£ ^JST /it * •JO fTT-0 > i ------- ------- 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. ------- ------- 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 ------- 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. ------- 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; ------- • 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. ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- 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- ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- |BlljBlB| "im'llBlIffll^illl!i!E =•» .Hi M I $ I •« i r1 *,. :»>•;.*» l# * ITU f"irl"!'i"!'!j|:" 5 • *»*», * L* L. -^ivf j% Htif F* -^1 **i Ji^i^'*!1; 10 Monitoring provides essential data, not only to establish baseline conditions, but also to indicate trends and the effectiveness of abatement actions. ------- 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. 11 ------- 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 ------- 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. 13 ------- 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. 14 ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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. ------- 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 ------- • 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 ------- 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 ------- I •'1 Detention ponds are an increasingly common method of controlling storrmvater runoff, which carries toxics, sediments, and other pollutants into receiving waters. ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 26 Increasing coastal development brings different uses into conflict for waterfront space, such as recreational boating against commercial fishing fleets. ------- 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 ------- \ 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 ------- 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 ------- *•• > - 1 B * " • i ill: tiiy w i-,rf> 1 fii... -f *| ("(!•!" |||k£||^^;^/,. ir ,i ', , ,• ' ,p i|M, * ;;::: * •*••• i,;,;;;, „ , M ligiilT "" nil .• " '•' ii " "* IP1™ :,.,[ ,,j| , " IIP" Pitato courtesy of Providence Jounial-Bunetin 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 ------- 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. ------- 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 33 ------- 34 Kelp and other seaweeds are examples of previously unused resources now threatened by overharvesting in many localities. ------- 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. 35 ------- 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. 36 ------- 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. 37 ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- iii^ i '||,,, ,, .|| ,Brp :'~ ' r ,i»: ' i • : = Sir . ^:-;*,--; ii-j;^Jrl;,.>: '^^ J'"'-'"' 'iI-" '*^'"''' -X, ^"'I," ill iiliii(i|ii:;,, ii'ni .(iljiiiilllll) < iL/iiii; "iTNiiiiiiiiiiii"1^"] ii'iiiniri""!! 13!!"™!!,,!!, us Ir-IiSilhSSiiipf" ' i i:y",ui":iiii',!| ill ," • 11 Uni,|ifii|llii»|<| lii^iibgiji,",««,«,': ,..::;::,;. ;jiJfc Tt ;' ' :"i i-i'ii"-:..:: •<:• ;". '"'" ""' ;.,' ,!,v;- ••• t.:•.!£#> >W'.e '•:•: -,'i.i1 ,=A, 1 •: 'i „ „" , '" '"' , .;'.v *5 j'Jm,,,:;, i1 '; ^J1; ';.; ' •: ... • ..•.»', ..ft, iiijk • ,- i;-,-..., r-i'-'v-^iSSgS :*::;; ,:'' - . •. "' •^•jjfstsk^im;^-i¥^ afi/vr:,x I 40 Increased recreational boating reflects coastal demographics and new expectations about coastal "quality of life". ------- 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. 41 ------- 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. 42 ------- 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 ------- 44 Cover photo courtesy of: Barry Kaplan Light Works, Inc. 5 Main Street Wickford, Rhode Island 02852 (401) 295-2616 ------- ------- ------- |