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777/s report provides an overview
of EPA's National Estuary Program,
cooperative research being carried out
under the program with other
federal and state agencies,
and a status report on the activities
and accomplishments of
individual estuary programs through 1989.
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Table of Contents
Page
1 Parti: Partner and Catalyst: The National Estuary Program
5 The Water Quality Act of 1987 and the National Estuary Program
7 NOAAandEPA
11 A Scientific Framework
12 Learning By Doing: Priority Action Demonstration Projects
15 Building a Demonstration Program: New Estuary Projects
18 Part II: The Original Six: Lessons Learned
19 Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds
23 Buzzards Bay
27 Long Island Sound
31 Narragansett Bay
35 Puget Sound
41 San Francisco Bay
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Page
List of Illustrations
2 Status of National Estuary Program
6 Major Sources of Pollution in Estuaries
9 Examples of Rare, Threatened, or Endangered Species
that Live in Estuaries or Coastal Wetlands
25 Commercially Valuable Species that depend on Estuaries for
Spawning, Growth, or Feeding
29 Population Density in Coastal and Noncoastal Counties
32 Estimated Shellfish Acreage Closed to Harvesting due
to Pathogen and/or Toxic Contamination
38
Fish Consumption in the U.S.
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Partner and Catalyst:
The National Estuary Program
Estuaries and near coastal waters are among the richest and most productive habitats
on earth. As spawning, nursery, and feeding grounds, these waters are indispensable
to fish and shellfish. Globally, an estimated two-thirds of all fish caught are hatched in
estuaries; in the United States, estuaries support fisheries whose value to the economy
is more than $19 billion annually. Their wetlands and shallow waters harbor wading
birds and migratory waterfowl. Their wildlife includes fur-bearing animals as well as
large numbers of endangered species. Estuaries are extraordinary for their biological
output, exceeding even the richest farmland. Each acre of salt marsh yields 10 tons of
organic material every year, sustaining a complex coastal and ocean food chain that
ultimately supports human beings.
Estuaries are also among the world's most intensively used habitats. Marshes and
aquatic vegetation filter pollutants and sediment and buffer the land against erosion
and flooding. Their unique environment provides recreational and aesthetic enjoy-
ment. The most basic list of uses includes commercial fisheries, shipping, tourism,
recreation, boating, flood control, waste disposal, industrial processes, and develop-
ment. Finally, estuaries are also home to people. By 1990, estimates are that 75 percent
of the population of the United States will live within 50 miles of a coastline.
The effects of these concentrated demands can include chemical and bacterial con-
tamination of fish, shellfish, and sediments; closed beaches; aquatic dead zones where
nothing survives; and increasing destruction of the basic habitats and resources that
make estuaries so productive.
These effects may be caused by discharges from sewer pipes and treatment plants,
runoff from farms and urban areas, and leachate from failing septic systems. But these
are symptoms as well as causes. As Congress recognized in the Water Quality Act of
1987, the health and ecological integrity of our estuaries ,are threatened not by pollu-
tion alone, but also by increasing coastal population, development, and other direct
and indirect uses.
The problems facing the nation's estuaries do not fit into existing conventional pol-
lution control programs based solely on regulations and enforcement. Neither do they
fit neatly into the traditional, restricted definition of "water pollution". Rather, they
involve complex issues of habitat protection, multimedia and nonpoint source pollu-
tion, land-use planning, and resource management.
The National Estuary Program
Congress established the National Estuary Program (NEP) precisely to address these
issues. Under the Clean Water Act, the program is to show how estuaries (and other
ecosystems) can be protected and their living resources enhanced through comprehen-
sive, action-oriented management that:
• identifies the probable causes of major environmental problems in estuaries of
national significance;
• promotes and sustains long-term state and local commitment to solving the prob-
lems;
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• generates meaningful public involvement and participation;
• focuses existing regulatory, institutional, and financial resources to act on identi-
fied problems; and
• encourages innovative management approaches.
This unique approach is an outgrowth of experience in comprehensive water-quality
management gained in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay programs. These pro-
grams learned that success depends on a phased process of identifying pollution
problems, evaluating alternative solutions, and recommending and implementing
cost-effective actions to alleviate the problems. The Clean Water Act, in establishing
the NEP, adapted that experience with a legislative mandate to target entire geo-
graphic areas and to look at entire watersheds instead of isolated problems.
Status of National Estuary Program
August 1989
S|g| Statos Participating in the NEP
Three characteristics in particular distinguish this approach. First, the NEP empha-
sizes partnerships. The problems in our estuaries are too big and too complex for any
one agency, community, or interest group to address alone. The states take the lead in
making a commitment when governors nominate their estuaries to be considered for
participation in the Program. In addition, the Clean Water Act mandates that a wide
range of participants be involved in the NEP through unique forums called Manage-
ment Conferences. The Conferences include federal agencies, state and local govern-
ments, citizens, user groups, and others. Their role is to develop a Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) that identifies major environmental
problems and details how various agencies and groups will address them.
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Second, the NEP provides strong management and regulatory tools to help carry out
these plans. These tools range from traditional technical assistance in monitoring,
sampling, and other research efforts, to identifying ways that communities can finance
protection programs, supporting innovative and alternative approaches for dealing
with coastal issues, and showcasing and promoting wider application of proven
management techniques. The NEP's most essential tool, however, is its ability to
coordinate and leverage other programs. Working closely with key federal agencies
such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NO A A) and the
Department of Agriculture's Soil Conservation Service, the NEP has successfully
focused attention and funding on marine and coastal issues and problems of concern.
Finally, and most critically, the National Estuary Program uses these partnerships
and tools to emphasize action through systematic problem solving. It produces results.
As part of their role in developing a CCMP, Management Conferences identify impor-
tant environmental problems and take actions to solve them. Thus, CCMPs are not just
planning exercises. They bind Management Conference participants to specific finan-
cial, institutional, and political commitments to address priority problems. CCMPS are
management blueprints, translating goals into concrete actions and schedules.
Future Directions
The National Estuary Program is a young program, but it has already learned several
equally important lessons for dealing with environmental issues. The first lesson is
that almost all coastal problems share one critical common denominator—develop-
ment. Explosive population growth in coastal communities has fueled a corresponding
boom in commercial, residential, and industrial development and has generated
increasing loads of sediments, debris, toxic contaminants, pathogens, and other
pollutants. Additional permit requirements, regulations, and cooperative planning
efforts, as well as tough measures to manage development effectively and fairly may
be necessary to address priority problems. Most importantly, solving problems will
require strong, sustained public support for protecting coastal resources and for
resolving thorny issues of habitat destruction, nonpoint source controls, and land and
water use. ;
The second lesson follows hard on this. The really critical choices for our coasts are
made by state and local governments. The federal government can provide leadership
and technical assistance, promote changes in behavior through tax policies or other
incentives, and encourage innovation and focus resources. But the federal government
doesn't make zoning decisions. Land uses are local and state decisions, and it's clear
that participation at the local and state levels will be necessary to protect our coastal
resources.
The NEP currently includes 12 estuaries selected to reflect specific regional problems
as well as problems common to all estuaries. These 12 estuary programs also reflect
varying stages of development; some were established almost five years ago, others
only recently. This means that some questions asked of this report cannot be answered
definitely yet. Nevertheless, the six programs have made strong advances towards re-
storing their estuaries. These programs confirm the need to return resources as well as
decision-making power to local institutions. Even more critically, the collective experi-
ence proves that local officials, technical experts, and citizens can work together
effectively to protect and manage an irreplaceable common resource.
This report documents their progress.
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Skipjacks are specialized boats used to dredge for oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.
For many, they symbolize the rich resources and way of life provided by
estuaries and near coastal waters.
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The Water Quality Act
of 1987 and the
National Estuary Program
The Water Quality Act of 1987 recognized estuaries as critical national resources
whose health and productivity are increasingly threatened by coastal growth and
development. The Act also acknowledged that protecting estuaries calls for actions
that go beyond base clean-water programs, and it formally established the National
Estuary Program to demonstrate innovative approaches applicable to coastal areas
nationwide.
Specifically, the purpose of the National Estuary Program is to identify nationally
significant estuaries, protect and improve their water quality, and enhance their living
resources. These goals are to be achieved through Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plans (CCMPs) developed through the collaborative efforts of Manage-
ment Conferences. Management Conferences provide a mechanism for all interested
parties to work together to develop a plan (the CCMP) that can be supported and
carried out. EPA provides technical and management experience, but it is the mem-
bers of the Conference who identify major problems in their estuaries, decide where to
focus corrective actions, and bind themselves to specific political, financial, and
institutional commitments. By law, Management Conferences may include representa-
tives of citizen and user groups, scientific and technical institutions, and must include
all relevant government agencies and resource managers at the state, local, and federal
levels. Representatives of these groups sit on committees that serve as the formal
Management Conference and oversee development of the CCMP.
