- 92 -
Chesapeake Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
 Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets:
              A Technical Synthesis
                   Annapolis, Maryland
                     December 1992
        Printed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
                 for the Chesapeake Bay Program

             Produced under contract number 68-WO-0043
                     Printed on recycled paper

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 Executive  Summary
         orldwide, estuaries are experiencing water quality problems as a result of the pressures from increasing numbers
         of people moving to coastal areas. Chesapeake Bay, one of the world's largest estuaries, has experienced
         deterioration of water quality from nutrient enrichment, resulting in anoxic or hypoxic conditions and declines
 in living resources.  Determination of relationships between water quality and various living resources provides a
 mechanism of relating anthropogenic inputs to the "health" of Chesapeake Bay. In particular, the establishment of habitat
 requirements and restoration targets for critical species living in Chesapeake Bay is a way in which scientists, resource
 managers, politicians, and the public can work toward the goal of restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

 One of the major factors contributing to the high productivity of Chesapeake Bay has been the historical abundance of
 submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). SAV in Chesapeake Bay include some twenty freshwater and marine species of
 rooted, flowering plants.  SAV provide food for waterfowl and are critical habitat for shellfish and fmfish.  SAV also
 affect nutrient cycling, sediment stability, and water turbidity.   However, a baywide decline of all SAV species in
 Chesapeake Bay began in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This SAV decline was related to increasing amounts of nutrients
 and sediments in the Bay, resulting from development of the Bay's shoreline and surrounding watershed.
 The Chesapeake Executive Council's adoption of a
 ChesapeakeBay Submerged Aquatic VegetationPolicy
 and an Implementation Plan for the SAV Policy high-
 lighted not only the need to develop SAV habitat
 requirements but also the need for baywide restoration
 goals for SAV distribution, density, and species diver-
 sity. In response to the commitments described in the
 SAV Policy Implementation Plan, a working group of
 scientists and managers produced the "Chesapeake
 Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Habitat Require-
 ments and Restoration Targets: A  Technical Synthe-
 sis."

 The primary objective of the SAV Technical Synthesis
 is to establish the quantitative levels of relevant water
 quality  parameters necessary to support continued
 survival, propagation,  and restoration of SAV.  Sec-
 ondary  objectives are to:  establish regional  SAV
 distribution, density, and species diversity targets for
 the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries; document the
 baywide applicability of habitat requirements devel-
 oped through the case studies in the synthesis; and
 assess the applicability of mid-channel monitoring
 data for evaluating the water quality in adjacent shal-
 low water habitats.

 A conceptual model of the interactions and interdepen-
 dence of  the SAV habitat requirements (Figure  1)
illustrates the water quality parameters that  influence
SAV distribution and abundance. A wealth of scien-
   Conceptual Model of SAV Habitat Interactions
                        Light
Chlorophyll a
--'^ * i
Total
Suspended
Solids
^
                                               Water Column
                                                  Light
                                                Attenuation
                                                  (Kd)
                                               Loaf Surface
                                                 Light
                                               Attenuation
Figure 1. Availability of light for SAV is determined by light attenuation processes.
Watercolumn attenuation, measured as light attenuation coefficient (Kd), results from
absorption and scatter of light by particles in the water (phytoplankton measured as
chlorophyll a; total organic and inorganic particles measured as total suspended
solids) and by absorption of light by water itself. Leaf surface attenuation, largely
due to algal epiphytes growing on SAV leaf surfaces, also contributes to light
attenuation.  Dissolved inorganic nutrients (DIN = dissolved inorganic nitrogen; DIP
=dissolvedinorganicphosphorus)contributetophytoplanktonandepiphytecomponents
of overall light attenuation, and epiphyte grazers control accumulation of epiphytes.
                                                                                                     CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis

tific studies from around the world have established the importance of light availability as the major environmental factor
controlling SAV distribution, growth, and survival. The primary environmental factors contributing to light attenuation
are used to formulate SAV habitat requirements: light attenuation coefficient, chlorophyll a, total suspended solids,
dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and dissolved inorganic phosphorus.

