Understanding "Lag Times" Affecting the Improvement of Water Quality in the Chesapeake 2005
- Published:
- January 1, 2005
- Originator:
- Scientific and Teachnical Advisory Committee
Better quantifying the "lag time" between changes in nutrient and sediment sources in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and improvement in the Bay's water quality and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is critical to help resource managers to implement the most effective nutrient and sediment reduction strategies and for scientists to improve monitoring and modeling. Tributary strategy plan for basins with the Bay watershed have been developed to implement appropriate best management practice (BMPs) to reduce nutrient and sediment loads to the Bay. These practices are designed so water-waulity criteria (for dissolved oxygen, water clarity, and chlorophyll) can be met in the Bay by 2010/ However, there is a large degree of uncertainty about the "lag time" between implementing the nutrient and sediment practices and detecting and actual improvement of water quality and SAV in the Bay.