The NEP currently includes 12 estuary projects. These are Buzzards Bay in Massa-
chusetts; Narragansett Bay in Pvhode Island; Long Island Sound in Connecticut and
New York; New York-New Jersey Harbor in New York and New Jersey; Delaware Bay
in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware; Delaware Inland Bays in Delaware;
Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds in North Carolina; Sarasota Bay in Florida; Galveston Bay
in Texas; Santa Monica Bay and San Francisco Bay in California; and Puget Sound in
Washington State.
These 12 were named by Congress to receive priority consideration to be included in
the NEP. However, EPA may select additional estuaries for the program in response to
nominations from any state governor, or at its own initiative in the case of interstate
estuaries. Estuaries are selected based on their potential to address issues of significant
national concern, as well as their demonstrated commitment to taking protective
measures. Once an estuary is selected, EPA formally convenes a Management Confer-
ence.
In addition to developing their CCMPs, Management Conferences must also build
and sustain the strong public support and political cooperation needed to carry out the
actions agreed on in the plan. Congress realized that success does not occur overnight
and gave each conference up to five years initially to build the framework for future '
actions, as well as begin some priority cleanup activities.
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What a
Management
Conference Does
Under the Clean Water Act, a Management Conference is a committee convened for a
specific estuary by the Administrator of EPA to decide what actions to take to protect
or restore the estuary. According to the Act, Management Conferences are convened
for the purpose of carrying out seven major tasks:
• assess trends in the estuary's water quality, natural resources, and uses;
• identify causes of environmental problems by collecting and analyzing data;
• assess pollutant loadings in the estuary and relate them to observed changes in
water quality, natural resources, and uses;
• recommend and schedule priority actions to restore and maintain the estuary, and
identify the means to carry out these actions. (This is called the Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plan—the CCMP.);
• develop plans for the coordinated implementation of priority actions among
federal, state, and local agencies involved in the Conference;
• monitor the effectiveness of actions taken under the plan; and
• review federal assistance and development programs to determine whether they
are consistent with the goals of the plan.
The Act charges EPA to work closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) to conduct research to identify trends and assess ecosystems
for the estuary projects, in addition to helping set up comprehensive water-quality
sampling programs. NOAA is a member of each Management Conference and plays a
chief advisory role on each program's Science and Technical Advisory Committee.
Major Sources of
Pollution in
Estuaries
Industries
1,300 major facilities discharge directly into
estuarine and near coastal waters
Nonpoint Sources
Over half of coastal water pollution is
attributed to urban and agricultural
nonpoint sources.
Upstream Sources
Nonpoint source pollution and discharges
from thousands of industrial and municipal
plants enter rivers that subsequently empty
into estuaries.
Sewage Treatment Plants
Almost 600 municipal treatment plants
discharge into estuaries and near coastal
waters.
Combined Sewer Overflows
After rainstorms in many urban areas, raw
sewage and urban runoff is discharged into
estuaries from combined sewer overflows.
Dredge Material
About 150 million metric tons of dredged
material are dumped in estuaries and near
coastal waters annually.
Hazardous Waste
At least 75 to 100 hazardous waste sites in
coastal counties are considered to present
some threat to marine resources and
human health.
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NOAA and EPA
As the nation's lead marine science agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) supports a unique network of 25 coastal and marine research
facilities, 17 estuarine research reserves, and 29 universities and colleges in the Na-
tional Sea Grants program, in addition to directing major programs in fisheries
management, coastal zone protection, data collection, and marine research. NOAA's
resources and expertise in coastal and marine problems have provided critical support
to EPA's estuary program and enabled both agencies to complement each other's
missions at the national and regional levels.
On the national level, NOAA's assessment programs track estuarine conditions,
including pollutant trends and their effects on living resources, and synthesize criti-
cally needed data in such areas as land use, wetland resources, pesticide use, pollutant
loads, and shellfish growing waters. The National Marine Fisheries Service ties in
closely with NEP concerns through its work in stock assessments, coastal habitat
research, and permit reviews. NOAA's National Ocean Service provides critical
oceanographic, meteorological, and hydrographic data including tide and current data
used to model circulation in Long Island Sound and other estuaries; the Estuarine
Programs Office coordinates NOAA's estuarine and coastal activities both internally
and with other federal agencies, and sponsors an "Estuary of the Month" seminar
series which provides a forum to discuss current research in most of the NEP estuar-
i£^d
les.
NOAA also participates significantly in the National Estuary Program by serving on
the individual estuary Management Conferences. Represented on both the Technical
and the Management Committees, NOAA has carried out an extensive number of
research projects, including surveying Puget Sound marine fish data sets; mapping
submerged vegetation in the Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds system; assessing stocks of
estuarine finfish and studying the growth and biochemistry of juvenile winter floun-
der in Narragansett Bay; and defining oxygen depletion in Long Island Sound.
NOAA's work in Long Island Sound is deemed so important, in fact, that Congress
has directly appropriated $1 million to NOAA in both FY 88 and FY 89 to develop a
hydrodynamic model of the Sound that will be linked with a water-quality model to
help answer key management questions. This money has also been spent to support
sediment quality assessments, continue the mussel watch program, and study the
effects of pollution and environmental changes on reproduction of living resources.
Many of these projects have been carried out through NOAA's Sea Grant College
Program, which enlists and sustains a broad network of academic researchers, educa-
tors, and communications specialists expert in marine and coastal issues. Examples of
Sea Grant activities include:
developing, coordinating, and conducting all education, outreach, and citizen
advisory committee activities for the Long Island Sound Study;
sponsoring major long-term research on the circulation, chemistry, and biology of
lower Delaware Bay that has resulted in important insights into possible links
between sediment loads and algal growth and eutrophication; and
funding research in Narragansett Bay to identify indicators of sewage contamina-
tion in clams, model water quality, study compliance and enforcement in hard-
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shell clam fisheries, develop marine information programs, establish an experi-
mental citizen monitoring program, and characterize bloom-forming picoalgae. In
addition, the Rhode Island Sea Grant program has begun a comparative analysis
of governance in Narragansett Bay, Delaware Bay, San Francisco Bay, and
Galveston Bay; Washington State Sea Grant is conducting a companion study of
governance in Puget Sound.
Finally, NOAA's National Estuarine Reserve System sets aside a number of biogeo-
graphically representative estuaries for baseline research and characterization. These
sites have provided invaluable data for adjacent NEP activities, and EPA and NOAA
are studying ways to coordinate their research projects and priorities.
NOAA's continued partnership with EPA in such programs is essential. The number
of estuaries in the NEP has already doubled and is likely to increase further. But
beyond that, solving our nation's major coastal problems—eutrophication, toxics,
pathogen contamination, changes in living resources, and habitat modification—will
require the involvement and the unique scientific and institutional expertise of both
agencies.
Coastal Zone
Management/
National Estuary
Program
Agreement
NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, which administers the
Coastal Zone Management Act, is another key player in EPA's estuary and other near
coastal waters efforts. To ensure that their programs complement and reinforce each
other, EPA and NOAA signed a Coastal Zone Management/National Estuary Program
Agreement in September 1988. The Agreement, which applies to all existing and
future NEP sites, specifically commits the agencies to the following actions:
NOAA
• To the extent permitted by law, states will be required to submit Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plans (CCMPs) developed under the NEP for in-
corporation into approved state Coastal Zone Management Plans after approval
by the governor(s) and EPA Administrator.
• Coastal Zone Management Act biennial evaluations will stress activities identified
by NEP Management Conferences, including activities outlined in CCMPs, or ac-
tivities supporting the overall objectives of the national demonstration program as
defined under the NEP. As appropriate, an EPA representative would be invited to
participate in the evaluations.
• Coastal Zone Management guidance governing the allocation of grants for inter-
state coastal waters will give priority consideration to interstate estuaries and seek
opportunities to coordinate activities with NEP Management Conferences.
• NOAA will provide scientific support and technical assistance to EPA for the devel-
opment of national guidance on the management of pollution abatement and
control programs to better address the survival and health of living estuarine and
marine resources.
EPA
CCMPs developed under the National Estuary Program will voluntarily, as a matter
of policy, be submitted for review under the consistency provisions of the Coastal
Zone Management Act.
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QreatWhite Heron • California Clapper Rail • SkullCag,*
^.Belding's Savannah Sparrow • Sensitive Jointvetch]
KejrDeervArctic Peregrine Falcon » Aflantic_SaIt^
Marsh Snake • Oregon Silverspot Butterfly
« Harvest Mouse • CapeSablg^
Sparrow • Ehisky Seaside Sparrow
AmericanPeregrineFalcon • Whooping^
Crane • Eskimo Curlew • California
.Brown Pelican • Southern Bal
California Least Tern - Green Sea Ti
.A^mencan Crocodile • San Franciscp
Garter Snake •Shortnose Sturgeon
Salt Marsh Bird's Beak
Water-Hyssop •
Examples of Rare,
Threatened, or
Endangered
Species That Live
in Estuaries or
Coastal Wetlands
Source: E. Niering, W.A. 1987.
Endangered, Threatened, and Rare
Wetland Plants and Animals of the
Continental United States.