The minimum light requirement of a particular SAV species determines the maximum water depth for survival.  This
can be depicted graphically as the intersection of the light intensity versus depth curve with the minimum light requirement
value (Figure 2). Light is attenuated exponentially with water depth (Figure 2, right side). The minimum light requirement
of & particular SAV species, as a percent of incident light, intersects the light curve to give a predicted maximum depth
of SAV survival for that species (Figure 2, left side).
                             Determination of Maximum Depth of SAV Survival
                                                                            nim
                                                                            equ
                                                                            4
Secchi depth
                 Minimum        100% Surface
             Light Requirements      Light Level
            Maximum Depth of
                SAV Survival
  Figure 2. The interrelationships between light attenuation, SAV minimum light requirement, Secchi depth and the maximum depth of
  SAV survival depicted schematically. The intersection of the minimum light requirement and the light attenuation curve determines the
  maximum depth of SAV survival.                                                     	
Four study areas were used to develop specific relationships between
SAV survival and water quality (Figure 3).   These study areas
represent regions of intensive SAV studies over the past decade in
which water quality data and SAV growth, distribution, density, and
transplant data were available. Empirical relationships developed
between water quality characteristics and SAV distributions pro-
vided the means of defining habitat requirements for SAV survival.
It is the application of these SAV/water quality relationships, from
the case studies in different regions of Chesapeake Bay by different
investigators over the span of several years,  that forms the basis of
the SAV habitat requirements.

SAV habitat requirements are defined as the minimal water quality
levels necessary for SAV survival. Water quality parameters used
in the delineation of habitat requirements were chosen because of
their relevance to SAV survival.  SAV habitat requirements were
formulated by:   a) determining SAV distributions by transplant
survival and baywide distributional surveys;  b) measuring water
quality characteristics along large scale transects that spanned veg-
etated and non-vegetated regions; and, c) combining distributional
data and water quality levels to establish minimum water quality that
supports SAV survival. This type of analysis (referred to as corre-
spondence analysis) was strengthened by factors common to each of
 I)
 CSOSAV.1B92
                                                                      Locator Map of SAV Study Areas
                              IUIQUIMANNA
         Upper
          Figure 3. Locations of four regional SAV study
          areas-upperChesapeake Bay, upper Potomac River,
          Choptank River, and the York River.

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                                                                                                     Executive Summary
the case studies.  Field data were collected over several years (almost a decade in the Potomac River) in varying
meteorologic and hydrologic conditions by different investigators.
  Water Quality Data Used to Develop SAV Habitat Requirements
  Figure 4. Three-dimensional comparisons of May-October median
  light attenuation coefficient, total suspended solids, and chlorophyll a
  concentrations of the Choptank River stations.
SAV distributions in the four case studies across all
salinity regimes were responsive to the five water
quality parameters used to develop the SAV habitat
requirements. The degree of interdependence of these
water quality parameters is  illustrated by  a three-
dimensional plot of total suspended solids, chloro-
phyll  a,  and  light attenuation coefficient for the
Choptank River (Figure 4). In addition, interannual
changes in water quality led to changes in SAV dis-
tribution and  abundance in  each region that were
consistent with habitat requirements.

The diversity of  SAV communities  throughout
Chesapeake Bay, with its wide salinity range, has led
to the establishment of separate habitat requirements
based  on salinity regime. Water quality conditions
sufficient to support survival, growth, and reproduc-
tion of SAV to water depths of one meter are used as
SAV habitat requirements (Table 1).
Table 1. Chesapeake Bay SAV Habitat Requirements.



SAV Habitat Requirements for One Meter Restoration1
Habitat Requirements Which Effect
Water Column/Leaf Surface Light Attenuation
Light3 Total
Attenuation Suspended Chlorophyll
Salinity2 Coefficient Solids a
Regime (nr1) (mg/1) (us/I)
Tidal Fresh <2 <15 <15
Oligohaline <2 <15 <15
Mesohaline <1.5 <15 <15
Polyhaline <1.5 <15 <15
Dissolved
Inorganic
Nitrogen
(mg/1)
-
-
<0.15
<0.15
Dissolved
Inorganic
Phosphorus
(mg/1)
<0.02
<0.02
<0.01
<0.02
Critical
Life
Period
April-
October
April-
October
April-
October
March-
November

SAV Habitat Requirements
for Two Meter
Restoration1
Light3
Attenuation Critical
Coefficient Life
(m'1) Period
<0.8
<0.8
<0.8
<0.8
April-
October
April-
October
April-
October
March-
November
 1. The SAV habitat requirements are applied as median values over the April-October critical life period for the tidal fresh, oligohaline and mesohaline
   salinity regimes. For the polyhaline salinity regimes, the SAV habitat requirements are applied as median values from combined March-May and
   September-November data. Light attenuation coefficient should be applied as the primary habitat requirement; the remaining habitat requirements
   should be applied to help explain regional or site specific causes of water column and leaf surface light attenuation which can be directly managed.
 2. Tidal fresh = <0.5 ppt; oligohaline = 0.5-5 ppt; mesohaline = >5-18 ppt; and, polyhaline = >18 ppt.
 3. To determine the Secchi depth habitat requirements, apply the conversion factor Secchi depth = 1.45/light attenuation coefficient.
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SAV Technical Synthesis

