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Documentation & technical resources

Manuals, theory, tutorials and references for learning the model and getting your study right — plus how to cite CE-QUAL-W2 in your reports and papers.

Core documentation

User & theory manuals

The authoritative references that ship with the model. Open each for the full PDF.

Getting started

A practical learning path

New to CE-QUAL-W2? Work through these steps in order.

  • 1 · Install & run an example
    • Download the distribution, open a bundled test case and run it to confirm a clean install.
  • 2 · Read the control file
    • Learn how the control file defines waterbodies, branches, segments, layers and active constituents.
  • 3 · Build your bathymetry
    • Use the pre-processing tools to translate your geometry into the model grid.
  • 4 · Add boundary conditions
    • Assemble inflows, outflows, meteorology and constituent loads as time series.
  • 5 · Calibrate & visualize
    • Compare against observations, tune kinetics, and post-process results into figures and animations.
MODEL GRID HIERARCHY
Waterbody  ·  reservoir / river / estuary Branch  ·  a connected channel reach Segment  ·  longitudinal cell column Layer / Cell  ·  vertical control volume
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Tutorials, training & references

External and community resources to deepen your modeling skills.

Attribution

How to cite CE-QUAL-W2

If the model contributes to your study, cite the model and its documentation. A typical reference looks like the following (confirm the version, year and authors against the manual you used).

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers to the things newcomers ask most.

Can't find what you need?

Post a question on the community forum or reach the developers for technical support.

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