Investigation of Water pH in Calcasieu Lake Area Using Regional Scale Hydrodynamic Models

In Southwest Louisiana, the Calcasieu Lake and surrounding water systems are the major fresh water sources to the nearby coastal wetlands and agricultural areas. There are two national wide life refuges located in both east and west sides of Calcasieu Lake. Both refuges are covered by coastal wetlands. The health of the wetland vegetation is essential to the wetland losses in the area. One of the major problems related to the health of marshes is the nutrient deficiency. In addition, the surface water system is a possible source for agriculture use that requires sufficient nutrient components in water. Understanding the transport and distribution of various nutrients in the coastal water system is very important to the above-mentioned issues. In this study, a regional scale hydrodynamic model was utilized to simulate the hydrodynamics, salinity transport and sediment transport in this major water system in Southwest Louisiana. The pH distribution in water is a good indication of many nutrient components, such as phosphorous, and is essential to understand the nutrient distributions in the target area. A pH calculation procedure was implemented in the model to determine pH values based on the salinity and other water properties. The model results can be used to indicate the dynamic change of nutrient distributions and the areas of nutrient deficiency.