For SAV to survive to one meter, light attenuation coefficients of <2 nr1 for tidal fresh and oligohaline regions and
<1.5 nv1 for mesohaline and polyhaline regions were needed. Total suspended solids (<15 mg/1) and chlorophyll a
(<15 ng/1) values were consistent for all regions.  However, habitat requirements for dissolved inorganic nitrogen and
dissolved inorganic phosphorus varied substantially between salinity regimes. The SAV habitat requirement for two
meter restoration for light attenuation was derived using an exponential light attenuation equation which quantitatively
defines the interrelationship between light attenuation, minimum light requirements, and depth penetration of SAV. The
SAV habitat requirement for two meter restoration for light attenuation was determined to be Kd <0.8 nr1, based on
20% surface irradiance as the minimum light requirement.

In tidal freshwater and oligohaline regions, SAV survive episodic and chronic high concentrations of dissolved inorganic
nitrogen; consequently, habitat requirements for dissolved inorganic nitrogen were not determined for these regions. In
contrast, maximum dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations of 0.15 mg/1 were established for mesohaline and
polyhaline regions. The SAV habitat requirement for dissolved inorganic phosphorus was <0.02 mg/1 for all regions
except for mesohaline regions  (<0.01  mg/1).  Differences  in nutrient habitat requirements in different regions of
Chesapeake Bay are consistent with observations from a variety of estuaries that shifts in the relative importance of
phosphorus versus nitrogen as limiting factors occur over an estuary's salinity gradient.

Light attenuation, through the water column and at the leaf surface, is the principal factor influencing SAV.  The light
attenuation coefficient habitat requirement reflects the minimum water column light attentuation level at which SAV
survive and grow.  Total suspended solids and chlorophyll a directly influence and, therefore, can be used to explain
sources of water column light attenuation. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic phosphorus also directly
affect the potential for leaf surface light attenuation through epiphytic growth.  Although the light attenuation coefficient
habitat requirement should be applied as the primary SAV habitat requirement, application of the remaining SAV habitat
requirements will help explain regional or site specific causes of water column and leaf surface light attenuation which
can be directly managed through nutrient reductions and shoreline erosion controls.

The Chesapeake Bay SAV habitat requirements developed in the  four study areas  were applied to the rest of the
Chesapeake Bay to test the bay wide correspondence of SAV distributions with the five water quality parameters measured
atmid-channel monitoring stations. SAV growing season median water quality values were calculated for 105 monitoring
stations in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries for 1987 and 1989, with 1989 results summarized in Table 2.
 Table 2. Application of the five SAV habitat requirements to growing season medians of data from mid-channel Chesapeake Bay monitoring
 stations near SAV beds in 1989. Percentages represent the frequency of stations near SAV that had the habitat requirement met, followed
 by the number of stations in parentheses.
Salinity
Regime
Tidal Fresh
Oligohaline
Mesohaline
Polyhaline
Habitat Requirement
KD
100% (1)
0% (1)
95% (19)
100% (11)
TSS
100% (1)
0% (1)
79% (19)
55% (11)
CHLA
100% (1)
100% (1)
100% (19)
100% (11)
DIN
-
-
68% (19)
100% (11)
DIP
100% (1)
100% (1)
95% (19)
100% (11)
     ALL
94% (52)
69% (32)
100% (32)
                                                                           80% (30)
97%(32)
 The number of stations in each salinity regime, in areas with and without SAV, was tabulated according to whether each
 of the five habitat requirements were met or not met. If the habitat requirements were perfect predictors of SAV growth,
 100% of the stations with SAV would have met all the habitat requirements.
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 CSOSAV.1SS2

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                                                                                            Executive Summary

 Table 2 shows that the five habitat requirements have slightly differing abilities to predict S AV presence: light attenuation
 coefficient (94%), total suspended solids (69%), chlorophyll a (100%), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (80%), and dissolved
 inorganic phosphorus (97%). The overall average (88%) for all parameters is fairly high and indicates the utility of this
 approach.

