diff --git a/cime_config/buildnml b/cime_config/buildnml
index 68dbebc..6dd7ea4 100755
--- a/cime_config/buildnml
+++ b/cime_config/buildnml
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ def _create_namelists(case, confdir, inst_string, infile, nmlgen, data_list_path
     different instances. The `confdir` argument is used to specify the directory
     in which output files will be placed.
     """
+    mosart_debug = case.get_value('MOSART_DEBUG')
+
     #----------------------------------------------------
     # Create config dictionary
     #----------------------------------------------------
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ def _create_namelists(case, confdir, inst_string, infile, nmlgen, data_list_path
     config['lnd_grid'] = case.get_value("LND_GRID")
     config['rof_ncpl'] = case.get_value("ROF_NCPL")
     config['simyr'] = case.get_value("MOSART_SIM_YEAR")
+    config['mosart_debug'] = "yes" if (mosart_debug == 'TRUE') else "no"
 
     logger.debug("River Transport Model (MOSART) mode is %s ", config['mosart_mode'])
     logger.debug("  MOSART lnd grid is %s ", config['lnd_grid'])
diff --git a/cime_config/config_component.xml b/cime_config/config_component.xml
index 84b4619..154a399 100644
--- a/cime_config/config_component.xml
+++ b/cime_config/config_component.xml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     <desc option="FLOOD">MOSART model with flood:</desc>
   </description>
 
-  <entry id="COMP_ROF"> 
+  <entry id="COMP_ROF">
      <type>char</type>
      <valid_values>mosart</valid_values>
      <default_value>mosart</default_value>
@@ -70,6 +70,17 @@
     <file>env_run.xml</file>
     <desc>Simulation year to start from -- build-namelist options (currently not used)</desc>
   </entry>
+
+  <entry id="MOSART_DEBUG">
+    <type>char</type>
+    <valid_values>TRUE,FALSE</valid_values>
+    <default_value>FALSE</default_value>
+    <group>run_component_mosart</group>
+    <file>env_run.xml</file>
+    <desc>Debug mosart code</desc>
+  </entry>
+
+
   <help>
     =========================================
     MOSART naming conventions
diff --git a/cime_config/namelist_definition_mosart.xml b/cime_config/namelist_definition_mosart.xml
index f1a9e36..3d1c7f2 100644
--- a/cime_config/namelist_definition_mosart.xml
+++ b/cime_config/namelist_definition_mosart.xml
@@ -269,4 +269,19 @@
     </desc>
   </entry>
 
+  <entry id="debug_mosart" modify_via_xml="MOSART_DEBUG" >
+    <type>logical</type>
+    <category>mosart</category>
+    <group>mosart_inparm</group>
+    <values>
+      <value>.false.</value>
+      <value mosart_debug="yes">.true.</value>
+      <value mosart_debug="no">.false.</value>
+    </values>
+    <desc>
+      Default: .false.
+      This flag turned on will write out warnings, when strange values appear (i.e. negative water storage)
+    </desc>
+  </entry>
+
 </entry_id>
diff --git a/src/riverroute/mosart_control_type.F90 b/src/riverroute/mosart_control_type.F90
index 04d0c08..161f203 100644
--- a/src/riverroute/mosart_control_type.F90
+++ b/src/riverroute/mosart_control_type.F90
@@ -154,9 +154,6 @@ subroutine init_tracer_names(this, lnd2rof_tracers)
     this%nt_liq = 1 ! liquid water
     this%nt_ice = 2 ! ice
 
-    this%tracer_names(this%nt_liq) = 'LIQ'
-    this%tracer_names(this%nt_ice) = 'ICE'
-
     ! Determine number of tracers and array of tracer names
     if (lnd2rof_tracers /= ' ') then
        this%ntracers_nonh2o = shr_string_listGetNum(lnd2rof_tracers)
@@ -166,6 +163,9 @@ subroutine init_tracer_names(this, lnd2rof_tracers)
     this%ntracers_tot = this%nt_ice + this%ntracers_nonh2o ! liquid water and ice + nonH2O tracers
 
     allocate(this%tracer_names(this%ntracers_tot))
+    
+    this%tracer_names(this%nt_liq) = 'LIQ'
+    this%tracer_names(this%nt_ice) = 'ICE'
 
