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A methodology Is presented in this thesis which addresses the water quality manager's problem of maximizing the biochemical oxygen demand loadings in reaches of a tidal river, subject to dissolved oxygen concentration regulation at various compliance levels. The non-linear tidal dynamics and BOD-DO processes were explicitly accounted for by numerical, finite-difference models incorporated as equality and inequality constraints of a non-linear programming problem solved by a direct search algorithm. This methodology was applied to the Nicomekl River in Surrey B.C., to investigate policy implications and its applicability, using a microcomputer, to the resolution of actual pollution management problems. more...

The optimal use of resources in a floodplain is important especially as marginal returns increase in value. Flood control measures which protect floodplain development need to be conservative to allow for future growth. This thesis presents a methodology whereby the likelihood of flooding of a river is determined from Monte Carlo simulations using a numerical river model. The river model is based on the hydrodynamic equations of motion and continuity while the stochastic parameters of the river are determined from recorded discharge data from the Nicomekl River, Surrey B.C., which is used as the test case of this study. Comparisons are made between simulated and recorded data with predictions of flood probabilities and conclusions as to the use of the methodology. more...