

kilometer (km) 0.6214 mile (mi)

cubic meter (m3) 35.31 cubic foot (ft3)

cubic meter (m3) 0.0008107 acre-foot (acre-ft)

cubic meter per second (m3/s) 35.31 cubic foot per second (ft3/s)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32. 

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

°C=(°F-32)/1.8. 

Abbreviations and Acronyms

Name Description

CE-QUAL-W2 Two-dimensional hydrodynamic and water-quality model

USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

USGS U.S. Geological Survey
vi 

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1 

Improved Algorithms in the CE–QUAL–W2 Water-Quality 

Model for Blending Dam Releases to Meet Downstream 

Water-Temperature Targets 

By Stewart A. Rounds and Norman L. Buccola

Abstract

Water-quality models allow water resource professionals to examine conditions under an almost 

unlimited variety of potential future scenarios. The two-dimensional (longitudinal, vertical) waterquality model CE-QUAL-W2, version 3.7, was enhanced and augmented with new features to help dam 

operators and managers explore and optimize potential solutions for temperature management 

downstream of thermally stratified reservoirs. Such temperature management often is accomplished by 

blending releases from multiple dam outlets that access water of different temperatures at different 

depths. The modified blending algorithm in version 3.7 of CE-QUAL-W2 allows the user to specify a 

time-series of target release temperatures, designate from 2 to 10 floating or fixed-elevation outlets for 

blending, impose minimum and maximum head and flow constraints for any blended outlet, and set 

priority designations for each outlet that allow the model to choose which outlets to use and how to 

balance releases among them. The modified model was tested with a variety of examples and against a 

previously calibrated model of Detroit Lake on the North Santiam River in northwestern Oregon, and 

the results compared well. These updates to the blending algorithms will allow more complicated damoperation scenarios to be evaluated somewhat automatically with the model, with decreased need for 

multiple model runs or preprocessing of model inputs to fully characterize the operational constraints. 

Introduction

CE-QUAL-W2 is a two-dimensional, laterally averaged hydrodynamic and water-quality model 

developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Portland State University (Cole and 

Wells, 2011). It is well suited for the simulation of long, narrow water bodies that tend to thermally 

stratify. The model simulates flow, water level, horizontal and vertical velocities, water temperature, ice 

cover, and many water-quality constituents, such as ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, dissolved and 

particulate organic matter, suspended sediment, various types of algae and macrophytes, pH, and 

dissolved oxygen. It has been applied successfully to hundreds of reservoirs, lakes, gently sloping 

rivers, and estuarine systems around the world (Cole and Wells, 2011). U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

personnel have applied the model to various rivers and reservoirs in Oregon to simulate water 

circulation and water temperature (Sullivan and others, 2007; Risley and others, 2010; Rounds, 2010; 

Buccola and others, 2012) and more complicated water-quality conditions (Rounds and Wood, 2001; 

Sullivan and Rounds, 2006; Sullivan and others, 2013). 
2 

The CE-QUAL-W2 model has been used in several Oregon applications to assess the efficacy of 

strategies to mitigate the downstream temperature effects of high-head dams (Buccola and others, 

2012). Such dams often release cold water in mid-summer from below the lake’s thermocline and then 

release stored summer heat in autumn as the lake is drawn down to make room for flood management 

purposes in winter. The altered seasonal pattern in water temperature can affect the timing of fish 

migration, spawning, and egg emergence (Collier and others, 1996; Caissie, 2006). Temperatures 

released from these dams can be managed by blending flows from two or more dam outlets, however, 

and CE-QUAL-W2 can be configured to predict the results of operational strategies and structural 

options to try to meet downstream temperature targets by adjusting the use of the available outlets.

In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, many species of anadromous fish are classified as 

threatened or endangered. Water-quality standards, total maximum daily load programs, and restoration 

plans all have been crafted to help those fish species survive and recover. In the Willamette River Basin 

in northwestern Oregon, a Biological Opinion provides a framework for the protection and restoration 

of habitat for several species of endangered salmon and steelhead (National Marine Fisheries Service, 

2008). The Biological Opinion requires the USACE to evaluate and implement feasible operational 

and/or structural modifications at their Willamette River Basin dams to address the flow and 

temperature effects of those dams. Calibrated CE-QUAL-W2 models of many of the Willamette River 

Basin reservoirs are available.

The capability to blend releases from dam outlets to meet a downstream temperature target was 

added to CE-QUAL-W2 only in recent versions. Before such a capability was built into the model, 

multiple model runs were required in an iterative fashion to determine an optimal dam-operations 

strategy that might best be used to meet a downstream temperature target (Hanna and others, 1999). 

Later, Rounds and Sullivan (2006) modified version 3.1.2 of the CE-QUAL-W2 code to bring blending 

calculations into the model, allowing optimized dam operations to be carried out in a single model run; 

however, those code modifications were not incorporated into the public-release version of the model. 

The off-the-shelf version 3.7 CE-QUAL-W2 model (Cole and Wells, 2011) included an algorithm to 

blend releases from two dam outlets to meet a temperature target, but the capabilities of that algorithm 

were limited. The modifications described in this report were focused on expanding the blending 

capabilities of the version 3.7 model by adding new features and capabilities so that a greater number of 

operational and structural strategies could be evaluated with some useful outlet-specific constraints. The 

new capabilities were tested with a model of Detroit Lake, one of the Willamette River Basin reservoirs 

where blending strategies are being evaluated and used to improve and restore downstream 

temperatures. 

Purpose and Scope

This report documents the modification of blending routines for dam releases in version 3.7 of 

the CE-QUAL-W2 model. The model source code was modified to add new functionality and new input 

parameters that allow the user to configure and constrain the characteristics of dam outlets in the model, 

and mix releases from more outlets, in ways that previously were not possible. The modified model was 

tested and results were compared with those from a previously calibrated version 3.1.2 CE-QUAL-W2

model of Detroit Lake, Oregon, using several sets of imposed environmental forcings that include 

cool/wet, normal, and hot/dry conditions drawn from the historical record. The documented model 

source code and compiled binaries are available for download (see section, “Supplementary Material”).
3 

Blending Algorithms in CE–QUAL–W2

Version 3.7 of CE-QUAL-W2 includes two different algorithms for releasing water from a dam 

to meet a downstream temperature target (Cole and Wells, 2011). The first algorithm essentially 

implements a variable-elevation outlet or “temperature control device” in which a single structure or 

withdrawal is allowed up to 10 discrete elevations to which it can be set, one elevation at a time, to keep 

a user-specified control point cooler than a user-specified temperature target. That control point can be 

at the point of the tower or downstream. The second algorithm implements the blending of releases from 

two specified structures or withdrawals to match a user-specified release temperature. The upper of the 

two outlets can be set to follow the water-surface elevation to mimic a floating outlet, and many 

separate temperature targets can be set for different date ranges to approximate a time-series target. This 

blending algorithm, however, is limited to only two outlets and has few options to allow for detailed 

user control of the blending. 

Prior to the existence of an outlet-blending routine in the off-the-shelf version of CE-QUAL-W2, 

a relatively flexible blending algorithm was programmed into version 3.1.2 of CE-QUAL-W2 (Cole and 

Wells, 2002) by Rounds and Sullivan (2006). The blending algorithm allowed for the specification of 

fixed-elevation, floating, or sliding-gate (variable-elevation) outlets, and enabled the model to blend 

releases from multiple outlets (choosing the best two outlets if more than two were available) in an 

attempt to meet a user-specified time-series temperature target. That algorithm was utilized and 

performed well in applications of the model to Henry Hagg Lake (Sullivan and Rounds, 2006) and 

Detroit Lake (Sullivan and others, 2007) in northwestern Oregon. Subsequently, the blending algorithm 

was enhanced with an iterative solution technique and the addition of several options: (1) specification 

of the depth of floating outlets, (2) assignment of a minimum outlet flow rate or minimum fraction of 

the total release rate to a particular outlet, and (3) an outlet priority setting that helped to resolve 

conflicts in minimum-flow assignments or determine outlet usage in isothermal settings (Buccola and 

Rounds, 2011; Buccola and others, 2012). 