     ! names of non-water liquid tracers
     do nt = 1,this%ntracers_nonh2o
diff --git a/src/riverroute/mosart_driver.F90 b/src/riverroute/mosart_driver.F90
index 6fc480c..869e676 100644
--- a/src/riverroute/mosart_driver.F90
+++ b/src/riverroute/mosart_driver.F90
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ module mosart_driver
                                         frivinp, nsrContinue, nsrBranch, nsrStartup, nsrest, &
                                         inst_index, inst_suffix, inst_name, decomp_option, &
                                         bypass_routing_option, qgwl_runoff_option, barrier_timers, &
-                                        mainproc, npes, iam, mpicom_rof, budget_frq, isecspday
+                                        mainproc, npes, iam, mpicom_rof, budget_frq, isecspday,    &
+                                        debug_mosart
    use mosart_data             , only : ctl, Tctl, Tunit, TRunoff, Tpara
    use mosart_budget_type      , only : budget_type
    use mosart_fileutils        , only : getfil
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ module mosart_driver
    implicit none
    private
 
+
    ! public member functions:
    public :: mosart_read_namelist ! Read in mosart namelist
    public :: mosart_init1         ! Initialize mosart grid
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ subroutine mosart_read_namelist()
       namelist /mosart_inparm / frivinp, finidat, nrevsn, coupling_period, ice_runoff, &
            ndens, mfilt, nhtfrq, fincl1,  fincl2, fincl3, fexcl1,  fexcl2, fexcl3, &
            avgflag_pertape, decomp_option, bypass_routing_option, qgwl_runoff_option, &
-           use_halo_option, delt_mosart, budget_frq
+           use_halo_option, delt_mosart, budget_frq,debug_mosart
 
       ! Preset values
       ice_runoff  = .true.
diff --git a/src/riverroute/mosart_physics.F90 b/src/riverroute/mosart_physics.F90
index eac173d..c5f2cbe 100644
--- a/src/riverroute/mosart_physics.F90
+++ b/src/riverroute/mosart_physics.F90
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ module mosart_physics
    use shr_kind_mod      , only : r8 => shr_kind_r8
    use shr_const_mod     , only : SHR_CONST_REARTH, SHR_CONST_PI
    use shr_sys_mod       , only : shr_sys_abort
-   use mosart_vars       , only : iulog, barrier_timers, mpicom_rof, bypass_routing_option
+   use mosart_vars       , only : iulog, barrier_timers, mpicom_rof, bypass_routing_option,        &
+                                  debug_mosart
    use mosart_data       , only : Tctl, TUnit, TRunoff, TPara, ctl
    use perf_mod          , only : t_startf, t_stopf
    use nuopc_shr_methods , only : chkerr
@@ -268,11 +269,13 @@ subroutine Euler(rc)
                              erin(nr,nt), erout(nr,nt), vr(nr,nt), dwr(nr,nt))                                 ! output
                         wr(nr,nt) = wr(nr,nt) + dwr(nr,nt) * localDeltaT
 
-                        ! check for negative channel storage
-                        ! if(wr(nr,1) < -1.e-10) then
-                        !    write(iulog,*) 'Negative channel storage! ', nr, wr(nr,1)
-                        !    call shr_sys_abort('mosart: negative channel storage')
-                        ! end if
+                        if (debug_mosart) then
+                          ! check for negative channel storage
+                          if(wr(nr,1) < -1.e-10) then
+                            write(iulog,*) 'DEBUG: Negative channel storage! ', nr, wr(nr,1)
+                            !call shr_sys_abort('mosart: negative channel storage')
+                          end if
+                        end if
 
