The Two-Dimensional, Laterally Averaged, Hydrodynamic and Water Quality Model (CE-QUAL-W2) can be used in order to model the fate and transport of water quality constituents in tidal estuaries. In addition, the model contains a specific subroutine for modeling fecal coliform bacteria. CE-QUAL-W2 is a time-variable model that is capable of modeling more than one tidal cycle. The model uses a finite difference scheme in its water quality and hydrodynamic calculations. It is listed as the “reservoir model of choice for TVA, USGS, USBR, USEPA, and USACE” on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) website.
CE-QUAL-W2 is a two-dimensional (laterally averaged), coupled, hydrodynamic and water quality model developed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station (USACE-WES). Since CE-QUAL-W2 is laterally averaged, the model is best suited for waterbodies that are relatively long and narrow. However, CE-QUAL-W2 has been extensively used in the water quality and hydrodynamic modeling of rivers and reservoirs throughout the U.S. (especially in Oregon and Tennessee) including a fecal coliform analysis on the Cumberland River for the City of Nashville.