Hypolimnetic water in stratified lakes and reservoirs may become depleted of oxygen, with negative consequences for water quality. One remedial strategy is to replenish the oxygen using hypolimnetic oxygenators and we have developed and validated models for many of the most common oxygenation systems. The models predict performance based on the applied air or oxygen flow rate and the initial bubble-size created by the diffuser. Because these systems induce mixing, and potentially enhance sediment oxygen demand, the process models are being coupled with 1D and 3D hydrodynamic and water-quality models to enable more effective design and optimization.
