Numerical modeling (using mathematical equations to simulate physical processes) provides scientists and resource managers with a tool to evaluate expected changes in water quality based on restoration and lake management approaches. TERC scientists have developed the Lake Clarity Model, a cornerstone of the TMDL Science Plan, that has predicted required pollutant loads necessary to meet water quality standards and Basin thresholds. The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) has developed sophisticated computer models that help scientists predict and understand how Lake Tahoe's water moves and how the entire ecosystem behaves, Long-term data sets are essential to refine the accuracy of those models and to develop new models as knowledge increases and new challenges arises. In times of rapid change, reliable predictive models are indispensable tools for Lake Tahoe Basin research managers.

Related Research Projects

Lake Clarity Model/TMDL
3D Modeling
Modeling Climate Change Impacts
Periphyton Modeling
Lake Tanganyika