Modified Blending Algorithms for Version 3.7

To take advantage of a more recent version (3.7 as opposed to 3.1.2) of CE-QUAL-W2 and yet 

retain some of the features of the blending algorithms that had been added to version 3.1.2, 

modifications were made to the version 3.7 model based on the source code released April 26, 2012 

(Portland State University Water Quality Research Group, 2012). Most of the code changes were made 

to the withdrawal.f90 source file, with other minor modifications elsewhere; all modified source code is 

available for download (see section, “Supplementary Material”) and the modified w2_selective.npt file 

format is documented in the examples in the appendix 1. Few modifications were made to the 

“temperature control device” portion of the version 3.7 code; most of the changes were associated with 

the “blending” code that mixes releases from two or more outlets. 

In short, code changes were made to allow blending from up to 10 outlets (see the example

outlet configurations in fig. 1) to meet a user-specified time-series temperature target, and user inputs 

were added to specify the depth of floating outlets, optional constraints on minimum and maximum 

head and release rates for each outlet, and a priority ranking for each outlet, among others. An iterative 

solution technique also was added to ensure that the blending calculations were as accurate as possible.
4 

 

 Figure 1. Example configurations of floating and fixed-elevation outlets that can be simulated by the modified 

model to blend releases to meet a downstream temperature target.

The modified blending algorithm implements a multi-step process that generally occurs as 

follows. First, the specified outlets are checked to see which ones are available for use—available 

outlets are those that are under water and meet any user-specified minimum and maximum head 

constraints. The temperature target for blended releases (those releases that the model is allowed to vary 

among available outlets) is determined after taking into account any nonblended releases (releases that 

the model must not modify). Priority designations are used to choose the outlets for blending, any 

minimum or maximum flow criteria are applied, and then the blending calculations are performed. The 

sections that follow describe the new user inputs, some checks for input errors, and the process for 

determining which outlets are used. Finally, descriptions of the blending algorithm, temperature targets, 

iterative solution technique, and allocation of releases to multiple outlets are provided. 
5 

New User-Specified Inputs

All version 3.7 model inputs specifying the details of any temperature control devices and any 

groups of outlets to be blended are set in the w2_selective.npt input file. As in previous versions, the 

number of outlets and their general characteristics are still set in the w2_con.npt “control” file. In the 

w2_selective.npt file, two new inputs (TSFREQ, TSCONV) were added on the SPLIT1 input card. 

TSFREQ specifies the update frequency for the blending groups that are specified on the SPLIT2 input 

card, providing a means of separating the update frequency for blending groups and temperature control 

devices; previously, the update frequency was set for both algorithms with the TCDFREQ input. 

TSCONV specifies the convergence criterion for the blending calculations in units that correspond to 

the fraction of the total flow assigned to the first-priority outlets; therefore, TSCONV should be in the 

neighborhood of 0.1 or less, but nonzero. The default value for TSCONV is 0.005. 

Additional new inputs were added to the w2_selective.npt file, requiring some reformatting of 

that input file to accommodate the new blending inputs (see appendix 1). First, the maximum number of 

outlets in a blending group was increased from 2 to 10. With only two outlets, the blending solution is 

straightforward, but requires the user to determine which outlets should be blended at any time in the 

simulation prior to running the model. With up to 10 outlets specified, other constraints are used to 

select the outlets to be used and how flows in those outlets are balanced. The choice of outlets is 

controlled largely through the user-specified “priority” input, which is described later (see section, 

“Using the Priority Input To Choose Outlets”). The following sections describe the new user-specified 

constraints, all of which are in the w2_selective.npt input file and summarized in table 1. 

Dynamic Temperature Target (TSDYN on SPLIT2 input card).—Setting TSDYN to ON 

tells the model to override the temperature target (TTARGET) specified on the SPLIT2 input card and 

instead use a user-specified time-series of temperature targets from an external file named 

“dynsplit_selectiveX.npt” where X is the blending group number, starting at 1. This is implemented in 

much the same way that the original version 3.7 code allowed the user to set a time series of temperature 

targets for the single-structure temperature control device. This change simply allows a similar 

functionality to be applied for the blending of releases from two or more outlets.

Depth (DEPTHx on the DEPTH input card).—Specifying a nonzero depth for a particular 

outlet results in that outlet being treated as a floating outlet with a centerline elevation at DEPTH meters 

below the current water surface. This condition allows some outlets to be treated as floating outlets, an 

alternative to the original code that allowed one outlet to be “lowered” with the water surface if the 

ELCONT input was ON.

Minimum Head (MINHDx on the MINHEAD input card).—A nonzero minimum head 

criterion, specified for each blended outlet, is interpreted as the minimum depth in meters required for 

the outlet to be used. If the centerline outlet depth is shallower than this nonzero minimum head 

criterion, the outlet will not be used, regardless of any specified minimum flow criterion. This minimum 

head criterion is always honored. Inputs less than zero are changed to zero, which is interpreted as the 

absence of a minimum head criterion.

Maximum Head (MAXHDx on the MAXHEAD input card).—A nonzero maximum head 

criterion, specified for each blended outlet, is interpreted as the maximum depth in meters under which 

the outlet can be used. If the centerline outlet depth is deeper than this nonzero maximum head criterion, 

the outlet will not be used, regardless of any specified minimum flow criterion. This maximum head 

criterion is always honored. Inputs less than zero are changed to zero, which is interpreted as the 

absence of a maximum head criterion.
6 

Table 1. Description of user-specified inputs in the w2_selective.npt file for blending.

[For the code variables, the parentheses mean that the variable is an array, where j is the group number and n is the outlet number in that 

group.] 

Input 

variable

Card (name of

input section)

Variable name

in the code Description

CNTR SPLIT1 tspltc Turns the blending calculations ON or OFF.

NUM SPLIT1 numtsplt Number of blending groups to specify, for different times of year or at different dams, etc.

TSFREQ SPLIT1 tspltfreq Frequency at which the blending calculations are updated, specified as a fraction of a day.

TSCONV SPLIT1 tsconv Convergence criterion for the iterative blending solution, constrained to be 0.1 or less, but nonzero.

ST/WD SPLIT2 tspltcntr(j) Specification of a group of either structures (ST) or withdrawals (WD) for blending.

JB SPLIT2 tspltjb(j) Branch number for the structures being blended (ignored if using withdrawals).

YEARLY SPLIT2 tsyearly(j) Specifies that starting and ending dates for blending should be repeated (ON) each year, or not (OFF).

TSTR SPLIT2 tstsrt(j) Start date (Julian day) for blending calculations for that group (day 1 is the start of January 1).

TEND SPLIT2 tstend(j) End date (Julian day) for blending calculations for that group (day 1 is the start of January 1).

TTARGET SPLIT2 tspltt(j) Temperature target to try to meet for that period of dates, if not overridden by a time-series input.

TSDYN SPLIT2 tsdynsel(j) Specifies that a time-series of temperature targets is set (ON), with targets in the 

"dynsplit_selectiveX.npt" file where X is the group number designation.

ELCONT SPLIT2 elcontspl(j) Specifies whether an outlet should decrease its elevation to follow the water surface (ON/OFF); this is 

independent of specifying a floating outlet with the DEPTH parameter.

NOUTS SPLIT2 nouts(j) Number of outlets in this particular blending group, between 2 and 10.

TSSHARE SPLIT2 tsshare Specifies whether releases among set-2 outlets should be shared (ON) or whether the best single outlet 

should be chosen (OFF)—see section, “Blending to the Temperature Target”. 

JSx/NWx SPLITOUT jstsplt(j,n) Structure or outlet number.

DEPTHx DEPTH tsdepth(j,n) A nonzero value specifies that the outlet is a floating structure with this depth defining its centerline 

distance from the water surface.

MINFRCx MINFRAC tsminfrac(j,n) A minimum flow fraction (between 0 and 1) specifying that at least that fraction of the total release 

should go through that outlet. When specified as a negative number, this input is interpreted as a 

minimum flow rate in cubic meters per second.

PRIORx PRIORITY tsprior(j,n) An integer designation of the "priority" setting for the outlet. A "-1" means the outlet is not blended and 

the specified flow release rates are unchanged, but the temperature effect is accounted for by the 

blending calculations. Values of 0 or greater are interpreted as higher priorities for lower input 

values.

MINHDx MINHEAD tsminhead(j,n) A minimum head designation, in meters. The outlet must be at least this deep to be used. A zero input 

means that no criterion is specified.

MAXHDx MAXHEAD tsmaxhead(j,n) A maximum head designation, in meters. The outlet must be shallower than this depth to be used. A 

zero input means that no criterion is specified.