• National Estuary Program guidance and/or regulations will provide that CCMPs
should be incorporated into approved Coastal Zone Management Programs and
will stress the use of existing Coastal Zone Management tools, including the
designation of special areas of concern and public participation and education
programs, for implementation of activities identified by Management Conferences.
• Decision criteria for the selection of new estuaries for the NEP will include the
existence of federally approved Coastal Zone Management Programs.
• In order to facilitate the development of CCMPs that are consistent to the maxi-
mum extent practicable with state Coastal Zone Management Programs, NEP
guidance and/or regulations will require state Coastal Zone Management liaisons
to participate in NEP Management Conferences.
NOAA/EPA
• NOAA and EPA will jointly sponsor a national workshop for Estuary and Coastal
Zone Management Program staff, headquarters, regional, and state participants to-
further explore avenues and mechanisms for coordination between and integration
of these programs at the national, regional, and state level.
• NOAA and EPA will conduct, where appropriate, joint reviews of state programs
to facilitate the coordination of Management Conferences with state Coastal Zone
Management Programs, sharing of information sources, and the use of existing
Coastal Zone Management tools to solve problems.
• EPA's Office of Marine and Estuarine Protection and NOAA's Office of Coastal
Resources Management will establish a mechanism at the national level for coor-
dination and oversight of individual estuary programs under the NEP and to
ensure continued integration of NEP and Coastal Zone Management Programs.
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Monitoring provides essential data, not only to establish baseline conditions,
but also to indicate trends and the effectiveness of abatement actions.
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A Scientific Framework
To help ensure that management decisions are based on technically sound informa-
tion, each estuary Management Conference within the National Estuary Program has a
significant scientific component. A Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee is the key
to the collection and evaluation of data. This committee in each program is made up of
scientists representing EPA, NOAA, other interested federal agencies, state water
quality and fisheries management agencies, local universities and institutions, as well
as environmental and industry groups.
The major roles of the Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee are to point out
existing sources of historical information, identify priority research needs, and provide
scientific oversight and peer reviews of work performed. The types of research and
studies performed include:
• long-term monitoring to assess trends and measure variations in pollutant concen-
trations, physical, and biological parameters, including water quality, natural re-
sources, and uses;
• data collection and analysis to identify potential causes of environmental prob-
lems;
• ecosystem assessments to identify pollutant loadings and relate them to observed
natural and man-made changes; and
• research to identify nutrient, sediment, and pollutant movement through the
estuary and their effects on water quality, and the designated uses of the estuary.
In addition, the Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee has a role in identifying
various pollutant assessment and control technologies that are then field-validated
within the estuary. Among these are the use of natural and artificial wetlands to
control stormwater and nonpoint source pollution, the development of sediment
quality criteria, and the development of early warning indicators of toxic stress in fish.
The National Estuary Program is addressing these specific research questions in
cooperation with NOAA (see box on NOAA/EPA coordination, pages 8 and 9 ). EPA
seeks to improve the scientific basis for coastal and marine decision-making, including
the development of criteria to evaluate the quality of estuarine waters and sediments;
assessments of the exposure of living resources to pollutants; and methods for quanti-
tative ecological risk assessment.
In FY 88, EPA funded over $31 million for research, development, and monitoring
programs related to coastal and marine pollution. In addition to research specific to
estuaries in the NEP, other investigations addressed issues in marine disposal, energy
production, water quality, the Great Lakes, and the Chesapeake Bay.
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Learning By Doings
Priority Action Demonstration Projects
The National Estuary Program is a demonstration program whose audience includes
environmental managers who are trying to address common environmental issues in
the nation's coastal areas and 100 or more estuaries. As part of this demonstration role,
the NEP projects are encouraged to identify problems they can work on immediately,
even before the CCMPs are completed. Of most interest are activities that test the
effectiveness of selected strategies or pollution controls in priority problem areas, that
show improvements that can be achieved on a small scale, and that help determine the
time and resources needed to apply similar approaches basinwide. Below are brief
summaries of currently funded Priority Action Demonstration Projects. They were
selected from the six Management Conferences that were convened as of June 1988.
Buzzards Bay
Stormwater Treatment to Control Bacterial Contamination of Shellfish Beds
Buttermilk Bay is an embayment at the north end of Buzzards Bay. It is used inten-
sively for shellfishing, bathing, boating, and recreational fishing. Since 1984, the bay
has repeatedly been closed to shellfish harvesting because of high fecal coliform levels
produced as a result of stormwater runoff. The Buttermilk Bay project will test the
effectiveness of two land treatment systems in reducing coliform input to coastal
waters by eliminating direct discharges to the bay after rainstorms.
The project is intended to provide a model for protecting and restoring water quality
in shellfishing areas adversely affected by nonpoint sources, and relies on citizen,
local, state, and federal cooperation. The towns of Bourne and Wareham have donated
land valued at almost $100,000 to accommodate stormwater detention/infiltration
basins and leaching tanks and filters.
Narragansett Bay
Effective Management to Reduce Toxic Contamination
State, federal, and local programs have overlapping and competing responsibilities for
protecting Rhode Island waters, leading to inconsistent compliance reporting, track-
ing, and planning efforts.
The first phase of the Rhode Island project develops a standardized system for use
among multiple agencies to track water-quality violations, followup inspections,
compliance monitoring, and enforcement. This phase will also include making avail-
able to local planning officials information and technical assistance developed by
various state agencies about nonpoint sources, stormwater runoff, erosion control, and
harbor management.
Chlorine and heavy metals in publicly owned treatment works (POTW) effluent are
threatening the health of living resources and have contributed to sediment contami-
nation in the upper bay. Field's Point POTW (in Providence) contributes 87 percent of
12
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the toxics in Narragansett Bay. The second phase of the project is an innovative,
industry-supported effort to reduce toxic pollutants discharged from industrial plants
into the Field's Point POTW by:
• conducting "audits" of electroplating production lines to recommend ways to
reduce waste stream flows. These audits are entirely voluntary, with confidential-
ity guaranteed for participating plants. Other technical assistance includes state-
wide training and education, outreach to encourage auditing, and a bibliography
and library on waste reduction technologies.
• determining the chlorine treatment for POTW effluent that will effectively disin-
fect effluent while minimizing the impacts on receiving waters and living re-
sources.
Long Island Sound
Best Management Practices for Stormwater Controls in Mamaroneck Harbor
The beaches of Mamaroneck Harbor are frequently closed due to high coliform levels
resulting from stormwater runoff and excess inflow/infiltration into the sanitary
sewer system. One of the goals of the demonstration project will be to identify and test
a variety of structural and nonstructural best management practices, or BMPs, capable
of reducing stormwater loadings. BMPs are practices that are found to be the most
effective means of preventing or reducing nonpoint sources of water pollution. The
most effective BMPs will be incorporated into stormwater discharge permits.
Toxic Contaminants Reduction in Black Rock Harbor
Living resources in Black Rock Harbor, particularly oyster fisheries at the mouth, are
threatened by toxic contaminants. A second goal of this project is to reduce toxics
entering the Harbor. This will be accomplished by:
• testing effluents from CSOs, industrial discharges, and POTW discharges for
toxicity using marine bioassay organisms, and identifying those sources that need
to be regulated, and
• developing procedures for measuring toxic impacts from multiple sources.
Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds
Agricultural Best Management Practices to Control Excess Nutrients from Nonpoint
Sources
The Chowan River flows into Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds, but its watershed extends
from North Carolina into southern Virginia. Both states have identified excess nutri-
ents from animal waste pits as a key water-quality problem. North Carolina has two
projects to demonstrate best management practices to address this problem.
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The first project is a joint North Carolina/Virginia effort to improve agricultural
practices in the Chowan watershed. Many farms have no containment systems at all
for animal wastes; others are not maintained, so that wastes are overflowing. The
project will fund construction of waste pits where necessary, or provide for pump out
of overflowing pits and land spreading of contents as fertilizer. Farmers also will be
provided with nutrient management plans showing how to use the animal wastes
effectively. In return, they must agree to properly maintain the pit systems.
The second project involves Merchant's Millpond, a heavily used state park whose
aquatic uses have been curtailed because of algal blooms due to excess nutrients from
farming and hog-raising operations. In addition, the pond's watershed has been
nominated to North Carolina's Nonpoint Source Program. The Albemarle/Pamlico
project will expand the ongoing State nonpoint program by tracking BMP acreage in
the watershed and by monitoring for nutrients, macrophytes, and phytoplankton
before and after BMPs are installed at areas most susceptible to nutrient losses.
San Francisco
Wetlands Enhancement
San Francisco has lost about 95 percent of its historic tidal wetlands to diking and
filling, with consequent adverse effects on fish and wildlife. One objective of the
project will be to restore various categories of wetlands in different locations by
bunding levees, regrading channel bottoms, establishing water distribution systems,
and controlling water flow. Several of the sites will be replanted, and at least four sites
will use treated effluent as the water source. Another objective will be to investigate
how to establish a wetlands trust fund for identifying and restoring wetlands areas.
The study will examine various financing mechanisms for the trust fund, such as
contributions, penalty payments, and fines.