 S AV distribution restoration targets, approached from a bay wide and regional perspective, were produced through a series
 of geographical overlays delineating actual and potential SAV habitat (Table 3). A tiered set of SAV distribution
 restoration targets for areas previously vegetated between 1971 and 1990 (Tier I), one meter (Tier II), and two meter
 (Tier HI) water depths were established to provide management agencies with quantitative measures of progress in SAV
Table 3. Chesapeake Bay SAV distribution targets and their relationships to the 1990 SAV aerial survey distribution data.

                                    DESCRIPTION
RESTORATION
TARGET
                                                   1990 SAV DISTRIBUTION
                                       AREA         AND PERCENT OF
                                     (hectares)     RESTORATION TARGET
    Tier I-composite beds
    Tier II-one meter
    Tier in—two meter
                                                              46,025
Restoration of SAV to areas
currently or previously inhabited
by SAV as mapped through regional
and bay wide aerial surveys from 1971
to 1990.
                       Restoration of SAV to all shallow       In Progress
                       water areas delineated as existing or
                       potential SAV habitat down to the
                       one meter depth, excluding areas identified
                       as unlikely to support SAV based on
                       historical observations, recent survey
                       information, and exposure regimes.

                       Restoration of SAV to all shallow        247,658
                       water areas delineated as existing or
                       potential SAV habitat down to the
                       two meter contour, excluding areas
                       identified under the Tier II target as
                       unlikely to support SAV as well as    .        .  • .
                       several additional areas between
                       1 and 2 meters.
24,393 (53%)
                                                                                     24,393 (10%)
distribution in response to the implementation of Chesapeake Bay restoration strategies. Each successive target represents
expansions in SAV distribution in response to improvements in water quality over time, measured as achievement of
the SAV habitat requirements for one and two meter restoration.

The 1990 SAV distribution data indicate that current SAV abundance (24,393 hectares) is 53% of the Tier I target and
only 10% of the Tier in target (Table 3). These estimates provide a baseline on which the success of nutrient and sediment
reduction strategies for the Chesapeake Bay can be assessed.

The nearshore/mid-channel water quality comparison was organized around the same four study areas. Results of this
comparison indicate that mid-channel water quality data can be used to characterize nearshore areas over seasonal time
frames but do not imply a predictive relationship between nearshore and mid-channel observations. Seasonal aggregations
of mid-channel water quality data can provide reliable estimates of nearshore water quality conditions for the parameters
examined in this study.

The technical synthesis represents a first comprehensive effort to link habitat requirements for a living resource with
water quality restoration targets for an estuarine system.  This habitat requirements approach, while deviating from the
traditional dose/response measures and direct toxicity studies, provides testable hypotheses that can be explored in future
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SAV Technical Synthesis

studies in other estuaries. Additional experimental evidence using field and laboratory approaches to test the empirical
relationships developed in this synthesis are necessary for development of water quality criteria, with a goal of improved
predictive capacity of habitat requirements.

SAV habitat requirements represent the absolute minimum water quality characteristics necessary to sustain plants in
shallow water. As such, exceeding any of the five water quality characteristics will seriously compromise the chances
Of SAV survival.  Improvements in water clarity to achieve greater depth penetration of SAV would not only increase
depth penetration, but also increase SAV density and biomass.  In addition, improvements of water quality beyond the
habitat requirements could lead to the maintenance or reestablishment of a diverse population of native SAV species.

We need to maintain continuous interactions and feedback between the researchers who continue to investigate SAV/
water quality interactions and the managers who are responsible for ultimate protection, restoration, and enhancement
of living resources.  Continued research and monitoring of water quality and SAV, coupled with management towards
specific restoration targets,  is paramount if these resources are to be part of our future.
 vi
 CSC.SAV.1M2

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Principal  Authors
                                       Richard A. Batiuk
                               U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                                  Chesapeake Bay Program Office
                                       Annapolis, Maryland

                              Robert J. Orth and Kenneth A. Moore
                                   College of William and Mary
                                 Virginia Institute of Marine Science
                                    Gloucester Point, Virginia

                  William C. Dennison, J. Court Stevenson, and Lorie W. Staver
                                  University of Maryland - CEES
                                Horn Point Environmental Laboratory
                                      Horn Point, Maryland

                              Virginia Carter and Nancy B. Rybicki
                                      U.S. Geological Survey
                                         Reston, Virginia

                                      R. Edward Hickman
                                      U.S. Geological Survey
                                       Trenton, New Jersey

                                          Stan Kollar
                                    Harford Community College
                                        Bel Air, Maryland

