diff --git a/tests/test_param_ncor.py b/tests/test_param_ncor.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..198d5643
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_param_ncor.py
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env python
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta
+import logging
+import os
+import pathlib
+import shutil
+import tarfile
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+import urllib.request
+import f90nml
+
+from pyschism import dates
+from pyschism.mesh import Hgrid, Vgrid
+from pyschism.driver import ModelConfig
+
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO, force=True)
+
+
+class ModelConfigurationTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_ncor_zero(self):
+
+        hgrid=Hgrid.open('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/geomesh/test-data/main/NWM/hgrid.ll', crs='epsg:26918')
+
+        config = ModelConfig(
+            hgrid,
+        )
+        
+        # create reference dates
+        spinup_time = timedelta(days=0.)
+        start_date=datetime(2023,9,10)
+
+        # create a coldstart object
+        coldstart = config.coldstart(
+            start_date=start_date,
+            end_date=start_date + timedelta(days=3.),
+            timestep=150.,
+            dramp=spinup_time,
+            dramp_ss=spinup_time,
+            drampwind=spinup_time,
+            nspool=timedelta(hours=1),
+            elev=True,
+            dahv=True,
+        )
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tempdir:
+            coldstart.write(tempdir, overwrite=True)
+            
+            nml = f90nml.read(f'{tempdir}/param.nml')
+            assert('ncor' in nml['opt'])
+            assert(nml['opt']['ncor'] == 0) 
+
+    def test_ncor_one(self):
+
+        hgrid=Hgrid.open('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/geomesh/test-data/main/NWM/hgrid.ll', crs='epsg:4326')
+
+        config = ModelConfig(
+            hgrid,
+        )
+        
+        # create reference dates
+        spinup_time = timedelta(days=0.)
+        start_date=datetime(2023,9,10)
+
+        # create a coldstart object
+        coldstart = config.coldstart(
+            start_date=start_date,
+            end_date=start_date + timedelta(days=3.),
+            timestep=150.,
+            dramp=spinup_time,
+            dramp_ss=spinup_time,
+            drampwind=spinup_time,
+            nspool=timedelta(hours=1),
+            elev=True,
+            dahv=True,
+        )
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tempdir:
+            coldstart.write(tempdir, overwrite=True)
+
+            nml = f90nml.read(f'{tempdir}/param.nml')
+            assert('ncor' in nml['opt'])
+            assert(nml['opt']['ncor'] == 1) 
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()