The application of models to find the relevance of residence time in lake and reservoir management

The residence time is among the most important factors that determine the water quality of lakes and reservoirs. Models are useful tools to reveal the relationship between the residence time and the water quality. Three case studies are presented to illustrate the application of models to determine the importance of the residence time for the water quality. It was found that manipulation of the residence time, i.e. ecohydrology, may be a very useful environmental management tool.