MAXFLOx MAXFLOW tsmaxflow(j,n) A maximum flow designation, in cubic meters per second. A zero input means that no criterion is 

specified.
7 

Maximum Flow (MAXFLOx on the MAXFLOW input card).—A nonzero maximum flow 

criterion, specified for each blended outlet in cubic meters per second, is honored regardless of its effect 

on temperature or any other minimum flow criterion. Inputs less than zero are changed to zero, which is 

interpreted as the absence of a maximum flow criterion.

Minimum Flow or Minimum Flow Fraction (MINFRCx on the MINFRAC input card).—

This input, specified for each outlet, can be used to specify a minimum flow rate or a minimum flow 

fraction. To specify a minimum flow rate, the input is negative and its absolute value is interpreted as a 

minimum flow rate in cubic meters per second. A minimum flow fraction is specified as a value 

between 0.0 and 1.0 and interpreted as the fraction of the total sum of all specified flows through outlets 

in the blending group. Values greater than 1.0 are set to 1.0. The blending algorithm attempts to honor 

all minimum flow criteria, but these criteria are subservient to the more important minimum head, 

maximum head, maximum flow, and priority inputs. If the priority is such that the outlet is not chosen to 

be used, the minimum flow criterion for that outlet is not honored. In addition, outlets that are high and 

dry (not under water) or that do not meet their minimum or maximum head criteria cannot have their 

minimum flows fulfilled.

Priority (PRIORx on the PRIORITY input card).—The priority input is an integer limited to 

values of -1 or greater. The priority input is used to distinguish among groups of both blended and 

nonblended outlets and to choose which outlets to use at any time. The details of how this input is used 

to select outlets for blending are provided later in section, “Using the Priority Input To Choose Outlets”. 

Shared or Split Flows in Second Priority Group (TSSHARE on the SPLIT2 input card).—

When at least two outlets are members of the same priority group and are being used in a blending 

scheme to meet a user-specified temperature target, by default the flow assigned to the priority groups is

distributed among the members of the group equally, but while still fulfilling the minimum and 

maximum flow criteria set by the user. The TSSHARE input allows this default behavior to be modified 

for the second (lower) priority group. When turned OFF, the blending algorithm attempts to find the one 

preferred member of the second priority group that can best be used in conjunction with the first priority 

group to meet the user-specified temperature target. Minimum and maximum flow criteria are still 

honored. 

Error Checks

A number of checks for potential input errors were added to the SelectiveInit subroutine to 

ensure that user inputs do not lead to problems. Failure of any of the following error checks will cause 

the model run to terminate: 

• At least 2 and no more than 10 outlets must be specified for the NOUTS input in each 

blending group on the SPLIT2 input card. 

• Any single outlet can only be specified once in each blending group (SPLITOUT input card). 

• Any single outlet can only be specified in one blending group or temperature control device 

at a time. (Start and end dates for each group are checked.)

• Integer priority specifications must be -1 or greater (PRIORITY input card). 
8 

Using the Priority Input To Choose Outlets

The priority input is used to help choose which outlets are active and to put outlets into the two 

highest priority groups or “sets.” Setting a priority of “-1” means that the outlet is NOT blended, but 

still taken into account for the purpose of meeting the user-defined temperature target. As long as the 

outlet is “wet” and the minimum and maximum head criteria are not violated, the originally specified 

flow for that nonblended outlet will be used, subject to a maximum flow limit. The flow and 

temperature of these nonblended outlets are taken into consideration when trying to match the 

temperature target for the entire blending group. This is a good way, therefore, to specify a flow for an 

outlet independent of blending, but still account for its effect on the total release temperature in blending 

calculations.

Priority inputs of 0 or larger are used to make decisions about which outlets in the blending 

group will be used. Lower priority numbers mean that the outlet has a higher priority for use; thus, an 

outlet with a priority of 1 has a higher priority than an outlet with a priority designation of 2. The 

following describes the decision framework for determining which outlets are available, which will be 

used, and how they are assigned for use (see also the flow chart in fig. 2): 

1. First, all outlets in the blending group (specified on the SPLITOUT input card) are assessed 

relative to the water surface. Non-floating outlets with a centerline elevation above the water 

surface are not used, regardless of other criteria. Outlets with a centerline elevation shallower 

than their specified minimum head criterion or deeper than their specified maximum head 

criterion are not used, regardless of other criteria. 

2. Priority -1 (nonblended) outlets that are not ruled out in step 1 are used and given either their 

original user-specified flow rate or their maximum flow rate, whichever is lower.

3. The rest of the usable outlets are assessed relative to their priority designations. The two lowest 

(0 and greater) priority designations are determined and the outlets having those two priorities 

are counted and identified. The higher priority outlets (lowest priority input value) are put in “set 

A” and the next highest priority outlets are put in “set B.” Any other outlets with lower priorities 

(greater priority input values) are not used, regardless of other criteria. Note that these priority 

inputs are a powerful means of specifying how a group of outlets can be used with a varying 

water-surface elevation, such as in a multiple-gate tower.

4. Minimum and maximum flow criteria are assessed for set A and B outlets. Any minimum flow 

criterion that exceeds a maximum flow criterion is reset so that the maximum flow criterion is 

not exceeded. The sum of the minimum (and maximum) flow fractions are computed for sets A 

and B. 

If minimum flow fractions are overspecified, meaning that the minimum flows from the 

nonblended outlets (priority: -1) and the set A and B outlets exceed the total flow of all outlets 

specified in the blending group, then the minimum flow fractions are decreased until the total 

flow is not exceeded. If minimum flow fractions need to be decreased, the set B minimum flows 

are decreased first, followed by those in set A. This can result in the elimination of all flow 

through set B outlets, or even the elimination of all flow through set A outlets as well. If 

minimum flow fractions are decreased, they are decreased in a percentage manner, such that an 

outlet with a large minimum flow fraction in set B would see a greater absolute decrease than 

another outlet in set B that started with a smaller minimum flow fraction. Obviously, the 

blending routines have more flexibility and power to meet the specified temperature target if 

they are not overly constrained by user-specified minimum flows.
9 

Figure 2. Flow chart for determining which outlets are available and used, and for assigning those outlets to the 

nonblended group, higher priority set A, and lower priority set B. 
10 

5. Outlets are redistributed among priority sets, if necessary.

A. If set B has no members and set A has two members, then one of the members of set A is put 

into set B, but retaining its set-A priority designation. 

B. If set B has no members and set A has more than two members, then the algorithm needs 

more constraints to determine a solution. To provide that constraint, the algorithm chooses to 

blend between the highest- and lowest-elevation outlets in set A. If ties in elevation exist, 

then the first outlet with that elevation in the list is chosen. Any other outlets from set A are 

put in the nonblended group and assigned a flow equal to their minimum specified flow 

(which may be zero). If the two chosen outlets are constrained with maximum flows such 

that they cannot handle the total remaining flow available for blending, then that excess flow 

is distributed to the other (now nonblended) outlets that were originally in set A. That 

redistribution of flow is done equally, subject to maximum flow criteria. Finally, now that 

the number of outlets used for blending has been decreased to two, one of the remaining 

members of set A is put into set B, but retaining its original priority designation. 

At the end of step 5, sets A and B have at least one member and possibly more than one member. If only 

one or zero outlets are available, or if minimum flows comprise the entire release rate, then no blending 

is necessary and the solution is straightforward, but the temperature target is not likely to be met.

Modified Blending Calculations

At this point, all decisions have been made regarding which outlets to use. The next steps 

describe how the flows in each outlet are determined, in the following order: 

1. If no usable outlets are available, then a message is written to the CE-QUAL-W2 warning file 

and all flows in the specified outlets are set to zero. This could happen if all outlets are high and 

dry or if they fail to meet their minimum or maximum head criteria.

2. If the only outlets are nonblended outlets, then a message is written to the warning file and the 

simulation proceeds without any blending calculations. 

3. If only one blended outlet is available, then it receives all blended flow. If that blended flow 

exceeds the maximum flow criterion for that outlet, the flow in that outlet is decreased to its 

maximum flow and a message is written to the warning file.

4. If minimum flows comprise the entire release rate, then no blending calculations can be made, 

and all blended outlets are set to their minimum flows.

