Since streamflow regulation is currently being considered as a method of water quality control and impoundments will be the source of water for regulated streamflow, the changes in water quality that occur during storage in a given environment must be understood and predictable. Much has been written in the sanitary engineering and limnology literature that bears on the broad problem of determining the influence of impoundments on water quality. This report is a review of that literature. It is impossible to report on all of the literature, but sufficient selected references are reviewed to accomplish three purposes: (1) to indicate to readers who are new to the field of impoundment behavior the enormous breadth of the field, (2) to discuss each topic in sufficient detail to give the reader insight into the current understanding of that topic, and (3) to indicate the major research needs in each area and to suggest possible fruitful avenues of study to satisfy these needs. In addition to the major section on impoundment behavior, this report contains sections on the influence of impoundment releases on downstream water quality and operations research for water quality management. (Author)