WEAP
Freemium
Integrated water resources planning and policy analysis framework for basin-scale supply and demand modeling.
CE-QUAL-W2
ActiveThe standard 2D reservoir and stratified-river water-quality model — temperature, DO and eutrophication.
by Portland State University
- Pricing
- Free
- License
- Freeware (source available)
- Commercial use
- Permitted
- Ecosystem
- Fortran
- Platform
- Windows
About CE-QUAL-W2
CE-QUAL-W2 simulates hydrodynamics and water quality in water bodies that stratify: longitudinal-vertical (laterally averaged) 2D transport with a full eutrophication kinetics library — temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, multiple algae and zooplankton groups, pH, sediment diagenesis. Reservoir management questions (withdrawal levels, TDG, bloom risk) are its home ground.
Maintained for decades at Portland State University with US Army Corps roots, it is free, source-available and deeply validated — the default choice worldwide for reservoir water-quality studies where 3D CFD would be overkill.
Where it fits in the workflow
TerrainCatchmentRainfallRunoffRoutingHydraulicsMappingReporting
Alternatives to CE-QUAL-W2
Ranked by the topics, categories and workflow stages they share with CE-QUAL-W2.
BASINS
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EPA's watershed assessment suite — HSPF continuous watershed-quality modelling with GIS and data access built in.
EFDC+
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QUAL2K
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The classic river water-quality model — DO, nutrients and algae along a 1D stream network.
SWAT+
Open Source
The USDA watershed model for land use, sediment and nutrients — continuous simulation at catchment scale.
WASP
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EPA's Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program — eutrophication, toxics and sediment in rivers and estuaries.