                                         Steven Bieber
                              Maryland Department of the Environment
                                       Baltimore, Maryland

                                         Patsy Heasly
                                  Chesapeake Research Consortium
                                  Chesapeake Bay Program Office
                                       Annapolis, Maryland
                                                                                             VII
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Acknowledgments
        nly through the efforts of numerous investigators, field and laboratory technicians, program managers and many
        others over the past two decades was the development of this technical synthesis made possible. We acknowledge
        their contributions to our understanding of submerged aquatic vegetation and its interaction with water quality,
and therefore, to the publication of this technical synthesis.  The production of this technical synthesis depended not
only on the efforts of the principal authors, but also on editors, technicians, and program staff from numerous Chesapeake
Bay Program agencies and research institutions.

We would like to thank several people for their help with the upper Potomac River section: Edward J. Gilroy, USGS,
for statistical assistance and Dave Erdmann, USGS. David J. Schultz, USGS; Cynthia Sale, Virginia State Water Control
Board; and Robert Magnien, Maryland Department of the Environment, for reviewing water quality methods.

Staff from the Maryland Department of the Environments' Chesapeake Bay and Special Projects Program contributed
substantial time and effort towards successful completion of the technical synthesis.

Technical comments and suggestions provided by the following independent peer reviewers is acknowledged: Doug
Bulthuis, Mark Fonseca, Michael Kemp, and Jud Kenworthy. Comments from program agencies, particularly the Virginia
Water Control Board, Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Penn-
sylvania Department of Environmental Resources, District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. EPA Criteria and Standards Division, U.S. EPA Environmental Research Laboratory
- Narragansett, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, contributed
significantly to production of the final technical synthesis.

The Chesapeake Bay Program's Living Resources Subcommittee, chaired by Verna Harrison, Maryland Department of
Natural Resources,  ensured that the necessary funding support was available to develop the technical synthesis. The
Subcommittee's Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Workgroup, chaired by Linda Hurley, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
laid the groundwork for the production of this document through its bay wide coordination efforts initiated in the early
1980s.

Compilation of the technical synthesis was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Grants X-003465-
01 and X-003465-02 to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and an Interagency Agreement with the U.S. Geological
Survey. The Virginia Graduate Marine Science Consortium's Sea Grant Program, Commonwealth of Virginia, Maryland
Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Water Resources Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey are acknowledged
for their multi-year funding support of the SAV habitat quality research reported in the technical synthesis.  Funding
for the research and monitoring data reported here also came from a wide variety of dedicated agencies whose contributions
to  SAV research, distribution surveys, and  long-term water quality monitoring programs are hereby acknowledged.
Without the commitment of these Chesapeake Bay Program agencies to this long-term research and monitoring program,
this synthesis of information would not have been possible.
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                                                                                               CSC.SAV.12/92

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Table  of Contents
Section (Principal Authors)                                                                    Page

Executive Summary (Orth, Dennison, and Batiuk)	i

Principal Authors	vii

Acknowledgments	ix

Table of Contents	xi

I.     Introduction (Orth, Batiuk, and Heasly)	1

          Technical Synthesis Objectives, Content, and Structure	2
              Synthesis Objectives
              Synthesis Content
              Synthesis Structure

II.    SAV and Water Quality Relationships (Dennison)	3

          SAV/Water Quality Investigations	3
              Freshwater, Estuarine, and Marine SAV
              Depth Penetration
              SAV Declines
              Light Relationships
              Epiphyte/Grazing Interactions

          Conceptual Model of SAV/Habitat Interactions	7
              Water Column  Light Attenuation
              Leaf Surface Light Attenuation

III.   SAV Habitat Requirements Development (Dennison, Moore, and Stevenson)	13

          Approach to Development of SAV Habitat Requirements	13
              Rationale for Empirical Approach
              Correspondence Between SAV/Water Quality Gradients
              Use of SAV Transplants in Habitat Requirement Development
              Determination of Critical Periods
              Averaging Method
              Secchi Depth/Light Attenuation Conversion
              Light Attenuation/SAV Depth Penetration
              Depth Penetration-Based Habitat Requirements
              SAV/Habitat Feedbacks

          SAV Habitat Requirements	19
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SAV Technical Synthesis

IV.   SAV Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets (Dennison, Orth, and Batiuk)	^	27

          Baywide Application of SAV Habitat Requirements	:	30
              Correlations Between SAV Habitat Requirements
              Habitat Requirements Application
              Results
              Summary and Conclusions

          Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets	34
              Distribution Restoration Targets
              Density Targets
              Species Distribution and Diversity Targets

V.    Regional SAV Study Area Findings	39

          Background (Moore)	39
              Upper Chesapeake Bay (Kollar)
              Upper Potomac River (Carter)
              Choptank River (Stevenson)
              York River (Moore)

          Upper Chesapeake Bay (Kollar)	,	43
              Study Area
              Methods
              Results
              Summary and Conclusions

          Upper Potomac River (Carter and Rybicki)	55
              Study Area
              Methods
              Results
              Summary and Conclusions

          Choptank River (Stevenson and Staver)	78
              Study Area
              Methods
              Results
              Summary and Conclusions

          York River (Moore)	92
              Study Area
              Methods
              Results
              Summary and Conclusions

VI.   Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets (Orth, Batiuk, and Heasly)	109

          Chesapeake Bay SAV Distribution Restoration Targets	109
              Distribution Target Development Approach
              SAV Distribution Restoration Targets

          Chesapeake Bay SAV Density Restoration Targets	119

          Chesapeake Bay SAV Species Distribution/Diversity Restoration Targets	120
              Species Distribution/Diversity Restoration Targets Development Approach
              Species Distribution/Diversity Restoration Targets
Xii
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                                                                                          Table of Contents

VII.  Nearshore & Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons (Bieber and Moore)	;	137

          Study Areas and Sampling Programs	137
              York River
              Upper Potomac River
              Choptank River
              Upper Chesapeake Bay

          Methods	139

          Results	144
              York River
              Upper Potomac River
              Choptank River
              Upper Chesapeake Bay

          Discussion	163
              Light Attenuation Coefficient
              Total Suspended Solids
              Chlorophyll a
              Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
              Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
              Other Reported Results

          Findings	170

VIII.  Future Needs (Dennison, Orth, and Batiuk)	171

Literature Cited	173

Appendices

      Appendix A.    Tabular summary of data and information used in the validation of the
                       Baywide applicability of the SAV habitat requirements.

      Appendix B.    Summary of analytical methods used in sample analysis of data presented
                      in the upper Potomac River case study and nearshore/mid-channel chapter.

      Appendix C.    Chesapeake B ay SAV species distribution/diversity restoration targets and documentation.

      Appendix D.    Chesapeake Bay SAV distribution restoration target maps (to be published as a separate
                      volume.)
                                                                                                     xiii
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Chapter I
Introduction
        It is only in the Chesapeake Bay...where it (canvas-back duck) becomes itself the
        king of all wild fowl. This excellence is attributable solely to the peculiar food which
        it finds in that estuary, a plant commonly known as wild celery... This plant, of which
        the canvas-back duck is so fond, that it derives from it its specific name...grows
        on shoals where the water is from eight to nine feet in depth, which are never wholly
        bare...
                                                  From Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Feb. 10, 1866
        any estuaries are experiencing  water quality
        problems because of pressures from increasing
        numbers of people moving to coastal areas. Most
noticeable of all the changes are declines  in harvestable
living resources, such as fish and shellfish.  Of equal
concern are losses of other critical components of the food
chain that often go undetected  because  of  inadequate
resources to monitor all species. Declines  of these living
resources can be related to natural factors, such as climatic
events, or to anthropogenic inputs,  such as nutrient
enrichment due to poor land use management practices or
point source inputs.

The growth, distribution, abundance, and survival of any
one species in a habitat is regulated by a set of requirements
unique to that species (e.g., dissolved oxygen, light, and
nutrients). For each particular parameter, a species survives
within a range of values, above or below which that species
experiences stress that may cause reduced growth and
productivity or lead to death. Species survival depends on
the integration of responses to all parameters that are
important for its growth. Tolerances to one parameter (e.g.,
dissolved oxygen) may either be increased or decreased by
its interaction with one or more additional parameters (e.g.,
temperature, salinity). Therefore, a complete understanding
of the species' overall habitat requirements is critical for
evaluating its response to environmental perturbations.

The Chesapeake Bay has received considerable attention
overthelasttwodecadesfromscientists, managers, politicians,
and the public.  Deterioration of  water quality related to
increasing nutrient enrichment, high levels of contaminants,
anoxic or hypoxic conditions, anddeclines in livingresources,
are some of the major concerns facing Chesapeake B ay today.
It is increasingly recognized by scientists and managers that
toreachtheoverallgoalofaclean,"healthy"Bay,establishment
of goals for habitat restoration, which are built upon habitat
requirements of critical species living in Chesapeake Bay, are
required.