PugetSound
Stormwater Control in Highly Urbanized, Urbanizing, and Rural Environments
Stormwater runoff as a source of shellfish contamination has been recognized as a
major issue by the Puget Sound Estuary Program. The Puget Sound Demonstration
Project will test the use of simple detention and diversion systems in urban areas, and
BMPs and other nonpoint controls in rural areas. Also in rural areas, the project will
focus on protecting public health by developing a comprehensive plan to identify
polluted shellfish areas, notify the public, and raise awareness of nonpoint source
issues through a public education campaign.
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Building a
Demonstration Program;
New Estuary Projects
In July 1988, six new estuary projects were convened as Management Conferences and
added to the National Estuary Program. These six estuaries, all named by Congress for
priority consideration, expand the geographic scope of the NEP, giving the program a
presence on all three coasts. In addition, these new conferences add to the breadth of
environmental problems addressed by the national program.
According to the Water Quality Act, governors may nominate an estuary that lies
wholly or in part in their state for inclusion in the NEP. Guidance was developed by
EPA to define the content of the governors nomination packages and explain how a
number of issues must be addressed. In keeping with the NEP's role as a national
demonstration program, the guidance requires nominations to show:
• why EPA and the state should promote comprehensive planning for the nomi-
nated estuary;
• what state and local governments, and public and private institutions already are
doing for the estuary;
• what goals and objectives are proposed for the estuary and how they will be met;
and
• evidence of public and political will, as well as financial capability, to support
implementation of a comprehensive management plan.
Additionally, each nomination package should describe the estuary's major environ-
mental problems, their probable causes, and preliminary program issues that a
management conference might address. The program guidance was developed and
explained to the states and EPA Regions through conference calls, on-site visits, and
workshops in states, the Regional offices, and EPA Headquarters.
Submission of the nomination packages was required by June 1,1988. In order to
meet this deadline and to provide assistance in meeting the guidance requirements,
EPA headquarters worked closely with EPA Regional offices and the states. The
process provided detailed evaluations of draft nominations and, at the request of the
states, written comments, and follow-up meetings to ensure resolution of issues.
Agreements among the varying estuary constituencies and schedules for completing
statutory requirements were successfully negotiated. This was a very positive process
with all issues being resolved prior to the deadline. The revised nomination packages
were consistent with the statute and the goals and objectives of the National Estuary
Program.
The final nominations were signed by the governors of the submitting states and
reflect strong state commitments to meet program requirements, including a mini-
mum 25 percent non-federal match for the total federal funding. After additional
reviews of the nomination packages, the Administrator formally convened Manage-
ment Conferences for all six nominated estuaries in July of 1988.
15
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Below are brief summaries of the major goals of these six projects, based on informa-
tion in their nomination packages.
New York-New Jersey Harbor
The broad goal of the New York-New Jersey Harbor project is to maximize the social
and economic benefits of the Harbor for the surrounding citizens by restoring a
healthy, diverse marine community and minimizing the human health risks associated
with consumption of shellfish and finfish. The nomination acknowledged that this will
require imposing moire stringent requirements on sewage treatment plants to deal
with combined sewer overflows and the problems of pathogen contamination, toxic
contamination, changes in living resources, habitat loss and modification, eutrophica-
tion, and floatable debris.
Delaware Bay
The proposed goals of the Delaware Bay project are to restore the living resources of
the Bay, reduce and control point and nonpoint sources of pollution, protect public
water supplies, manage the economic growth of the estuary, and promote greater
public understanding of the Bay and public participation in decisions and programs
affecting it.
Delaware Inland Bays
Problems affecting the Inland Bays include increased population growth and land
development, as well as nonpoint pollution from extensive agricultural activities,
especially poultry farming. These pollution problems have been exacerbated by the
naturally poor flushing characteristics and low freshwater input of the region's
estuaries.
The goals of the project are to develop comprehensive regional planning to manage
wastewater and drinking water, and to control fertilizers, herbicides, and sediments.
Development brings people
closer to the maker, but also
threatens unique coastal
habitats and living resources.
16
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Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay is a small, subtropical, relatively pristine bay located in one of the
nation's fastest growing areas. The six goals proposed for the project are: to improve
water transparency in the Sarasota Bay study area; to reduce the quantity and improve
the quality of stormwater runoff to the Bay; to prevent further losses of seagrasses and
shoreline habitats and restore those already lost; to reduce dredging, eliminate con-
flict, and enhance the Bay by coordinating beach/inlet/channel maintenance; to
increase managed access to the Bay and its resources; and to establish a comprehen-
sive management system for the Bay.
Galveston Bay
Galveston Bay is the seventh-largest estuary system in the United States. Surrounded
by 203 square miles of estuarine marsh, 14 square miles of forested wetlands, and 61
square miles of freshwater ponds and lakes, the Bay's high freshwater inflow and low
salinity provide ideal conditions for fish and shellfish.
Issues identified for the Galveston Bay project include: maintenance of water quality
and enhancement of estuary productivity in the shallow bays; prevention of water
quality deterioration in the Houston Ship Channel; evaluation of current wastewater
treatment programs and methods of disposing of dredge spoils; development and
analysis of baseline toxics data; and the prevention of wetlands losses and shoreline
erosion.
Santa Monica Bay
In addition to providing habitat for at least five endangered species, Santa Monica Bay
is one of California's most heavily used recreational areas. Some eight million people
use it for swimming, boating, sport fishing, and other activities.
Major problems identified for the Bay include: treated sewage discharges into the
Bay that are among the nation's largest; contaminated sediments, including high levels
of DDT, other organic compounds, and trace metals; and pathogen contamination due
to raw sewage spills to Ballona Creek, a tributary of the Bay.
The management conference intends to focus on storm drain discharges, sediment
quality, toxic contaminants in fish tissue, and pathogen contamination.
17
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The Original Six:
Lessons Learned
Buzzards Bay
(P
Long Island
Sound
Albemarle/
Pamlico Sounds
18
Pioneers of the program, the first six estuaries admitted to the NEP are
breaking new ground in addressing and managing coastal problems.
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Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds
Description
One of the most imposing in the United States, the Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds estuar-
ine system includes Albemarle Sound, Pamlico Sound, and the Roanoke, Chowan,
Alligator, Pamlico, Pungo, and Neuse Rivers. Its waters include more than 2,000
square miles of lagoons and rivers bordered by beaches, marshes, and swamp forests,
and its watershed covers approximately 30,000 square miles in eastern North Carolina
and southeastern Virginia.
A nursery for both oceanic and estuarine species, the Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds
have also attracted a steadily increasing human population, now growing at the rate of
more than 18,000 persons per year. Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds are the region's
key resource base for commercial fishing, tourism, recreation, and resort development.
Problems of the Albemarle/Pamlico Sounds
In the last several decades, human uses and activities in the estuary have increased
and changed. Major uses now include waste disposal, agriculture, forestry, residential
and commercial development, mining, national defense, commercial fishing, wildlife
habitat, tourism, and recreation.
New and intensified uses have generated conflicts and concern over their impacts.
Growing population, for example, has led to greater numbers of wastewater treatment
plants and increased industrial discharges; the 50 percent jump in harvested farm
lands since the 1970s has often been at the expense of wetlands. Finfish fisheries have
declined over the past 10 years, with particularly dramatic declines in catches of
striped bass, shad, and river herring. Fish diseases such as red sore disease and
ulcerative mycosis have occurred, as have large-scale fish kills due to low dissolved
oxygen levels. Massive blue-green algal blooms take place almost annually in some of
the area tributaries, and rooted aquatic plants have disappeared from the center of the
Pamlico River. Between 1960 and 1980, a period of extensive agricultural clearing and
drainage, mean annual salinity within the estuary seems to have declined by almost 50
percent. The disappearance of some oyster beds may be related to this change in
salinity, as well as to increased sedimentation. It is possible that farming operations
and commercial development have led to the closing of some 50,000 acres of shellfish
waters since 1970. All these facts suggest that human activities may be exceeding the
tolerance of the estuary to absorb their impacts.
Accomplishments of the Albemarle/Pamlico Estuarine Study
The Albemarle/Pamlico Study was the first to address the requirements of the 1987
Water Quality Act to convene a Management Conference. Under the guidance of its
Policy and Technical Committees, the Study has developed significant information in
four key areas: critical resources, fisheries dynamics, water quality, and human
impacts. The final Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) will
be completed in 1992.
ALBEMARLE/
PAMLICO SOUNDS
19
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• critical resources. The Study has used aerial photography to measure the acreage
of submerged aquatic vegetation, and map a portion of this acreage. In addition, a
survey of obstructions to spawning by anadromous fish revealed more than 70
physical barriers, about half of which are darns that totally block upstream access.
Finally, the Study has identified potentially viable new oyster habitats in areas
previously considered unsuitably deep, and has demonstrated successful new
methods of speeding up recovery of scallop beds ruined during the 1987 red tide.