5. Finally, if more than one usable blended outlet is available and minimum flows do not take up 

all of the total flow, then blending calculations can occur! 

Generally, flows are blended between two groups of outlets that may or may not have different 

priorities. The priority for set A is always equal to or higher (lower number) than the priority of set B. If 

more than one outlet exists in set A, then the overall flow assigned to that set is distributed equally to 

members of that set, subject to minimum and maximum flow criteria. If more than one outlet exists in 

set B, then the TSSHARE (ON/OFF) input determines whether the overall flow assigned to set B is 

shared among the members of that set (ON), or whether a preferred member of set B is identified to 

receive all non-minimum flows for that set (OFF). These calculations honor the minimum and 

maximum flow criteria for each individual outlet in sets A and B, with the goal of producing a 

combined release that comes as close as possible to the temperature target.
11 

Temperature Target

If nonblended releases are included in the user-specified blending group, the temperatures of 

those nonblended releases are estimated, weighted by their flow rates, and used to determine a modified 

temperature target for the blended outlets. The modified temperature target is:

Tbl = Torig−FnbTnb

1.0−Fnb

, (1) 

where Tbl is the new temperature target for blended releases,

Torig is the original temperature target for the total release,

Tnb is the estimated release temperature of all nonblended flows, and

Fnb is the fraction of the total release accounted for by nonblended releases. 

Iterative Solution and Convergence

Each time the blending subroutine of the model is called, blending calculations for that date and 

time are done in an iterative fashion (see the flow chart in fig. 3). An iterative solution is required 

because the flow rate through an outlet affects the temperature of the water released through that outlet. 

The selective withdrawal algorithm in the model dictates that larger release flows draw from a wider 

range of depths (more layers) in the reservoir water column, thereby mixing waters of potentially 

different temperatures for release (Cole and Wells, 2011). In contrast, smaller release flows draw from a 

narrower range of depths and thereby mix temperatures from fewer layers. The blending calculations 

allow a maximum of eight iterations, and convergence is measured by comparing the fraction of total 

flow assigned to set A in the current iteration to the same quantity from the previous iteration. If the two 

values agree within the user-specified convergence criterion of TSCONV, or if the total flow is zero, or 

if the maximum number of iterations has occurred, then the loop is terminated. Using an iterative 

solution causes model run times to increase, but produces a more accurate blending solution; shorter run 

times are likely with a less-stringent convergence criterion (larger TSCONV, value constrained ≤ 0.1 

and > 0.0), but the time savings may not be significant on a fast computer. 

It is possible for the blending calculations to not converge within eight iterations. If that 

happens, a message is written to the warning file. When two blended outlets are similar in elevation, it 

sometimes occurs that the iterative solution is unstable, with large flow fractions moving back and forth 

between sets A and B with each iteration. The blending algorithm tests for such an unstable solution and 

assigns the flow fractions in that case based on set priority. If the sets have identical priorities, then the 

non-minimum flows are split equally among the two sets.

Blending to the Temperature Target

For the first iteration of the blending calculations, initial flow rates for each blended outlet are 

set by applying the various minimum and maximum flow constraints and dividing the rest of the 

available flow equally among sets A and B. The flows assigned to individual outlets in each set are 

based on the total flow for the set, the various minimum and maximum flow criteria, and a rule 

governing equal or split distributions. In set A, and in set B under shared flows (TSSHARE = ON), 

releases are distributed equally to all outlets in the set after first fulfilling the minimum flow 

requirements of each outlet. Honoring the maximum flow criteria then may require some redistribution 

of flows to other outlets in the set that have not exceeded their maximum flow criteria. For example, if 

set A has three outlets, is assigned 30 percent of the total flow, and none of the outlets in set A have
12 

Figure 3. Flow chart for determining the temperature target, allocating flows among the outlets in sets A and B, 

and iterating to converge to an optimum blending solution that best meets the temperature target.
13 

minimum or maximum flow criteria, then each outlet in set A will be assigned 10 percent of the total 

release. However, if one of the three outlets has a minimum flow fraction of 6 percent, then the 

remaining 24 percent is divided up three ways, resulting in two outlets with 8 percent of the flow and 

the one with the minimum flow fraction receiving 14 percent. In set B, the flows are distributed among 

the members of that set in the same way as for set A as long as the TSSHARE input is ON. If 

TSSHARE is OFF, then flows are assigned to a preferred outlet in set B, while also honoring the 

minimum and maximum flow criteria for outlets in that set. The preferred outlet is the single outlet in 

set B that appears to have the greatest potential for helping to meet the overall temperature target based 

on either its elevation or estimated release temperature. 

The initial release temperature for each outlet is calculated based on its initial flow. The total 

mixed estimated temperature for each set then is computed as the flow-weighted temperature of its 

member outlets. The next iteration of the blending calculation proceeds based on the estimated 

temperatures produced from the previous iteration, as described in the following paragraphs. 

If the target blend temperature is less than the total mixed estimated release temperatures from 

both sets A and B, then the set producing the lowest temperature is assigned the blended flow, subject to 

the minimum flow requirements of all outlets. If the sets are producing more or less identical 

temperatures (within 0.001 °C), then the highest priority set gets more of the flow, subject to minimum 

flow requirements. If release temperatures are the same and sets A and B have identical priorities, then 

the set with the lower flow-weighted elevation gets the non-minimum flows.

Similarly, if the target blend temperature is greater than the total mixed estimated release 

temperatures from both sets A and B, then the set producing the highest temperature is assigned the 

blended flow, subject to the minimum flow requirements of all outlets. If the sets are producing more or 

less identical temperatures (within 0.001 °C), then the highest priority set gets more of the flow, subject 

to minimum flow requirements. If release temperatures are the same and sets A and B have identical 

priorities, then the set with the higher flow-weighted elevation gets the non-minimum flows.

If the target blend temperature is essentially the same as the two mixed estimated release 

temperatures from sets A and B, then the set with the higher priority is assigned the blended flow, 

subject to the minimum flow requirements of all outlets. If sets A and B have identical priorities, then 

the non-minimum flows are split equally among the two sets.

If the target blend temperature is between the mixed estimated release temperatures of the two 

sets, then the blended flows are split among the two sets of outlets in an attempt to match the target 

temperature, using the following equation: 

FA = (1.0 − Fnb) abs � Tbl−TB

TA−TB+10−20�, (2) 

where FA is the fraction of the total release assigned to set A in the next iteration, 

Fnb is the fraction of the total release accounted for by nonblended releases,

Tbl is the temperature target for blended releases,

TA is the estimated temperature of releases from set A, 

TB is the estimated temperature of releases from set B, 

abs is the absolute value function, and 

the 10-20 value is present to guard against divide-by-zero errors in the program. 

The value of FA is constrained to be between 0.0 and 1.0. The fraction of the total release assigned to set 

B in the next iteration, then, is computed as 1.0 – Fnb – FA. After this calculation is completed, the 

minimum and maximum flow criteria are again applied to constrain the calculated set-specific release 

fractions, and the computations loop to the next iteration to search for convergence. 
14 

Other Details in the Blending Algorithm

A number of other details in the modified blending algorithm were designed to keep the 

calculations robust under a wide variety of imposed conditions. For example, when the total flow in a 

blended group is zero but becomes nonzero soon after, such as during power-peaking releases, the flow 

fractions that would be assigned to the outlets under zero-flow conditions are sometimes not appropriate 

for when the flows become nonzero again, which could lead to spikes in the release temperature if the 

flow fractions were not recalculated immediately upon the change in release conditions. In this case, it 

was deemed best to NOT recalculate the flow fractions, but use the flow fractions from a previous 

nonzero flow assignment. Tests were put in place to ensure that the calculations are performed when a 

new control period is first entered or when the flow fractions are uninitialized, even if the total flow 

release is zero. For these and other details of the code implementation, readers can scan the model code 

in the withdrawal.f90 source file (see section, “Supplementary Material”).

Examples to Illustrate New Capabilities

Five examples are included in this section to illustrate how combinations of the new userspecified constraints and priority designations can be used to control how the model assigns flow 

releases to combinations of outlets in a way that efficiently accomplishes certain objectives with a 

minimum of user intervention. Each example includes a short description, a diagram of the dam outlets, 

a list of user-specified constraints, and the relevant part of the w2_selective.npt file showing how to 

format the user inputs. Full copies of the w2_selective.npt input files are included in appendix 1. 