The 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement set as a major
priority the  "need to determine the essential elements of
habitat quality and environmental quality necessary to
support living resources and to see that these conditions are
attained and maintained." The Chesapeake Bay Program's
Implementation  Committee called  for  guidelines to
determine habitat requirements for theBay'slivingresources.
First published in 1988, the "Habitat Requirements for
Chesapeake Bay Living Resources" (Chesapeake Bay
Program 1988) has been revised to provide more detailed
living resource habitat  requirements (Chesapeake Bay
Program 1991).  Because  submerged aquatic vegetation
(SAV) was  determined  to be critical to the Bay's  food
chain, serving as food source, nursery, and potential indicator
of the Bay's health due to its sensitivity to water quality
(Orth and Moore 1988), it was included in  both these
documents as a target community of species.

SAV has received considerable attention in Chesapeake
Bay over the last 20 years because of an unprecedented
bay wide decline of all species beginning in the late 1960s
(Stevenson and Confer 1978; Orth and Moore 1983). This
decline was caused by increasing amounts of nutrients and
suspended sediments in the Bay resulting from continued,
uncontrolled development of the Bay's  shoreline  and
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SAV Technical Synthesis
watershed and poor land use practices associated with
development and agriculture (Orth and Moore 1983; Kemp
etal 1983).

The adoption of a Chesapeake Bay Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation Policy (Chesapeake Executive Council 1989)
followed by an Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake
Bay Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Policy (Chesapeake
Executive Council 1990) highlighted not only the need to
develop SAV habitat requirements but also baywide
restoration goals for SAV distribution, abundance, and
species diversity. In response to the commitments described
in these documents, a group of scientists and managers
produced  the "Chesapeake Bay Submerged  Aquatic
Vegetation HabitatRequirements and Restoration Targets:
A Technical Synthesis."

Technical Synthesis Objectives,
Content., and Structure	

Synthesis Objectives
The SAV Technical Synthesis has four major objectives:
1.  establish  the quantitative levels  of water quality
parameters necessary to support survival, propagation, and
restoration of SAV;
2.  establish regional distribution, abundance, and species
diversity targets for the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries;
3.  document the baywide applicability of habitat
requirements  developed through the case studies in the
synthesis; and,
4.  assess the applicability of mid-channel monitoring
data for evaluating the water quality in adjacent shallow-
water habitats.

Synthesis Content
The development of SAV habitat requirements is described
through four study areas spanning all the Bay's salinity
regimes. Interpretation of transplant and monitoring data
from the upper Chesapeake Bay and  a decade of data
spanning the revegetation of the upper tidal Potomac River
yielded habitat requirements for tidal fresh and oligohaline
SAV species.  A variety of transplant, research, and
monitoring studies in the Choptankand York rivers provided
data necessary  to develop habitat requirements for
mesohaline and polyhaline SAV species, respectively.

SAV habitat requirements were developed for each of the
Bay's foursalinityregimes forlightattenuation coefficient,
total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, dissolved inorganic
nitrogen, and dissolved inorganic phosphorus. These habitat
requirements  were developed through interpretation of
findings by multi-investigators from each of the four study
areas. The relative importance and interactions between
each of these parameters is explored through a conceptual
model that characterizes the parameters direct and indirect
impacts on SAV survival and growth.

SAV distribution and density restoration targets, approached
from a baywide and regional perspective, were produced
through a series of geographical overlays delineating actual
and potential SAV habitat. The tiered distributionrestoration
targets are reported as  acreages  of shallow water Bay
habitat that should support SAV if the established habitat
requirements are met. Species diversity restoration targets
were derived by comparing the historical, existing,  and
potential habitat for each species based on salinity, and the
actual andpotential habitat as defined through the distribution
restoration targets.

The habitat requirements generated through the four study
areas were applied to other regions within the same salinity
regime to test whether the habitat requirements could be
used for other sites throughout the Chesapeake Bay. This
assessment was conducted through a comparative analysis
of 1987 and 1989 water quality and SAV distribution data
and the corresponding habitat requirements.

The  nearshore/mid-channel water quality comparison is
organized around the same four study areas described
above and compares  medians of April-October data for
each of the parameters analyzed for habitat requirements.
This time period covers  the critical life stages for most
Chesapeake Bay SAV species.