• fisheries dynamics. A study of fish trawl excluder devices has identified those
that can best reduce unwanted juvenile finfish in the Pamlico Sound shrimp
fishery. i
• water quality. Eutrophication studies have found that the limiting nutrient for
algal stimulation varies seasonally.
• human impacts. The Study has produced a model to help estimate the economic
value of improved water quality to recreational fisheries. In addition, an ongoing
demographic study is categorizing population growth since 1980.
Estuary Characterization and Problem Identification
The goal of the Albemarle/Pamlico Study is to enable resource managers better to
preserve the productivity of the estuary by more clearly understanding the impact of
human uses on its physical, biological, and social systems. Under the direction of the
Management Conference, the Study has chosen to address the following issues:
• declines in fish production;
• ulcerative sore diseases in finfish;
• habitat loss;
• shellfish closures; and
• toxic substances
In linking these problems with the human activities potentially responsible for them,
the conflict among competing beneficial uses has emerged as a chief concern. A series
of research projects is underway to help identify ways in which to accommodate these
diverse activities.
20
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The primary purpose of a Management Conference is to arrive at a consensus on how
to address the problems of an estuary and resolve competing interests. In the Albe-
marle/Pamlico estuary, a key conflict has arisen between farming and fishing. The goal
of the Study is to provide the scientific knowledge and public awareness needed to
make rational management decisions among these conflicts.
Conversion of Wetlands to Agriculture
Since 1 940, many low-lying, forested wetlands have been converted to agriculture
through the installation of dense drainage networks that have greatly modified the
area's hydrology. The drains have particularly affected the rate and location of fresh-
water inflow— in some areas, overall salinity may have dropped by 50 percent— and
thus affected primary nursery areas for fish.
Agricultural Trends in Tributary Basins
As wetlands have been converted to farming, the total number of harvested acres has
risen markedly since 1 970 and numbers of livestock in the basins continue to increase.
The result has been increased nonpoint source pollution. Runoff now carries with it
large loads of sediment, nutrients, and pesticides and other contaminants. High levels
of fecal coliform bacteria from animal feedlots have led to shellfish bed closures.
Fishkills due to low levels of dissolved oxygen are becoming more frequent, as are fish
diseases.
Controlling nonpoint source pollution is a high priority. In 1 989, the Study has funded
a cooperative project between North Carolina and Virginia to institute best manage-
ment practices for animal waste lagoons in the Chowan River Basin. In one experi-
ment, animal wastes will be substituted for commercial fertilizer on grasses to be
grazed or cut for hay; another experiment will study the best application rates for using
lagoon wastes on land and crops.
Resolving
11
uses
Agricultural runoff
contributes significant
amounts of pollutants to
estuaries, including
nutrients, sediments, and
pesticides and other toxics.
21
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I
•'1
Detention ponds are an increasingly common method of controlling
storrmvater runoff, which carries toxics, sediments, and other pollutants into
receiving waters.
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Buzzards Bay
Description
Located between Cape Cod and the southern coast of mainland Massachusetts,
Buzzards Bay has important economic, recreational, and aesthetic values. Its economic
resources include rich fisheries, the transit route of New Bedford's fishing fleet to the
Atlantic, and shipping through the Cape Cod Canal at its head. Its uniquely beautiful,
deeply indented coastline provides superb opportunities for fishing, swimming, and
boating. Academic institutions in the region take advantage of the vast research and
educational opportunities afforded by the Bay.
Problems of Buzzards Bay
A variety of pollution problems have changed or curtailed the Bay's health and
impaired its historical uses. For example, harbors used for swimming and harvesting
shellfish are also discharge sites for residential and industrial wastewater. A long
history of industrial discharge has resulted in an area of highly contaminated sedi-
ment on the western shores of Buzzards Bay. Industrial discharge of polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) into the Acushnet River area of New Bedford has contaminated the
sediment there to such an extent that the area is designated a Superfund hazardous
waste site.
Burgeoning development along the eastern shore of the Bay has made it one of the
fastest growing counties in New England and is further degrading water quality.
Nonpoint sources of pollution, including stormwater runoff; fertilizers, pesticides/and
manure from agricultural lands; and leachate from failing septic systems throughout
Buzzards Bay communities are also contributing to diminished water quality. More-
over, current trends suggest all of these problems will continue into the future.
Accomplishments of the Buzzards Bay Project
Since it was first organized in 1985, the Buzzards Bay Project has identified pathogens,
toxic metals and organic compounds, and high nutrient inputs as the three major
problems to be addressed. A major accomplishment was the early decision to collect
and organize technical data and to make these data available in ways that could help
local officials manage environmental issues more effectively. The final Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) is expected to be completed in 1990.
Estuary Characterization and Problem Identification
Early investigations to characterize the bay included assessments of finfish and
shellfish resources in Buzzards Bay; collection and analysis of historical data concern-
ing concentrations of toxic metals and organic compounds in the Bay's waters, organ-
isms, and sediments; an inventory of water-quality regulations throughout the Bay
and its tributaries, including regulations on local development, landfills, zoning,
subdivisions, septic system and sewer use, shellfishing, harbors, and wetlands; and
baseline mapping of the entire Bay and its drainage areas.
23
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Coliform Levels and Pathogens
Coliforms are bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of animals and humans. As such,
they are used as "indicators" of viruses and other pathogens because high coliform
levels may indicate that sewage or septic wastes have contaminated an area.
Buttermilk Bay, an embayment at the northern end of Buzzards Bay, is being used as a
model to study coliform inputs from nonpoint sources to coastal bays and shellfisher-
ies. To date, research indicates that the major source of high coliform levels is storm-
water entering the bay through discharge pipes after rainstorms. Groundwater,
waterfowl, and boating wastes were found to be less important sources, although
failing septic systems do represent a threat to groundwater and nearby shellfishing
areas.
To correct the problem of stormwater inputs, the towns of Bourne and Wareham are
testing stormwater retention systems based on land treatment. The effectiveness of
these systems will be used to develop recommendations for any embayments where
shellfishing is closed or threatened because of coliform contamination.
Nutrients
Nutrient enrichment stimulates explosive growth in aquatic plants, particularly algae.
When these plant masses die, their decay consumes dissolved oxygen in the water and
reduces the amount available for other marine life. Nutrients enter the Bay from a
number of sources, including POTW discharges, fertilizer runoff from residences and
farms, precipitation, and groundwater. Development is a particular factor, because it
increases the number of septic tanks, increases the amount of impervious surfaces, and
decreases the amount of open land capable of retaining and recycling nutrients.
A study of nutrient loading in Buttermilk Bay suggests that groundwater is a major
source of waterborne nutrients, probably originating in septic tanks surrounding the
; Bay. The study will develop a nutrient "budget" for the Buttermilk Bay watershed to
help determine priorities for managing multiple and varied nutrient sources.
Toxics
New Bedford Harbor in Buzzards Bay is an EPA Superfund site officially closed to
fishing for human consumption since 1979. Because the consumption of fish and
shellfish is the most direct route for contaminants to reach human beings, the Buz-
zards Bay Project is funding studies to determine the extent of toxic contamination in
the fish, shellfish, and sediments of the Bay. These studies are intended to provide
information that can be used to determine the environmental and public health risks
associated with toxic contaminants.
Ptiblic Involvement
In addition to conducting technical studies, the estuary project has promoted substan-
tial involvement by local government agencies and the public. This involvement has
been institutionalized in a committee that brings together officials of all the towns in
the Buzzards Bay Project. Other activities have included the development of a travel-
ing display, Buzzards Bay days, workshops, and a monthly calendar of events.
24
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The Buzzards Bay Advisory Committee was established in the fall of 1987 as an
intermunicipal group that would serve as a forum to allow town officials to participate
directly in the Buzzards Bay Project. In addition to its work on the development and
implementation of the CCMP, the Committee is involved in:
• encouraging the use of the Buzzards Bay Technical Assistance Program, which
provides expertise in water-quality issues by Massachusetts' Coastal Zone Man-
agement (CZM) staff to local planning and zoning boards;
• helping local communities solicit funds for pollution control projects through such
programs as the nonpoint source bill, transportation bond issue, proposed coastal
research and monitoring program, and the Buzzards Bay project grants program;
and
• serving as a political voice to solicit continued funding for water quality projects
from both state legislators and congressional delegates.
The Advisory Committee has also participated in an effort to develop local bylaws and
regulations to protect the resources of the Bay. Local bylaws are an important comple-
ment to conventional tools of enforcement, stricter permits, and construction of new
wastewater facilities. This is because most areas of Buzzards Bay are as much threat-
ened by nonpoint pollution as by point source discharges, and responsibility for
controlling nonpoint sources rests largely at the local level. To help local officials cope
with the problem, the Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development
District has compiled examples of measures to improve water quality through innova-
tive bylaws and regulations.
Bay
Advisory
Committee
Alewife Croaker Menhaden Salmon
Striped Bass Drum Flounder Mullets Bay Scallops
Bluefish Herring Mussels Shad
Hard Clams Lobster Oysters Sheepshead
BlueCrabs Sea Trout Shrimp
Commercially
Valuable Species
That Depend on
Estuaries for
Spawning,
Growth, or
Feeding
25
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26
Increasing coastal development brings different uses into conflict for waterfront
space, such as recreational boating against commercial fishing fleets.