Example 1: Power Production Shared with Spillway or Regulating Outlet

A relatively simple, but useful, example implementing the new blending code uses three fixedelevation dam outlets to meet a downstream temperature target by switching between a near-surface 

spillway and a deep regulating outlet (RO) to blend releases with a medium-depth hydropower outlet 

(fig. 4). In this case, the emphasis was on power generation, so the power outlet was given a 40 percent 

minimum flow criterion (MINFRAC = 0.4). To blend the power releases with either the spillway or the 

RO, but not both, the power outlet was given a priority of 1, the spillway and RO were given priorities 

of 2, and the TSSHARE input was set to OFF. In this way, the model will choose either the spillway or 

the RO to blend releases with the power outlet, but will never use the spillway and the RO at the same 

time. As an additional constraint, the RO cannot be used if it is deeper than 50 m. In this example, that 

likely means that when the lake is full, the RO cannot be used, but the spillway is available. In contrast, 

when the lake is not full, the water level may be below the spillway crest elevation, causing that outlet 

to be unavailable. When both the spillway and the RO are available, however, the model will test the 

temperature releases from both and choose the one that is best suited, in combination with the power 

outlet, to meet the user-specified target release temperature.
15 

The relevant portion of the w2_selective.npt file is as follows: 

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 3 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3 

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 0. 0. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 0.0 0.4 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 1 2

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 0. 0. 0.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0. 50.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 0. 0. 0.

Figure 4. Example 1 uses three fixed-elevation outlets, in which the power outlet has the highest priority and is 

assigned at least 40 percent of the total release, and the regulating outlet (RO) has a maximum head constraint of 

50 meters. Using a TSSHARE = OFF condition, the model must choose either the spillway or the RO to blend 

releases with the power outlet. 
16 

Example 2: Floating and Fixed Outlets with a Nonblended Release

In this example, a floating outlet and a deep regulating outlet (RO) are blended with releases 

from a mid-depth hydropower outlet (fig. 5). This example is more complicated and has more 

constraints and intricacies than the first example. First, a nonblended release is included, invoked by a 

“-1” priority designation. Release rates are not modified for nonblended outlets, but are taken directly 

from the user input time-series files. Nonblended releases are accounted for in the blending calculations, 

however, in terms of their effect on the total flow-weighted release temperature from all outlets in the 

group. The model determines the temperature released from the nonblended outlet, then adjusts the userspecified temperature target to create a new target temperature for the remaining, blended releases.

The first outlet is treated as a floating outlet because a nonzero depth is specified by the user. In 

this case, the outlet’s centerline elevation will always be 2.3 m below the water surface. The floating 

outlet also has a minimum flow specification of 11.3 m3/s; the negative input for MINFRAC is 

interpreted as a flow rate in cubic meters per second rather than a minimum flow fraction. In contrast, 

the power outlet has a MINFRAC of 0.2, meaning that at least 20 percent of the releases should go 

through the power outlet. The RO has a maximum head criterion of 50 m, meaning that it cannot be 

used if its centerline elevation is deeper than that depth. Several of the outlets have maximum flow 

constraints, such that excess flow would be diverted by the model to other nonblended outlets. 

The goal in this example was to blend non-minimum releases between the power outlet and 

either the floating outlet or the RO. Therefore, the power outlet was given a priority of 1, the TSSHARE 

input was set to OFF, and the priority for the floating outlet and the RO was set to 2. The results are 

more complex than in the first example, however, because a minimum flow was specified for the 

floating outlet. When the temperature target is warmer than temperatures being released by the power

outlet, the model may choose to use the floating outlet, but a minimum flow already is being released by 

the floating outlet. The model will try to find the optimum blend of releases from the power and floating 

outlets to meet the temperature target, but also ensuring that minimum flows through each are fulfilled. 

Later in the year, if the temperature target is cooler than releases that can be obtained through the power 

outlet, the model will try to release cooler water through the RO. In that case, blending occurs between 

the power outlet and the RO, but minimum flows through the floating outlet also occur because of its 

minimum flow specification. Passing a minimum amount of water through a floating outlet, even when 

it does not help to meet a downstream release temperature, might be important for other goals, such as 

downstream fish passage. 
17 

The relevant portion of the w2_selective.npt file is as follows: 

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 4 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3 4

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 2.3 0. 0. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 -11.3 0.0 0.2 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 -1 1 2

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 0. 0. 0. 0.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0. 0. 50.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 150. 0. 150. 150.

Figure 5. Example 2 uses a nonblended outlet (priority -1) and blends the remaining releases among a floating 

outlet and two fixed-elevation outlets. The power outlet has the highest priority and is assigned at least 20 percent

of the total release. The floating outlet is assigned a flow of at least 11.3 m3/s, and the regulating outlet (RO) has a 

maximum head constraint of 50 meters. Several outlets are subject to maximum flow constraints of 150 m3/s. Using 

a TSSHARE = OFF condition, and after first fulfilling the minimum flow constraints, the model must choose either 

the spillway or the RO to blend non-minimum releases with releases from the power outlet. The final releases also 

must honor the maximum flow constraints by shifting any excess flow to other outlets. 
18 

Example 3: Eight Fixed Gates with Ranked Priorities

This example uses a tower assembly of eight fixed-elevation gates and an ordered set of priority 

settings to ensure that cold water from deep in the lake is blended with presumably warmer water near 

the surface of the lake (fig. 6). Few constraints are placed on the outlets—each has a minimum head 

criterion, which requires the centerline elevation of each outlet to be at least 2 m below the water 

surface for the outlet to be used. In recognition that the water-surface elevation of the lake is likely to be 

variable over the course of the year, the deepest outlet is assigned a priority of 1 and the remaining 

outlets are assigned priorities of 2 to 8 in order from top to bottom. 

The model always will choose to blend releases from outlets with the top two priority 

designations, where lower priority designations are interpreted as higher priorities for use (1 is a higher 

priority than 2). Using the priority assignment scheme in this example, when the lake is drawn down 

and outlets 1 through 3 are above the water surface, the model will blend releases from outlet 4 (priority 

5, near surface) and outlet 8 (priority 1, near bottom) because they have the highest available priorities. 

Note that neither has a minimum flow criterion, so it is entirely possible, depending on the temperature 

target and the temperature structure of the lake, that one of those outlets will be assigned the entire 

release rate for the group. The other outlets that are available (deeper than their minimum head 

criterion) all have lower priorities (higher priority input values) than these two outlets, and therefore will 

not be used. 

This scheme ensures that cold water from the bottom of the lake will be blended with water from 

near the surface of the lake in an attempt to meet the downstream temperature target. The scheme might 

not work well, however, if a maximum head criterion were added for the outlet near the bottom of the 

lake. In that case, if the outlet were deeper than its maximum head criterion, it would not be used and 

the model would blend releases between two adjacent gates near the water surface (because of their 

priority designations) and probably would fail to meet the objectives of the model run. When few other 

constraints are needed, however, this sort of priority designation scheme might be useful. 
19 

The relevant portion of the w2_selective.npt file is as follows: 

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 8 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. 2.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Figure 6. Example 3 uses a tower of eight fixed-elevation gates, in which the priorities are assigned to ensure that 

releases are blended between the lowest outlet (highest priority of 1) and the highest available outlet. In this 

example, an outlet’s centerline elevation must be at least 2 meters below the water surface to be available for use, 

as specified by the minimum head criteria. 
20 

Example 4: Eight Fixed Gates with Identical Priorities

In contrast to the previous example in which each of the eight fixed-elevation outlets was given a 

different priority in an attempt to control the model’s choice of outlets, this example shows that a similar 

objective might be achieved by setting the same priority for all outlets (fig. 7). The same eight fixedelevation outlets are used, but this time with both minimum and maximum head constraints. With a 

maximum head constraint, the deepest outlets might not be available when the lake is full, which might 

cause a ranked priority scheme to fail. To complicate things a bit further, this example includes the 

specification that at least 20 percent of the total release (MINFRAC = 0.2) should be routed through 

outlet 6, if that outlet is available for use.

