Optimal control of the phosphorus distribution in an estuary

Phosphorus is one of the critical constituents in the aquatic environment which has been shown to influence algal growth and the associated water quality of lakes and estuaries. An optimal water quality management study for phosphorus treatment in Jamaica Bay, an estuary in New York, is discussed. The results indicate that treatment plant location is extremely important in terms of the impact on the bay and that the costs of treatment can be reduced considerably below what a uniform treatment policy would require.