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Long Island Sound
LONG ISLAND SOUND
CONNECTICUT
Description
Long Island Sound is 110 miles long and covers 1,300 square miles of water bordered
by 577 miles of coastline. For many, the Sound is a favorite spot for sportfishing,
sailing, and swimming. For others, it is a vital transportation route, and for still others,
it supports a major commercial fishery. Approximately 200,000 boats are registered
and operated on Long Island Sound; the commercial catch of lobsters, finfish, and
shellfish exceeds $20 million annually.
Problems of Long Island Sound
Bordered on its western end by New York City, the Sound is surrounded by 14.6
million people. Not surprisingly, the impact on the environment by a population this
size is enormous; 86 sewage treatment plants discharge treated effluent and wastes
into waters entering the Sound, as do many industries.
Not all of the pollution in the Sound comes from readily identifiable sources such as
discharge pipes. Runoff from surrounding land also contributes to pollution, and
some pollution does not come from local sources at all. About 80 percent of the fresh
water entering the Sound comes from rivers that drain states as far north as Massachu-
setts, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
These sources together contribute to the Sound's two major problems: low levels of
dissolved oxygen (hypoxia) and toxic contamination.
Accomplishments of the Long Island Sound Study
Communities involved in the Long Island Sound Study range from the densely settled
towns and cities around New York City to the still rural hamlets of eastern Long
Island. Such wide variation in needs and concerns challenges the skill of the partici-
pants in reaching consensus on how to manage the Sound.
One of the major strengths of the Long Island Sound Study is the support of the
Long Island Sound Caucus, a group representing members of Congress whose con-
stituencies are in the Study area. The Caucus has been instrumental in raising national
awareness of the Sound's—and other estuaries'—resources and problems. Caucuses
have also been established at the state and local levels, leading to better coordination
not only between Connecticut and New York, but also among state representatives
and local governments.
The Sound Study has also undertaken a multi-year effort to model the circulation of
the Sound. The completed model is expected to help determine the recommendations
of the final CCMP, which will be finished in 1991.
Estuary Characterization and Problem Identification
Low Dissolved Oxygen (Hypoxia)
Since 1985, the Sound Study's research has identified massive hypoxia in the Sound.
This hypoxia has led to unprecedented numbers of fish kills and shellfish losses,, and
has been identified by the Long Island Sound Management Conference as one of the
major issues to be addressed. Research so far strongly indicates that nutrients entering
27
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\ the Sound from sewage treatment plants, stormwater runoff, and atmospheric deposi-
tion contribute directly to hypoxic conditions.
The policy and financial implications of these sources of nutrients are enormous.
Even when working properly, sewage treatment plants discharge a billion gallons of
nitrogen- and phosphorus-laden effluents into the Sound every day. How to alleviate
the effects of these nutrients is one of the major issues before the Management Confer-
ence.
Toxic Contamination
The Long Island Sound Study is sponsoring research by the Connecticut Department
of Environmental Protection, the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, the Interstate Sanitation Commission, and NOAA to evaluate sources of
toxic contaminants and identify significant contamination in water, sediments, and
marine animals. The effort is also studying the effects of toxics on fish and shellfish, as
well as the people who consume them.
Toxics of concern include metals such as copper, cadmium, and mercury, as well as
organic compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs). In cooperation with NOAA's Status and Trends monitoring
program, sites and animals are being analyzed for 17 metals, 18 PAHs, DDT and other
chlorinated pesticides, and PCBs.
The results of studies show that metal concentrations in oyster tissues appear to have
decreased, but PCB levels in some finfish persistently remain above Food and Drug
Administration action levels. A study by the National Marine Fisheries Service found
that winter flounder in contaminated regions of the New Haven harbor area produced
eggs that developed smaller larvae with more physical defects than did fish in other
areas of the Sound.
Living Marine Resources
The fisheries of Long Island Sound, including lobsters, shellfish, and finfish, contribute
more than $20 million annually to the area's economy. Part of the Sound Study's char-
acterization effort has been to determine prime fish and shellfish habitats, including
important nursery areas, as well as trends in fish populations. Data indicating how
these resources have changed will be used to protect important habitats from pollu-
tion.
28
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Approximate number of people
in counties surrounding
each NEP estuary
Long Island Sound
Albemarle-Pamllco
PugetSound
Narragansett Bay
Buzzards Bay
San Francisco Bay
14.6 Million
1.5 Million
2.9 Million
11.2 Million
5.1 Million
5.1 Million
Population Density
in Coastal and
Noncoastal
Counties.
Average
U.S. County
Density
(People per
Square Mile)
Source: U.S. Census
Hypoxia occurs when levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water fall below three
parts per million (3 ppm). Even mildly hypoxic conditions can stress aquatic creatures
or lead them to migrate to areas with more oxygen; severe conditions can kill them.
Although hypoxic conditions can occur naturally even in pristine waters, evidence
suggests that hypoxia in Long Island Sound is spreading and is stimulated by nutrients
from POTWs as well as by runoff from the land.
Monitoring DO and modeling its transport are two major research projects of the
Long Island Sound Study. For several years, NOAA and other agencies have been
collecting and analyzing both historical and current data on oxygen concentrations and
on discharges of nutrients and organic carbon to the Sound.
Data from 1970 through 1986 were analyzed for long-term DO trends in the East
River and western Long Island Sound. During this time, DO levels increased signifi-
cantly, apparently coinciding with improvements in sewage treatment plants discharg-
ing into the East River. Further east, however, data seem to show a decline in water
quality over the years. Scientists suspect that nitrogen and phosphorus in POTW
effluent are exported from the East. River to western Long Island Sound. In the past,
DO levels appeared to increase further east in the Sound. NOAA is now collecting
additional data from the Central and Eastern Basins of the Sound to determine
whether hypoxic conditions are becoming more extensive.
Because of the complexity of man-made and natural conditions in the Sound, the
Long Island Sound Study is developing a water-quality/water circulation model to track
the transport and cycling of nutrients and DO. After field testing, these models will be
used to help determine the effects of various control strategies on water quality, and
help managers decide what needs to be done.
Low Dissolved
Oxygen
29
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30
Commercial landings offish and shellfish harvested within three miles of shore
amounted to 4.5 billion pounds and were valued at $1.3 billion in 1986.
-------
JVairagansef f
Description
Narragansett Bay, the dominant natural feature of the State of Rhode Island, is a
beautiful estuary of commercial and recreational importance. With 420 miles of
coastline, the Bay is 30 miles long, ranging in width from 3 to 12 miles, and accounts
for approximately one-third of the State's area. Narragansett Bay has maintained its
position as a center for shipping and fisheries since colonial times and has also become
an important recreational area. Providence, the State's capital and major industrial
port, occupies the northern end of the Bay. At the southern end is Newport, a popular
resort and boating center. Narragansett Bay is used intensely by varied and often
conflicting interests, resulting in serious water quality problems and adverse effects on
living marine resources and habitats.
Problems of Narragansett Bay
The living marine resources of Narragansett Bay have changed dramatically during
the last several decades, reflecting stresses on organisms and habitat from both
pollutants and overfishing. A once valuable cultivated oyster fishery has virtually
disappeared; crabs, scallops, and commercially important finfish have declined; and
soft clam populations fluctuate. Approximately one-third of the Bay is closed to
quahog (hard clam) shellfishing because of bacterial pollution. Nutrient increase has
led to phytoplankton changes, which in turn affect the Bay's food chain. A brown tide
(microscopic algae bloom) during the summer of 1985 killed 30 percent of the Bay's
mussels. Toxic contamination of important fishery species and the potential threat to
human health from eating fish have been identified as priority problems in Narra-
gansett Bay.
Rhode Island has been and continues to be a national center for jewelry manufacture
and metal finishing industries. Until recently, industrial wastes containing metals and
solvents from these industries had been discharged directly into the Bay or its tributar-
ies, resulting in sediment contamination. Some toxic discharges continue, despite
pretreatment and increased secondary treatment.
Urban runoff may also contribute toxics to the Bay. POTW discharges and combined
sewer overflows have added nutrients to the Bay, affecting its ecosystem and perhaps
causing shifts in phytoplankton communities.
Accomplishments of the Narragansett Bay Project
As one of the first estuaries in the NEP, the Narragansett Project is working towards
completion of a CCMP in 1990. In cooperation with the State's Department of Environ-
mental Management, the Coastal Resources Management Council, the Office of State
Planning, and the Department of Health, the Project is developing the framework to
coordinate data collection, management responsibility, and research by other agencies
and academic institutions.
31
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Estuary Characterization and Problem Identification
Through a series of workshops and other dialogues with Bay users and citizens, the
Project has identified seven priority issues:
• fisheries management;
• nutrients and the potential for eutrophication;
• impacts of pollutants;
• health and abundance of living resources;
• health risks to consumers of seafood;
• land-based impacts on water quality; and
• recreational uses.