Using identical priorities for all outlets, the model will attempt to choose two outlets from 

among all available outlets to blend the non-minimum releases. To illustrate, suppose that the lake is 

relatively full, and the model determines that outlets 2 through 7 are available after checking their 

depths against the minimum and maximum head constraints. In a case with many outlets having the 

same priority, the model would choose the two available outlets with the highest and lowest elevations 

for blending the non-minimum releases. Therefore, outlets 2 and 7 would be used to blend the nonminimum releases, and outlet 6 would receive its minimum flow of 20 percent of the total release rate. If 

the lake level were higher still and outlets 1 through 6 were available, then blending would occur 

between outlets 1 and 6, but ensuring that outlet 6 received at least 20 percent of the total release. If, 

however, only outlets 1 through 5 were available, then outlet 6 would not be used at all, forfeiting its 

minimum release because its maximum head criterion must be honored.

This method of using identical priority designations clearly can work well if the objective is 

simply to blend water from shallow and deep outlets in a lake. This method fails, however, to allow one 

particular outlet to be used more than the others. For example, if increased releases through outlet 6 

were desirable for some reason, that outlet could be given a higher priority (say 1, with all other outlets 

assigned a priority of 2). If the TSSHARE input is OFF, then releases through outlet 6 would be blended 

with releases from either near the water surface or near the lake bottom, depending on the value of the 

temperature target. If outlet 6 were not available at some point, however, the remaining outlets would all 

have the same priority and the model would proceed as previously described for a set of outlets having 

the same priority.
21 

The relevant portion of the w2_selective.npt file is as follows: 

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 8 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 50. 50. 50. 50. 50. 50. 50. 50.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

Figure 7. Example 4 uses a tower of eight fixed-elevation gates, in which the priorities are all identical. To be 

available for use, each outlet’s centerline elevation must be at least 3 meters and less than 50 meters below the 

water surface. With identical priorities, the model will blend releases between the highest and lowest available 

outlets, after first fulfilling any minimum flow requirements. In this example, at least 20 percent of the total release 

must be routed through gate number 6, if it is available for use.
22 

Example 5: Shared Floating Outlets with a Schedule

This example illustrates the effects of turning the TSSHARE input ON and using more than one 

blending group to change the outlets used for blending partway through a model run. In this case, two 

floating outlets are specified along with two fixed-elevation outlets, and a schedule is used to blend 

releases from the floating outlets with just one of the fixed-elevation outlets at a time (fig. 8). Not only 

are the fixed-elevation outlets set at different depths (in the w2_con.npt control file), but the floating 

outlets also are given different depths using the depth input in the w2_selective.npt file. Minimum and 

maximum flow criteria are specified for all outlets.

To blend releases from the floating outlets with different fixed-elevation outlets at different 

times of the year, a schedule can be set up by specifying two blending groups (NUM=2 on the SPLIT1 

input card) with different starting and ending dates (TSTR and TEND on the SPLIT2 input card). Then, 

each group can be configured with three outlets for blending (NOUTS=3 on the SPLIT2 input card), and 

specifying outlets 1, 2, and 3 for the first group and 1, 2, and 4 for the second group (on the 

SPLOTOUT input card). In this way, the floating outlets are blended with the medium-depth fixed 

outlet for part of the year and with the deeper fixed outlet for the rest of the year. Note that the simplest 

way to set up the outflow boundary file is to assign the total release rate to the first outlet. That way, 

when outlet 4 is not used for the first period of the run, a release rate of zero will be used for that outlet. 

Similarly, outlet 3 will have a zero release rate when it is not being blended with outlets 1 and 2 later in 

the year.

One way to ensure that releases through each of the floating outlets are identical, despite their 

different depths, is to specify that releases in the lower priority group are shared (TSSHARE=ON), and 

specify a priority of 2 for the floating outlets and a priority of 1 for the fixed-elevation outlets. All these 

outlets have minimum flow specifications (at least 5.66 m3

/s for each of the floating outlets, and at least 

20 percent of the flow to the fixed-elevation outlet). After fulfilling those minimum flows, any nonminimum releases will be blended between a single fixed-elevation outlet (set A) and the two floating 

outlets (set B). The model honors the maximum flow constraints at all times, and honors the minimum 

flow constraints when sufficient releases are available. If insufficient releases are available to honor the 

minimum flow constraints, then releases are scaled back in the lower priority group first. 
23 

The relevant portion of the w2_selective.npt file is as follows: 

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 2 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 244. 12. ON OFF 3 ON

2 ST 1 ON 244. 366. 12. ON OFF 3 ON

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3

2 1 2 4

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 3.0 7.5 0.

2 3.0 7.5 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 -5.66 -5.66 0.2

2 -5.66 -5.66 0.2

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 2 1

2 2 2 1

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 0. 0. 3.

2 0. 0. 3.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0. 0.

2 0. 0. 0.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 102. 102. 200.

2 102. 102. 200.

Figure 8. Example 5 uses two floating outlets that share the flow for the lower priority (set B) outlets because 

TSSHARE is set to ON. For January through August, flows through the floating outlets are blended with the 

highest-elevation fixed outlet. For the remainder of the year, the lowest-elevation fixed outlet is blended with the 

floating outlets. All outlets have some minimum and maximum flow constraints. 
24 

Comparison Test of New Algorithms

The modified model algorithms were tested with models of Detroit Lake in northwestern 

Oregon. Detroit Dam was constructed in 1953 by USACE on the North Santiam River and resulted in 

the formation of Detroit Lake (fig. 9). The North Santiam River is one of several major tributaries to the 

Willamette River, and Detroit Dam is the tallest dam (141 m [463 ft]) in the Willamette River Basin. 

The lake captures several rivers that drain an area on the western slopes of Mt. Jefferson in the Cascade 

Range, and impounds 5.61×108 m3 (455,100 acre-ft) of water at full pool, making it one of the largest 

reservoirs in the Willamette River Basin.

A set of model scenarios from a previously calibrated version 3.1.2 CE-QUAL-W2 model of 

Detroit Lake (Sullivan and others, 2007; Buccola and others, 2012) was used as a comparison test 

against the new version 3.7 modified blending algorithms. The results previously documented by 

Buccola and others (2012) were from a version 3.1.2 model that had a similar, but not exactly the same, 

implementation of most of the blending algorithm documented here for version 3.7. The USGS Detroit 

Lake model originally was calibrated to conditions that occurred during calendar years 2002 and 2003, 

and was tested for high-flow conditions during selected months of the winter of 2005–06. The model 

scenarios, however, were run using three sets of environmental conditions lasting one year each and 

representing cool/wet, normal, and hot/dry conditions drawn from the historical record. 

In this test comparison, a structural model scenario was applied in which a hypothetical floating 

outlet was used in conjunction with a lower fixed-elevation outlet to try to meet a user-specified timeseries of target release temperatures under the cool/wet, normal, and hot/dry environmental conditions. 

The fixed-elevation outlet was given a centerline elevation of 408.4 m (1,340 ft). The floating outlet was 

given a depth (DEPTH) of 2 m (6.56 ft) and a minimum flow of 11.327 m3/s (400 ft3/s; MINFRAC 

= -11.327). This is the “uro-float_400fmin” scenario (runs c14, n14, and h14) as documented by 

Buccola and others (2012). The outlets and blending inputs are illustrated in figure 10. 
25 

Figure 9. Map showing location of Detroit Lake and Detroit Dam in the North Santiam River Basin, northwestern 

Oregon. (Map from Buccola and others, 2012.) 
26 

Figure 10. Outlets and user specifications for the Detroit Lake comparison test. 

Running these scenarios with both the version 3.1.2 and 3.7 modified models produced quite 

similar results (figs. 11 and 12). Slightly less day-to-day variability and better adherence to the 

temperature target was apparent in the version 3.7 results as compared to those from version 3.1.2. The 

decrease in variability and better adherence to the targets is likely due to several factors: 

1. more frequent recalculation of the blending flow fractions in version 3.7, 

2. a more stringent convergence criterion in version 3.7, and 

3. better handling of blending during power-peaking conditions. 

