ACHIEVING NUTRIENT AND SEDIMENT REDUCTION GOALS
IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
An Evaluation of Program Strategies and Implementation
Committee on the Evaluation of Chesapeake Bay Program Implementation
for Nutrient Reduction to Improve Water Quality
Water Science and Technology Board
Division on Earth and Life Studies
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Madicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
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BAY PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION FOR NUTRIENT
REDUCTION TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY
KENNETH H. RECKHOW, Chair, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
PATRICIA E. NORRIS, Vice Chair, Michigan State University, East Lansing
RICHARD J. BUDELL, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Tallahassee
DOMINIC M. DI TORO, University of Delaware, Newark
JAMES N. GALLOWAY, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
HOLLY GREENING, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, St. Petersburg, Florida
ANDREW N. SHARPLEY, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
ADEL SHIRMOHAMMADI, University of Maryland, College Park
PAUL E. STACEY, Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Durham, New Hampshire*
NRC Staff
STEPHANIE E. JOHNSON, Study Director, Water Science and Technology Board
MICHAEL J. STOEVER, Research Associate, Water Science and Technology Board
________________________
* Formerly the director of Planning and Standards, Bureau of Water Protection and Land Reuse, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
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Preface
The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), a partnership among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the six watershed states, and the District of Columbia, is working at federal, state, and local levels to restore the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. In 1987, the CBP partners committed to reduce “controllable” phosphorus and nitrogen loadings to the Bay’s main stem by 40 percent by 2000. The CBP’s initial goals were modified in 1992, which led to a variety of actions directed at point and nonpoint sources of nutrient and sediment loading to the tributaries of the Bay. Unfortunately, progress has been limited and the nutrient and sediment reduction goals have not yet been attained.
During the years since the 1987 agreement, water pollution management under the Clean Water Act (CWA) shifted toward more quantitative assessments of water quality impairments. The CWA requires states and tribes to identify and maintain lists of water bodies that do not meet water quality standards and to develop total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) that the water bodies can receive and still comply with water quality standards. In 2000, the CBP partners signed an agreement that provided an alternative to developing a TMDL based on the expectation that actions would be taken that would result in the attainment of water quality standards within a 10-year period of time. However, a reevaluation in 2007 of nutrient and sediment target loads revealed that insufficient progress had been made toward improving water quality and meeting the intent of the 2000 agreement was unlikely. In response, the CBP and the federal government launched a new era of accountability, accompanied by more aggressive approaches to controlling nutrient and sediment pollution in the Bay
watershed, including the development of a TMDL for the Bay, watershed implementation plans, and a two-year milestone strategy (described in more detail in Chapter 1).
In 2009, the EPA requested that the National Research Council (NRC) evaluate and provide advice on the CBP nutrient reduction program and strategy. The EPA specifically directed the NRC to evaluate the tracking of best management practice implementation, tracking and accounting efforts, the two-year milestone strategy, and the states’ and federal agencies’ adaptive management strategies, and to suggest improvements to these strategies that might better attain the CBP goals (see Box S-1). The committee has not been charged to review the TMDL or the models used to develop it. To carry out this work, the NRC appointed a multidisciplinary committee of experts to provide advice to the EPA, the six states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the District of Columbia, other federal agencies, and other interested parties.
Our committee is indebted to many individuals for their contributions of information and resources. Specifically, we appreciate the efforts of our committee’s EPA technical liaisons—Julie Winters and Rich Batiuk—who assisted the committee with numerous requests for information and with utilizing the vast resources of agency expertise when needed. The committee also owes a debt of gratitude to the many individuals who educated our committee through their presentations at the open sessions of the committee’s meetings.
The committee has been fortunate to have the support and collaboration of an excellent NRC staff. Stephanie Johnson, study director, has been an extraordinary source of information and advice and has contributed significantly to this report. Michael Stoever, research associate, has provided superb support during and between meetings and has also been instrumental in producing the report. I speak for the entire committee in expressing our profound respect and gratitude.
This report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their breadth of perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with the procedures approved by the National Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review was to provide candid and critical comments to assist the institution in ensuring that its published report is scientifically credible and that it meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The reviewer comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the deliberative process. We thank the following reviewers for their helpful suggestions, all of which were considered and many of which were wholly or partly incorporated into the final report: Donald F. Boesch, University of Maryland; Mark B. David, University of Illinois; Theo A. Dillaha, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Joseph H. Harrison, Washington State University; Carlton
H. Hershner, Jr., Virginia Institute of Marine Science; David H. Moreau, University of North Carolina; Sujoy B. Roy, Tetra Tech Inc.; Thomas R. Schueler, Center for Watershed Protection; Kathleen Segerson, University of Connecticut; and Thomas W. Simpson, Water Stewardship Inc.
Although these reviewers provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions and recommendations nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by David A. Dzombak, Carnegie Melon University, and Ken W. Potter, University of Wisconsin. Appointed by the NRC, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments received full consideration. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the NRC.
Kenneth H. Reckhow, Chair
Committee on the Evaluation of
Chesapeake Bay Program Implementation for
Nutrient Reduction to Improve Water Quality
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Contents
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sediment in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
History of Chesapeake Bay Program Restoration Efforts: 1983-2008
Recent Initiatives (2008-2010)
Statement of Committee Task and Report Overview
Tracking and Accounting Frameworks
Assessment of Tracking and Accounting
How Can the Tracking System Be Strategically Improved?
Conclusions and Recommendations
3 ASSESSMENT OF THE TWO-YEAR MILESTONES
Context for the Committee’s Analysis
The Two-Year Milestone Strategy
The Chesapeake Bay Program Focus on Adaptive Management
Overview of Adaptive Management
Evaluation of Adaptive Management Strategies in the Chesapeake Bay Program
Conclusions and Recommendations
5 STRATEGIES FOR MEETING THE GOALS
A Model-estimated Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Sediment Loads by Sector for Five Scenarios
B Best Management Practices and Load Reduction Efficiencies Used in the Watershed Model
C Details on Tracking and Accounting by Bay Jurisdiction
D Two-Year Milestone Implementation, 2009-2010