Publications

This report examines the qater quality program, and finds that it is time to apply a much broader set of remedies. The Academy Panel learned what needs to be done by conducting an in-depth review of the Chesapeake Bay Program. It is unique review of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Its unique combinatioin of scientif studies, interstate policies, stakeholder partnering, and best practice inovation shows what is necessary to restore the Bay to the healthy conditions. The next step is to apply this knowledge on a nationwide scale. EPA has been experimenting with similar approaches nationally, and is on the cusp of being able to expand this effort.

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Nutrient-addition bioassays were conducted periodically in the James, York and Rappahannock Rivera and the mainstem, lower Chesapeake Bay from 1985 through early 1993 for the purpose of describing temporal and spatial patterns of nutrient limitation of phytoplankton growth and abundance in these tidally-incluenced aquatic systems. All studies involved the addition off nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and silica (Si), either singly or in combination, to contained, natural water samples and, after some period of growth (days), a comparison of the response of the phytoplankton in the nutrient-enriched treatments to those without added nutrients (i.e., controls). The magnitude of the respnse of the phytoplankton community (as measured by chlorophyll) to an added nutrient is proportional to the degree of limitation imposed by that nutrient in the natural environment. Nutrient response indices were determined for each treatment for the day of maximum response of the phytoplankton community.

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This data report describes field studies conducted during the summer of 1991 by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) when both the physical environment and the dissolved oxygen regime were monitored, with the objective of better understanding how physical transport processes affect DO. The 1991 data sets will be presented here. Analysis and interpretation of the data is the subject of other scientific reports. Mooring locations are selected to provide the most appropriate and useful data sets.

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This report is not a complete summary of data collected to-date, but is rather a presentation of the types of data available from sucha monitoring program. similar reports with additional data will be prepared in the future, as will several planned-reviewed publications. Two previous annual progress reports are also available (Bonzek, 2002; Bonzek and Latour, 2003).

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The Maryland Biological Stream Survey, conducted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, sampled about 1,000 randomly-selected sites on first through third order freshwater streams throughout Maryland from 1995 to 1997. biota (fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, herpetofauna) and water chemistry were sampled and physical habitat quality was assessed at each site. Land use/land cover in the watershed upstream of each site was also determined. This report is intended to present the results of the Survey to a broad array of audiences, including the general public, about the condition of wadeable freshwater streams in Maryland. This report is also intended to serve as a tool for resource managers and planners for developing policy and targeting areas for restoration and preservation. The report also describes the extent of physical habitat degradation, including riparian buffer conditions. Other topics include acidification; nutrient enrichment; biodiversity; introduced fish; and rare, threatened, and endangered fish species.

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The Field Guide to the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation of Chesapeake Bay was developed to aid in the identification of tese important underwater plants. Although the different species can sometimes be found in botanical publications dealing with aquatic vegetation, they are usually presented along with emergent marsh plants, floating-leaved plants, and algae. A few publications exist that emplasize to the submerged plants, but they tend to be regional inscope and do not focus oon all species found in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. This field guide covers the underwater vascular plants known as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) or, as they are referred to locally, "bay grasses". this publication is distinct from other aquatic plant publications because it includes color photographs as well as line drawings and descriptive text to more accurately distinguish the individual species.

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The major factors affecting the trends were changes in nutrient sources and natural variations in streamflow. The dominant source of nitrogen and phosphorus from 1985 to 1998 in six of the seven tributary basins to Chesapeake Bay was determined to be agriculature. Because of the predominance of agricultural inputs, changes in agricultural nutrient sources such as manure and fertilizer, nutrient sources such as manure and fertilizer, combined with decreases in agricultural acreage and implementation of best management practices (BMPs), had the greatest impact on the trends in flow-adjusted nutrient concentratons. Urban acreage and population, however, were noted to be increasing throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and as a result, delivered loads of nutrients from urban areas increased during the study period. Overall, agricultural nutrient management, in combination with loads and the phosphate detergent ban, led to downward trends in flow-adjusted nutrient concentrations at many of the monitoring stations in the watershed.

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This report provides a synopsis of material presented in the workshop on current and future capabilities for remote sensing of estuaries. Clearly, this topic was not covered exhaustively in a workshop of this scale. Rather the meeting highlighted existing technologies and approaches that have direct bearing on management needs for ChesapeakeBay and that have shown promise when applied to estuarine and coastal waters and the watersheds that border them. Recommendations that enmerged in the discussions coalesce into several categories: 1) expand and better itegrate in-situ technologies; 2) expand the use of aircraft and satellite-based sensors; 2) increase the use of landsat imagery; and 4) improve and expand wetlands mapping.

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States have taken very different approaches, within their resource limitations, to implement their monitoring programs. They have applied a range of monitoring and assessment approaches (e.g., water chemistry, sediment chemistry, biological monitoring) to varying degrees, both spatially and temporally, and at varying levels of sampling effort. It is not uncommon for the reported quality of a waterbody(i.e., attainment or nonattainment) to differ on either side of a State boundary. Although some differences can be attributed to differences in water quality standards, variations iin data collection, assessment methods, and relative representativeness of the available data contribute more to differences in assessment findings. These differences adversely affect the credibility of environmental management programs.

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Chesapeake 2000 commits the Bay states to "establish harvest targets for the blue crab fishery by 2001" and "begin implementing complementary state fisheries management strategies Baywide." This report characterizes the state of the Bay's blue crab population and its fisheries, and charts a course to restore the stock to a healthy condition. In 1999, the governors and legislatures of Maryland and Virginia each allocated $150,000 to fund a two-year analysis of the blue crab and how it is managed. This study was undertaken by the Chesapeake Bay Commission's Bi-State Crab Advisory Committee" or BBCAC. As a result of this two-year effort, the Bi-State Committee came to consensus on a series of statements that characterize the blue crab population and its fishery.

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