The version 3.1.2 algorithms were set up to minimize dam-operator labor by allowing the user to limit 

the number of times per day that gate positions are changed; as a result, the blending flow fractions were 

recalculated only once per day at 5:00 a.m. in that model run. In contrast, the blending flow fractions 

were recalculated in the version 3.7 model run every 3 hours, as specified by the TSFREQ input 

variable (0.125 days). The version 3.7 code is not yet set up to take into account the actual time of day

that dam operators might have to make a change in releases.
27 

Figure 11. Comparison of daily mean release temperatures resulting from the use of blending algorithms in 

CE-QUAL-W2 version 3.1.2 (v3.1) and version 3.7 (v3.7) and applied to Detroit Lake, northwestern Oregon, for 

three environmental conditions: (A) cool/wet, (B) normal, and (C) hot/dry. The black lines indicate the minimum and 

maximum monthly temperature targets; only the maximum target was used in the model runs.
28 

Figure 12. Difference in the daily mean release temperatures (version 3.7 results minus version 3.1.2 results) from 

the “uro-float_400fmin” scenario as applied to Detroit Lake, northwestern Oregon, for three sets of environmental 

conditions (cool/wet, normal, and hot/dry). 

Most of the simulated daily mean temperature differences between versions 3.7 and 3.1.2 in 

these scenarios were less than 0.5 °C (about 0.9 °F, fig. 12). Some larger differences occurred during 

mid-summer for short periods (not exceeding 3 days in length), but did not persist at any substantial 

level later in autumn. Minor differences (less than 0.3 °C, or about 0.5 °F) between the predictions of 

the two model versions also were apparent in autumn (see cool/wet scenario during November [fig. 

12]), but the seasonal patterns were still captured well by both versions. 

Other hypothetical tests were performed separately with the new code to ensure that all new 

capabilities worked as intended, including the priority designations and the criteria for minimum and 

maximum head and minimum and maximum flows. The tests all showed that the new model code 

performed as expected. Additional examples of how the new model features can be implemented in a 

variety of blending scenarios for Detroit Lake are documented by Buccola and others (2015). 
29 

Summary and Conclusions

The algorithm in version 3.7 of the CE-QUAL-W2 model for blending releases from multiple 

dam outlets to meet a target release temperature was modified to add new options and increased 

functionality. The modified algorithm allows releases from up to 10 outlets (rather than the original 2) 

to be blended, and an external time-series of user-specified temperatures can be specified as the target 

release temperature. Fixed-elevation outlets can be changed into floating outlets by specifying a nonzero 

depth relative to the water surface. Minimum and maximum head constraints can be set for each 

blended outlet such that the outlet will not be used if its centerline elevation is shallower than the 

minimum head criterion or deeper than the maximum head criterion. Minimum and maximum flow 

criteria also can be set for each of the blended outlets. Priority designations can be set for each blended 

outlet to help in choosing which outlets to use and in determining which outlets receive a greater 

proportion of the flow in certain situations. Lastly, an iterative solution technique was implemented to 

increase the accuracy of the blending calculations each time the subroutine is called. Through the use of 

these new options, USGS staff have found that a wide range of hypothetical structures and complicated 

operational release strategies at dams can be implemented somewhat automatically by the model, thus 

decreasing the number of model runs required to obtain a specific result, and decreasing the amount of 

preprocessing of inputs required to properly constrain the conditions for testing a hypothetical 

operational or structural scenario.

The modified version 3.7 model code was tested with a variety of example configurations and

also was compared against a previously calibrated version 3.1.2 CE-QUAL-W2 model of Detroit Lake 

in northwestern Oregon. Results from the comparison showed that the predictions were largely the 

same, but with more stable results from version 3.7 that might have been due to more frequent blending 

calculations each day as well as some refinements in the iterative solution technique. 

Acknowledgments

This work was done in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland 

District. Kathryn Tackley and Dan Turner of USACE provided data, helpful discussions, and insights 

with respect to the types of capabilities to build into the improved model algorithms. Discussions with 

Scott Wells and Chris Berger at Portland State University resulted in code improvements and additional 

features. Thanks also to Annett Sullivan and Adam Stonewall of USGS for assistance in testing the new 

algorithms.

Supplementary Material

The modified version 3.7 model source code, compiler options, and compiled binaries (generic 

or with the Intel Visual Fortran (IVF) user interface) used in this study are available for download from 

the website of this report (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1027/ ).

References Cited

Buccola, N.L., and Rounds, S.A., 2011, Simulating potential structural and operational changes for Detroit Dam 

on the North Santiam River, Oregon—Interim Results: U.S. Geological Survey Open–File Report 2011–1268, 

32 p. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2011/1268/.] 
30 

Buccola, N.L, Rounds, S.A., Sullivan, A.B., and Risley, J.C., 2012, Simulating potential structural and 

operational changes for Detroit Dam on the North Santiam River, Oregon, for downstream temperature 

management: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5231, 68 p. [Also available at 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2012/5231/.] 

Buccola, N.L., Stonewall, A.J., and Rounds, S.A., 2015, Simulations of a hypothetical temperature control 

structure at Detroit Dam on the North Santiam River, northwestern Oregon: U.S. Geological Survey Open–File 

Report 2015–1012, 30 p. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2015/1012.] 

Caissie, D., 2006, The thermal regime of rivers—A review: Freshwater Biology, v. 51, p. 1389–1406. 

Cole, T.M., and Wells, S.A., 2002, CE-QUAL-W2—A two-dimensional, laterally averaged, hydrodynamic and 

water-quality model, version 3.1: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Instruction Report EL–02–1 [variously 

paged]. 

Cole, T.M., and Wells, S.A., 2011, CE-QUAL-W2—A two-dimensional, laterally averaged, hydrodynamic and 

water-quality model, version 3.7: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Instruction Report EL–11–1 [variously 

paged]. 

Collier, Michael, Webb, R.H., and Schmidt, J.C., 1996, Dams and rivers—Primer on the downstream effects of 

dams: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1126, 94 p. [Also available at 

http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/cir/cir1126.] 

Hanna, R.B., Saito, L., Bartholow, J.M., and Sandelin, J., 1999, Results of simulated temperature control device 

operations on in-reservoir and discharge water temperatures using CE-QUAL-W2: Journal of Lake and 

Reservoir Management, v. 15, no. 2, p. 87–102. 

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Section 7(a)(2), Consultation: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Log Number 

F/NWR/2000/02117 [variously paged], accessed June 3, 2014, at https://pcts.nmfs.noaa.gov/pctsweb/dispatcher/trackable/NWR-2000-2117. 

Portland State University Water Quality Research Group, 2012, CE-QUAL-W2 model description: Portland State 

University Water Quality Research Group, accessed April 26, 2012, at http://www.cee.pdx.edu/w2/. 

Risley, J.C., Constantz, J.A., Essaid, H.I., and Rounds, S.A., 2010, Effects of upstream dams versus groundwater 

pumping on stream temperature under varying climate conditions: Water Resources Research, v. 46, no. 6, 

W06517, doi: 10.1029/2009WR008587. [Also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2009WR008587.] 

Rounds, S.A., 2010, Thermal effects of dams in the Willamette River basin, Oregon: U.S. Geological Survey 

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5153, 64 p. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5153/.] 

Rounds, S.A., and Sullivan, A.B., 2006, Development and use of new routines in CE-QUAL-W2 to blend water 

from multiple reservoir outlets to meet downstream temperature targets, in Proceedings of the Third Federal 

Interagency Hydrologic Modeling Conference, April 2–6, 2006, Reno, NV: Subcommittee on Hydrology of the 

Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Information, ISBN 0–9779007–0–3. [Also available at 

http://or.water.usgs.gov/tualatin/fihmc3_w2_modifications.pdf.] 

Rounds, S.A., and Wood, T.M., 2001, Modeling water quality in the Tualatin River, Oregon, 1991–1997: U.S. 

Geological Survey Water–Resources Investigations Report 01–4041, 53 p. [Also available at 

http://or.water.usgs.gov/pubs_dir/Online/Pdf/01-4041.pdf.] 

Sullivan, A.B., and Rounds, S.A., 2006, Modeling water-quality effects of structural and operational changes to 

Scoggins Dam and Henry Hagg Lake, Oregon: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–

5060, 36 p. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2006/5060/.] 

Sullivan, A.B., Rounds, S.A., Asbill-Case, J.R., and Deas, M.L., 2013, Macrophyte and pH buffering updates to 

the Klamath River water-quality model upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2013–5016, 52 p. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2013/5016/.] 