                         call UpdateState_mainchannel(nr, wr(nr,nt), &    ! input
                              mr(nr,nt), yr(nr,nt), pr(nr,nt), rr(nr,nt)) ! output
@@ -292,10 +295,12 @@ subroutine Euler(rc)
          call t_stopf('mosartr_chanroute')
       end do
 
-      ! check for negative channel storage
-      if (negchan < -1.e-10) then
-         write(iulog,*) 'Warning: Negative channel storage found! ',negchan
-         ! call shr_sys_abort('mosart: negative channel storage')
+      if (debug_mosart) then
+        ! check for negative channel storage
+        if (negchan < -1.e-10) then
+           write(iulog,*) 'DEBUG: Warning: Negative channel storage found! ',negchan
+           ! call shr_sys_abort('mosart: negative channel storage')
+        endif
       endif
       flow = flow / DLevelH2R
       erout_prev = erout_prev / DLevelH2R
@@ -358,10 +363,12 @@ subroutine subnetworkRouting(nr, DeltaT, rt, mt, wt, etin, etout, vt, dwt)
       end if
       dwt = etin + etout
 
+      if (debug_mosart) then
       ! check stability
-      ! if(vt < -TINYVALUE .or. vt > 30) then
-      !    write(iulog,*) "Numerical error in subnetworkRouting, ", nr,vt
-      ! end if
+        if(vt < -TINYVALUE .or. vt > 30) then
+          write(iulog,*) "DEBUG: Numerical error in subnetworkRouting, ", nr,vt
+        end if
+      endif
 
    end subroutine subnetworkRouting
 
@@ -428,23 +435,23 @@ subroutine mainchannelRouting(nr, DeltaT, eroutUp, erlateral, wr, mr, rr, qgwl,
       dwr = erlateral + erin + erout + temp_gwl
 
       if ((wr/DeltaT + dwr) < -TINYVALUE .and. (trim(bypass_routing_option)/='none') ) then
-         write(iulog,*) 'mosart: ERROR main channel going negative: ', nr
+         write(iulog,*) 'DEBUG: mosart: ERROR main channel going negative: ', nr
          write(iulog,*) DeltaT, wr, wr/DeltaT, dwr, temp_gwl
          write(iulog,*) ' '
       endif
 
-      ! check for stability
-      !    if(vr < -TINYVALUE .or. vr > 30) then
-      !       write(iulog,*) "Numerical error inRouting_KW, ", nr,vr
-      !    end if
-
-      ! check for negative wr
-      !    if(wr > 1._r8 .and. &
-      !      (wr/DeltaT + dwr)/wr < -TINYVALUE) then
-      !       write(iulog,*) 'negative wr!', wr, dwr, temp_gwl, DeltaT
-      !       stop
-      !    end if
-
+      if (debug_mosart) then
+        ! check for stability
+        if(vr < -TINYVALUE .or. vr > 30) then
+           write(iulog,*) "DEBUG: Numerical error inRouting_KW, ", nr,vr
+        end if
+
+        ! check for negative wr
+        if(wr > 1._r8 .and. (wr/DeltaT + dwr)/wr < -TINYVALUE) then
+           write(iulog,*) 'DEBUG: negative wr!', wr, dwr, temp_gwl, DeltaT
+        !       stop
+        end if
+      endif
       end associate
    end subroutine MainchannelRouting
 
diff --git a/src/riverroute/mosart_vars.F90 b/src/riverroute/mosart_vars.F90
index 02d427b..7d29912 100644
--- a/src/riverroute/mosart_vars.F90
+++ b/src/riverroute/mosart_vars.F90
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ module mosart_vars
    character(len=CS)  :: bypass_routing_option  ! bypass routing model method
    character(len=CS)  :: qgwl_runoff_option     ! method for handling qgwl runoff
    integer            :: budget_frq = -24       ! budget check frequency
+   ! debugging
+   logical            :: debug_mosart = .false.
 
    ! Metadata variables used in history and restart generation
    character(len=CL)  :: caseid  = ' '          ! case id