Some specific studies already underway to address these issues include:
• modeling efforts, a hydrodynamic model of circulation patterns; both a complex
and a simplified water-quality model of the upper Bay to evaluate pollutant
transport and the relative effects of specific sources; and modeling and associated
monitoring of the Blackstone River, a major tributary of the Bay; and
• quahog studies; to assess species population; to report on historical and current
status of the fishery; to examine health indicators, including histopathology and
bacteriology; and to analyze metal and organic contaminant levels.
Other projects include Baywide and upper Bay water-quality surveys; an evaluation
of phytoplankton dynamics, including a study of the 1985 brown tide; an analysis of
existing government institutions for managing Narragansett Bay; an inventory of Bay
habitats; and studies of nonpoint source governance and enforcement, sediment
contamination, and wet weather pollution impacts.
Estimated
Shellfish Acreage
Closed to
Harvesting Due to
Pathogen and/or
Toxic
Contamination
Source: Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Adminislratfon, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
32
Note: There are no naturally occurring commercial shellfish beds in San Francisco Bay.
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Because of its prominent geographic position, Narragansett Bay enjoys widespread
popularity with Rhode Islanders and out-of-state visitors. Combined with the endorse-
ment of Save the Bay, a local environmental advocacy group with more than 10,000
members, appreciation for the Bay has generated strong public backing for the Narra-
gansett Bay Project. The evidence is that in 1986, more than 77 percent of Rhode
Island voters approved passage of legislation providing State matching funds, not only
for the Narragansett Bay Project, but also for specific cleanup actions likely to be rec-
ommended by the project.
Such demonstrated support will become increasingly important as the CCMP is
completed and its recommendations implemented. Because CCMPs deal with difficult
resource decisions, the Management Conference expects some recommendations to
provoke controversy and vigorous debate about the Bay's future.
Setting Goals for the Project
To make sure that public concerns are addressed in the CCMP, the Project has made
major efforts to survey public opinion through polls and goals-setting workshops.
In the public opinion survey, organized user groups and the general public were
canvassed to identify their perceptions of the Bay's problems and their vision of the
Bay's future. An overwhelming 79 percent of those surveyed identified pollution as the
most important issue, followed closely by concerns about preserving public use of and
access to the Bay; most of those surveyed also indicated they would accept economic
sacrifices to protect the Bay.
The survey results were confirmed in two goal-setting workshops held in the spring
of 1987. In order of importance, the specific estuary goals identified through this
process included: water quality, water and waterfront issues, access, land use, public
education, dredging, and environmental evaluation.
This process reinforced the original goals and priorities chosen as the basis of the
Project's five-year workplan and research agenda. By continuing closely to involve the
community in planning and goal-setting, the Narragansett Bay Project hopes to ensure
public support for its findings and management actions. So far, the results have been
encouraging, not only for Narragansett Bay, but for other projects in the NEP and
elsewhere. They suggest that citizens understand the costs of protecting and improv-
ing the environment and are willing to pay those costs.
Public
Participation
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34
Kelp and other seaweeds are examples of previously unused resources now
threatened by overharvesting in many localities.
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PugBt Sound
Description
Puget Sound is one of the most biologically productive and recreationally important
estuarine systems in the United States. With 2,200 square miles of bays and inlets and
over 2,000 miles of shoreline, the Sound supports valuable commercial and sport
fisheries, as well as commercial and recreational shellfishing, commercial and indus-
trial activity, shipping, and international commerce. In addition, the Sound's natural
beauty and varied :uses contribute significantly to a growing tourism industry.
Problems
The environmental programs around Puget Sound control many conventional pollut-
ants, maintaining the Sound in relatively good health. However, development is
steadily increasing in the region, accompanied by growing evidence of serious prob-
lems of sediment contamination, biological stress, and limitations on beneficial water
uses.
A major issue is the discovery of significant concentrations of toxic contaminants in
the sediments of the Sound's urban and industrial embayments. These pollutants
include highly toxic and persistent materials such as polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), and heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, and lead. Recent field surveys
found abnormalities in bottom-dwelling species, increased incidence of disease in fish
caught where sediments are contaminated, and high levels of chemicals in the edible
tissues of fish and shellfish.
In addition, bacteria and other pathogens enter the Sound from nonpoint sources
such as rural septic systems and farm operations, and from urban stormwater. As a
result, many productive shellfish areas are being closed to commercial harvesting.
Accomplishments of the Puget Sound Estuary Program
The Puget Sound Estuary Program is a cooperative effort of EPA Region 10, the
Washington State Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, and the Washington State
Department of Ecology. Established in 1985, the Program provides financial and
institutional resources to address multiple pollutant sources, as well as a mechanism
to coordinate decision-making and technical responsibilities, support various commit-
tees, and involve the public.
The Program has already characterized major trends in the Sound's water quality,
identified the major problems, and initiated demonstration projects to control storm-
water pollution. In addition, development of the Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plan (CCMP) is well under way. The initial components of the plan,
addressing a wide range of environmental issues including municipal and industrial
discharges and wetlands protection, were issued in 1987 and 1989 and are now being
implemented. The final phase will be issued in 1991 and will address additional, less
understood problems.
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Estuary Characterization and Problem Identification
Building on previous work by NOAA, EPA, the Washington Department of Ecology,
and the University of Washington, the Puget Sound Estuary Program sponsored a
number of studies to characterize the Sound and identify its major problems. The
studies investigated chemical uptake in marine organisms, identified trends in chemi-
cal and nutrient loadings and their related impacts, and traced routes of contaminant
transport and deposition in the Sound. The studies have evaluated changes in the
distribution and abundance of living resources.
Products of these studies include:
• The Puget Sound Environmental Atlas, a series of approximately 500 maps with
narrative descriptions, providing the most comprehensive information available
on pollution sources, living resource distribution and use, and current environ-
mental conditions.
• The Puget Sound Pollutant Loading Study, a survey of historic and recent data about
point and nonpoint contaminant loadings to the Sound, providing a basis for
using existing information and identifying where additional data are needed to
quantify specific loadings.
• The Final Report on Characterization of Spatial and Temporal Trends in Water Quality
in Puget Sound, an assessment of water quality in Puget Sound over time, focusing
on nutrient enrichment and algal blooms.
• The Puget Sound Protocols Manual, a guide to recommended techniques for sam-
pling and analyzing physical, chemical, and biological variables.
In addition to these studies, the characterization process has also produced several
important management tools for the Program, including:
• A comprehensive evaluation of techniques to develop sediment quality values for
assessing and managing contaminated sediments. This study addresses one of the
Sound's most important management questions and is currently being used by the
Washington Department of Ecology to develop sediment quality standards. The
State expects to promulgate sediment standards in 1990.
• An integrated monitoring program to evaluate conditions and trends in a coordi-
nated and consistent manner. This comprehensive program combines the on-
going efforts of federal, state and local agencies and includes ambient monitoring
of physical, chemical, and biological conditions, monitoring associated with
permitted discharges, and intensive surveys. Implementation of the program is
being sponsored by and funded by a variety of state and local agencies.
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Comprehensive Management Plan
Puget Sound's Water Quality Management Plan is being developed and adopted in
three phases. The first two components, adopted in 1987 and 1989, focus on controlling
toxics, protecting living resources, and preventing problems before they become
serious. These components have been recognized by EPA as partial fulfillment of the
CCMP, the first in the country. A 1991 update of the plan is expected to complete the
CCMP.
The following areas are addressed in the plan:
• Urban Bay Toxics Control. The plan identifies urban embayments as priority targets
for early action to prevent further chemical contamination. Under the program,
special action teams of investigators from various regulatory authorities are
assigned to each bay to identify sources of contamination and enforce compliance
with cleanup orders.
• Nonpoint Source Control. The plan has established a process for identifying priority
watersheds and assigning responsibilities for them to state and local agencies.
Cities, counties, and other entities are preparing and carrying out plans to manage
nonpoint sources such as animal feed lots and pastures, septic systems, and
stormwater.
• Shellfish Protection. The plan focuses on enhancing the pollution controls necessary
to allow reopening of closed shellfish beds, and on protecting existing recreational
and commercial beds from bacterial pollution due to nonpoint sources.
• Contaminated Sediments. Many of the Sound's bottom sediments contain high levels
of toxic contaminants. To reduce these toxic hot spots in the long term, the plan
calls for the development of criteria and standards to use in identifying, disposing
of, and cleaning up contaminated sediments.
• Stormwater and Combined Sewer Overflows. The plan establishes a program to im-
prove the quality and reduce the quantity of stormwater entering the Sound from
cities and urbanizing areas.
• Wetlands Protection. Wetlands are being protected through acquisition and more
effective regulation at state and local levels.
• Monitoring and Research. The Puget Sound Water Quality Authority has developed
a Soundwide, comprehensive, coordinated monitoring program. The first phase of
this program is scheduled to begin in 1989.