Sullivan, A.B., Rounds, S.A., Sobieszczyk, S., and Bragg, H.M., 2007, Modeling hydrodynamics, water 

temperature, and suspended sediment in Detroit Lake, Oregon: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific 

Investigations Report 2007–5008, 40 p. [Also available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2007/5008/.] 
31 

Appendix 1. Example w2_selective.npt Files 

The w2_selective.npt input file contains all user-input variables for the blending of outflows to 

meet a downstream temperature target. The six examples in this appendix reflect each of the examples 

used in this report to demonstrate certain user inputs and model capabilities. See the examples and the 

comparison test in the body of the report for more information. 

Example 1: w2_selective.npt file

Selective input control file

Temperature outlet control - frequency of output for temperature

OUT FREQ TFRQTMP

 0.125

Structure outlet control based on time and temperature and branch

DYNSTR1 CONTROL NUM TCDFREQ

 OFF 1 0.125

DYNSTR2 ST/WD JB JS/NW YEARLY TSTR TEND TEMP NELEV ELEV1 ELEV2 ELEV3 ...

1 ST 1 1 ON 1.0 151.0 10.0 2 340. 330.

 

MONITOR LOC ISEG ELEV DYNSEL

1 0 -185 OFF

AUTO ELEVCONTROL

1 OFF

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 3 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 0. 0. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 0.0 0.4 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 1 2

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 0. 0. 0.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0. 50.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 0. 0. 0.

THRESH1 TEMPN

 2 

THRESH2 TEMPCRITTEMPCRIT

1 11.11 11.11

2 15.55 15.55
32 

Example 2: w2_selective.npt file

Selective input control file

Temperature outlet control - frequency of output for temperature

OUT FREQ TFRQTMP

 0.125

Structure outlet control based on time and temperature and branch

DYNSTR1 CONTROL NUM TCDFREQ

 OFF 1 0.125

DYNSTR2 ST/WD JB JS/NW YEARLY TSTR TEND TEMP NELEV ELEV1 ELEV2 ELEV3 ...

1 ST 1 1 ON 1.0 151.0 10.0 2 340. 330.

 

MONITOR LOC ISEG ELEV DYNSEL

1 0 -185 OFF

AUTO ELEVCONTROL

1 OFF

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 4 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3 4

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 2.3 0. 0. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 -11.3 0.0 0.2 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 -1 1 2

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 0. 0. 0. 0.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0. 0. 50.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 150. 0. 150. 150.

THRESH1 TEMPN

 2 

THRESH2 TEMPCRITTEMPCRIT

1 11.11 11.11

2 15.55 15.55
33 

Example 3: w2_selective.npt file

Selective input control file

Temperature outlet control - frequency of output for temperature

OUT FREQ TFRQTMP

 0.125

Structure outlet control based on time and temperature and branch

DYNSTR1 CONTROL NUM TCDFREQ

 OFF 1 0.125

DYNSTR2 ST/WD JB JS/NW YEARLY TSTR TEND TEMP NELEV ELEV1 ELEV2 ELEV3 ...

1 ST 1 1 ON 1.0 151.0 10.0 2 340. 330.

 

MONITOR LOC ISEG ELEV DYNSEL

1 0 -185 OFF

AUTO ELEVCONTROL

1 OFF

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 8 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. 2. 2.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

THRESH1 TEMPN

 2 

THRESH2 TEMPCRITTEMPCRIT

1 11.11 11.11

2 15.55 15.55
34 

Example 4: w2_selective.npt file

Selective input control file

Temperature outlet control - frequency of output for temperature

OUT FREQ TFRQTMP

 0.125

Structure outlet control based on time and temperature and branch

DYNSTR1 CONTROL NUM TCDFREQ

 OFF 1 0.125

DYNSTR2 ST/WD JB JS/NW YEARLY TSTR TEND TEMP NELEV ELEV1 ELEV2 ELEV3 ...

1 ST 1 1 ON 1.0 151.0 10.0 2 340. 330.

 

MONITOR LOC ISEG ELEV DYNSEL

1 0 -185 OFF

AUTO ELEVCONTROL

1 OFF

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 8 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3. 3.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 50. 50. 50. 50. 50. 50. 50. 50.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.

THRESH1 TEMPN

 2 

THRESH2 TEMPCRITTEMPCRIT

1 11.11 11.11

2 15.55 15.55
35 

Example 5: w2_selective.npt file

Selective input control file

Temperature outlet control - frequency of output for temperature

OUT FREQ TFRQTMP

 0.125

Structure outlet control based on time and temperature and branch

DYNSTR1 CONTROL NUM TCDFREQ

 OFF 1 0.125

DYNSTR2 ST/WD JB JS/NW YEARLY TSTR TEND TEMP NELEV ELEV1 ELEV2 ELEV3 ...

1 ST 1 1 ON 1.0 151.0 10.0 2 340. 330.

 

MONITOR LOC ISEG ELEV DYNSEL

1 0 -185 OFF

AUTO ELEVCONTROL

1 OFF

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 2 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 244. 12. ON OFF 3 ON

2 ST 1 ON 244. 366. 12. ON OFF 3 ON

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2 3

2 1 2 4

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 3.0 7.5 0.

2 3.0 7.5 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 -5.66 -5.66 0.2

2 -5.66 -5.66 0.2

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 2 1

2 2 2 1

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 0. 0. 3.

2 0. 0. 3.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0. 0.

2 0. 0. 0.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 102. 102. 200.

2 102. 102. 200.

THRESH1 TEMPN

 2 

THRESH2 TEMPCRITTEMPCRIT

1 11.11 11.11

2 15.55 15.55
36 

Comparison Test: w2_selective.npt file

Selective input control file

Temperature outlet control - frequency of output for temperature

OUT FREQ TFRQTMP

 0.125

Structure outlet control based on time and temperature and branch

DYNSTR1 CONTROL NUM TCDFREQ

 OFF 1 0.125

DYNSTR2 ST/WD JB JS/NW YEARLY TSTR TEND TEMP NELEV ELEV1 ELEV2 ELEV3 ...

1 ST 1 1 ON 1.0 151.0 10.0 2 340. 330.

 

MONITOR LOC ISEG ELEV DYNSEL

1 0 -185 OFF

AUTO ELEVCONTROL

1 OFF

SPLIT1 CNTR NUM TSFREQ TSCONV

 ON 1 0.125 0.005

SPLIT2 ST/WD JB YEARLY TSTR TEND TTARGET TSDYN ELCONT NOUTS TSSHARE

1 ST 1 ON 1. 366. 12. ON OFF 2 OFF

SPLITOUT JS1/NW1 JS2/NW2 JS3/NW3 JS4/NW4 JS5/NW5 JS6/NW6 JS7/NW7 JS8/NW8 JS9/NW9 JS0/NW0

1 1 2

DEPTH DEPTH1 DEPTH2 DEPTH3 DEPTH4 DEPTH5 DEPTH6 DEPTH7 DEPTH8 DEPTH9 DEPTH10

1 2. 0.

MINFRAC MINFRC1 MINFRC2 MINFRC3 MINFRC4 MINFRC5 MINFRC6 MINFRC7 MINFRC8 MINFRC9 MNFRC10

1 -11.327 0.0

PRIORITY PRIOR1 PRIOR2 PRIOR3 PRIOR4 PRIOR5 PRIOR6 PRIOR7 PRIOR8 PRIOR9 PRIOR10

1 2 1

MINHEAD MINHD1 MINHD2 MINHD3 MINHD4 MINHD5 MINHD6 MINHD7 MINHD8 MINHD9 MINHD10

1 0. 0.

MAXHEAD MAXHD1 MAXHD2 MAXHD3 MAXHD4 MAXHD5 MAXHD6 MAXHD7 MAXHD8 MAXHD9 MAXHD10

1 0. 0.

MAXFLOW MAXFLO1 MAXFLO2 MAXFLO3 MAXFLO4 MAXFLO5 MAXFLO6 MAXFLO7 MAXFLO8 MAXFLO9 MXFLO10

1 0. 0.

THRESH1 TEMPN

 2 

THRESH2 TEMPCRITTEMPCRIT

1 11.11 11.11

2 15.55 15.55
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 Science Publishing Network, Tacoma Publishing Service Center

For more information concerning the research in this report, contact the

Director, Oregon Water Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey

2130 SW 5th Avenue

Portland, Oregon 97201

http://or.water.usgs.gov
Rounds and Buccola—Improved Algorithms in the CE–QUAL–W2 Water-Quality Model for Blending Dam Releases to Meet Downstream Water-Temperature Targets—Open-File Report 2015–1027

ISSN 2331-1258 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151027