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Due to its simplicity, adaptability, and accessibility, the transient storage model has become one of the most widely used tools to investigate transport and exchange processes in streams. In spite of its ubiquitous use, a number of challenges remain, in particular with respect to model conceptualization and interpretation. Are parameters good approximations of physical processes and properties? What is the relevance of parameter interactions in increasingly complex conceptualizations of the transient storage model? How does novel data inform, improve, or falsify our models? In this commentary, we illuminate several open questions and provide an outlook on how we can use the transient storage model to improve our understanding of solute transport. We propose the incorporation of novel and different data, the comparison of multiple models as working hypotheses for stream reach exchange, and call for a …