Overview
The Guájaro reservoir in the southeast of Atlántico department, Colombia, has been the most important water body in the region since its construction in 1964. It is supplied by the artificial Canal del Dique through a two-floodgate system. Decades of excess nutrients and pollution loads have caused eutrophication and other problems, making it necessary to regulate the hydraulic structures that supply the reservoir.
Model Setup
A two-dimensional hydrodynamic model was implemented in EFDC Explorer and calibrated using a time series of free surface levels, comparing measured and model-estimated velocities for two different climatic periods. The work was carried out as a sustainability management alternative for the reservoir, supporting the operation of the Canal del Dique–Guájaro hydrosystem.
Key Findings
The comparisons showed good agreement between measured and simulated data. Based on the quantitative results of the Nash-Sutcliffe reliability method, the results are considered quite satisfactory for estimating and predicting the amount of water flowing in and out of the reservoir through the hydrosystem channel — providing a tool to assist water level management for water supply and environmental purposes.