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I
The Program has also identified six major research priorities: the effects of agricultural
runoff on offsite water quality; the effects of nutrient inputs to embayments, and their
relationship to watershed activities; the biological effects of contamination on the sea-
surface microlayer; the fate and effects of chemicals in effluents introduced into Puget
Sound; the relationship of stormwater and wetland hydrology; and wetlands functions
and values. Efforts to identify long-term funding sources for research are also under-
way.
• Education and Public Involvement. Public involvement and education is a major
element of the Puget Sound CCMP, and the Puget Sound Water Quality Authority
is coordinating the effort to develop a long-range strategy and provide short-term
funding for model projects.
• Household Hazardous Waste. To reduce the overall burden of toxic and hazardous
waste, several counties are developing hazardous waste management plans.
Fish Consumption
in the U.S.
(Ibs./person/year) 15
1980 1985 1987
Source: United States Department of Commerce, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service,
"Fisheries of the United States, 1987."
38
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To extract the greatest return from limited resources, the Puget Sound program has
focused its toxics control actions on highly urbanized and industrialized areas. The
strategy calls for the development of toxics control action plans for urban embayments
These plans use existing data to identify both actual and potential sources of toxic
effluents. Developed with the participation of government, industry, and the public the
plans are enforced by specially designated Action Teams. They carry out various '
source control and investigation actions including reviewing discharge permits and
compliance with them, revising discharge permits to control the introduction of toxi-
cants where contamination levels have been a problem, searching for unpermitted
discharges and taking enforcement actions, developing schedules for achieving full
compliance with existing laws and regulations, and assigning responsibilities to
applicable agencies.
In Elliott Bay, for example, a four-person team from Seattle Metro (a regional water-
quality agency) and the State Washington Department of Ecology jointly inspected
more than 220 priority facilities and sites. Between 1985 and 1987, these inspections
resulted in 36 violation notices, 22 administrative orders, and 28 penalties. During the
same period, two NPDES permits were modified to include effluent limitation and
monitoring requirements. In addition, 15 contaminated sites were identified for reme-
dial action, cleanup was completed at two sites, cleanup work continued at 12 sites
and permit actions continued at eight more.
The success in Elliott Bay has led to similar programs in Commencement Bay and
Everett Harbor. Teams are planned for Sinclair Inlet, Budd Inlet, and Bellingham Bay.
Urban Bay Toxics
Action Program
39
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40
Increased recreational boating reflects coastal demographics and new
expectations about coastal "quality of life".
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San Francisco Bmy
Description
The largest estuarine system on the Pacific coast of the Americas, the San Francisco
Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta estuary encompasses more than 1,600 square miles
and drains more than 40 percent of California's surface. Six million people living in 12
counties use it for drinking water, navigation, industry, and recreation. A key diver-
sion point for water projects, tributaries to this estuary supply water for agriculture in
the San Joaquin Valley and for cities and industry in southern California. The estuary
also supports a large commercial and sport fishery, as well as the habitat for Pacific
flyway migratory waterfowl and resident species.
Problems of the San Francisco Estuary
San Francisco Bay may be the major estuary in the United States most modified by
human activity. Since the Gold Rush of the 1850s, more than 150 square miles of the
Bay have been filled, an estimated 94 percent of its tidal marshes are gone, and some
65 percent of its freshwater inflow is diverted annually for agricultural, domestic, and
industrial use. At times, the San Joaquin River flows backwards, its waters reversed by
export pumps, and saltwater intrudes further and further inland.
These changes have placed significant stress on the Bay's aquatic ecosystem. Popula-
tions of several commercially valuable fish species have declined, and individual fish
often show such signs of poor health as parasites and lesions. In addition, some fish
and shellfish, especially striped bass and mussels, have been found with unusually
high levels of toxic contaminants in their tissues.
Accomplishments of the San Francisco Estuary Project
The San Francisco Estuary Project is managed jointly by EPA Region 9, the State of
California, and the Association of Bay Area Governments. From its beginning, the
Project's approach has been aimed at creating a diverse public participation and
decision-making coalition. In addition, the Project and the state have agreed that
California's water quality management process, including issues on water rights, will
be included as part of the estuary program.
The Project has already developed a sophisticated data and information manage-
ment system, established a wide-ranging public involvement program, taken steps to
carry out a wetlands enhancement project at eight sites, and identified five major
problem areas to be investigated in status and trends reports. The final CCMP is
expected to be completed in 1992.
Data Information and Management System (DIMS)
When complete, the San Francisco DIMS will hold information on 70 different research
and monitoring programs, including information collected in the status and trends
reports and an estuary bibliography. The system already contains complete testimony
from the first year of State Water Resources Control Board hearings on the Bay-Delta,
as well as an index of all exhibits. Information in the system is also available on-line to
anyone with a personal computer and a modem.
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Public Involvement
Public involvement projects include:
• development of a computer-based public education program available for public
use in major science and natural history museums;
• a handbook and television documentary about the Bay and Delta; and
• co-sponsorship of an ongoing debate series on issues affecting the Bay.
Wetlands Enhancement
The Project has joined with the California State Coastal Conservancy to finance,
design, and carry out eight wetlands enhancement projects in seven Bay area counties.
Estuary Characterization and Problem Identification
The San Francisco Project has identified five major problem areas:
• Decline of Biological Resources. The estuary's biological resources have dimin-
ished or changed significantly, particularly wetlands and their dependent animal
species. Measures must be taken to restore these resources as much as possible
and ensure that future losses are fully offset.
• Increased Pollutants. Diverse point and nonpoint sources contribute substantial
loads of pollutants, of which some concentrations are high in some areas. The dis-
tribution and biological effects of these pollutants are poorly understood, and
steps must be taken to manage them adequately.
• Freshwater Diversion and Altered Flow Regime. Water diversions for agricultural,
domestic, and industrial uses have reduced freshwater flow by as much as 65
percent from historic levels. In addition, the flow regime has been altered, causing
a range of adverse effects. Management measures must be taken to ensure better
protection of the estuary's water quality, biological resources, and use.
• Increased Waterway Modification. Many of the estuary's waterways have been
modified with such features as navigation channels, levees, and shoreline stabili-
zation. Such modifications directly affect flow patterns, the fate of pollutants, and
fish and wildlife habitat values. Actions must be taken to minimize the impact of
modification projects, and where possible, enhance water quality, biological
resources, and uses.
• Intensified Land Use. Agriculture, urbanization, and intensified urban uses are the
major land uses affecting the estuary. They must be managed so as to lessen their
effects.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been signifi-
cantly involved in the Project's characterization efforts. Its major contributions include
conducting circulation surveys; assessing the effects of climatic and oceanographic
events on fisheries, recreation, and transportation; studying reproductive success in
fish; preparing an atlas that maps the distribution of habitats and resources and ranks
their vulnerability to oil spills; and creating an interagency committee to develop a
plan for preserving and enhancing eelgrass habitats throughout the Bay.
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The historic and continuing loss of wetlands in the San Francisco Bay area has been a
major concern for many years, and preserving the remaining wetlands is likely to be a
major element of the San Francisco CCMP.
To assess potential restoration strategies, the San Francisco Estuary Project and
the California State Coastal Conservancy are jointly funding a $1.575 million wetlands
enhancement project at eight sites. The project will restore various categories of
wetlands in different locations by building levees, regrading channel bottoms, estab-
lishing water distribution systems, and controlling water flow. Several of the sites will
be replanted, and at least four sites will use treated effluent as the water source.
The project will also evaluate the feasibility of establishing a wetlands trust fund to
identify and restore suitable restoratipn areas, including assessing various financing
mechanisms.
Coyote Hills—75 acres. Enhancement of existing seasonal and freshwater wet-
lands and creation of new wetlands using a water distribution system.
Bayview Shoreline—2,000 linear feet. Enhancement of upland habitat by relo-
cating a trail, replanting with native vegetation, and creating a buffer zone for
urban wetland.
Wildcat Marsh—250 acres. Improving circulation in an historic tidal slough by
restoring channel system and restoring two marsh plain ponds.
Tamalpais Marsh—11.2 acres. Enhancement of habitat quality by improving
vegetation, hydrology, and other physical conditions, while also providing public
access, flood control, educational uses, and improved water quality.
John F. Kennedy Marsh—27 acres. Expansion of a seasonal marsh, including
restoring vegetation and wildlife habitat and providing public access with an inter-
pretive marsh trail.
Palo Alto Baylands—100 acres, improved salt-water habitat for the endangered
Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse, and enhancement of diked historic baylands by using
tertiary treated effluent to create seasonal freshwater ponds.
I Rush Ranch—2,070 acres. Enhancement of undiked tidal wetlands to provide
habitat for at least 17 candidate or endangered species.
I Hudeman Slough—120 acres. Creation and enhancement of seasonal freshwa-
ter wetlands using treated wastewater, and management and enhancement of ex-
isting salt marsh habitat.
Wetlands
Enhancement in
San Francisco Bay
43
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44
Cover photo courtesy of:
Barry Kaplan
Light Works, Inc.
5 Main Street
Wickford, Rhode Island 02852
(401) 295-2616
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