Synthesis Structure
This technical synthesis is structured to provide the reader
with an expanded summary of both the SAV habitat
requirements and restoration targets in the beginning of the
document (Chapter IV).  Preceding the  SAV habitat
requirements and restoration  targets summary  are
descriptions of SAV and water quality relationships (Chapter
II) and the habitat requirements development approach
(Chapter III).  The  more  detailed description of the
information, which went into development of the habitat
requirements  (Chapter V) and restoration targets (Chapter
VI), is followed by results from the nearshore/mid-channel
comparisons (Chapter VII). Finally, future research needs
for SAV are outlined (Chapter VIII). Appendices include
copies of the more extensive tables, figures, and maps
referred to within the technical synthesis.

-------
 Chapter  II
 SAV and  Water  Quality Relationships
        orldwide, populations  of submerged aquatic
        vegetation in freshwater, estuarine, and marine
        habitats have been affected by human activities.
In particular, environmental perturbations resulting in
reductions of light available to SAV have been implicated
in numerous SAV declines (den Hartog and Polderman
1975; Peres and Picard 1975; Orth and Moore 1983; Kemp
etal. 1983; Cambridge and McComb 1984). The central
role of light availability in SAV growth has been
demonstrated in numerous field, laboratory, and modeling
studies. The interrelationships betweennutrientenrichment,
suspended sediments, and light attenuation are the subject
of various conceptual models (Wetzel and Hough 1973;
Phillips et al. 1978).

The composition of the primary producers along a nutrient
enrichment gradient has transformed an SAV-dominated
ecosystem to a phytoplankton-dominated ecosystem due
to nutrient enrichment increases (Figure II-l). The impact
of nutrient enrichment is indirect in that increased nutrients
stimulate SAV growth.  An overabundance of nutrients,
however, leads to increased light attenuation and subsequent
reduction of SAV growth and survival (Figure II-2). The
effects of nutrients and suspended solids on light attenuation
are reviewed and  developed in a conceptual model which
is discussed later in this chapter.
 £
. Nutrient
Limitations
                       Submersed Light
                         Limitations
                                       Phytoplankton
                                     Submerged Aquatic
                                    	Vegetation
                  Increasing Fertility—•-
Figure 11-1.  Generalized relationship of primary productivity of
submerged aquatic vegetation and phytoplankton of lakes during
increasing fertility of the whole lake ecosystem. Reproduced from
Wetzel and Hough 1973.
SAV/Water Quality Investigations

Freshwater, Estuarine, and Marine SAV

Freshwater, estuarine and marine SAV have adapted to
similar environmental conditions in their subtidal habitats.
As a result, they are often grouped together taxonomically
even though the evolutionary relationships between these
plants have not yet been established (Stevenson 1988).
Since Chesapeake Bay is an estuary that has a salinity range
spanning freshwater, estuarine, and marine conditions, the
potential  differences  between  these  plants and  the
characteristic environmental conditions of freshwater to
marine habitats must be recognized in the development of
habitat requirements.

In a comparative review of SAV,  Stevenson  (1988)
summarized the differences in the physical and chemical
regimes of freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats.
Important differences  were found between freshwater,
estuarine, and marine SAV Freshwater SAV tends to have
shorter growing seasons than estuarine and marine species.
Hence, in Chesapeake Bay, critical growing periods were
determined separately for the various salinity regimes. The
biomass of marine SAV can be higher than freshwater
SAV, particularly in terms of below-ground relative to
above-ground structures (resulting in a higher root-to-
shoot ratio).  Since the below-ground tissues provide a
storage reservoir of carbohydrates that can be utilized
under reduced light conditions, marine SAV, in general,
may be better able to tolerate short-term reductions of light
availability than many freshwater SAV. Overall, low light
availability in estuarine habitats accounts for the high
susceptibility of these plants.

Depth Penetration

Despite the differences between freshwater, estuarine, and
marine SAV and their habitats, the relationships between
light availability and the depth to which SAV will grow
(SAV depth penetration) in these habitats are similar in
shallow, turbid waters.  The maximum depth penetration
of a diversity of freshwater SAV species from a variety of

                                                3
                                          CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
          Shallow water

          Moderate
          nutrient loading
Increased nutrient input
    resulting from
    human activity
Relatively high
nutrient loading
       Predominance of macrophytes
       (deriving  Inorganic nutrients
       largely from sediments) but also
       capable of marked uptake from
       the water
                                      Increased growth of epiphytes
                                      and blanketing filamentous algae
                                               .1
                                      Reduction in growth of macrophytes
                                      through shading by epiphytes and
                                      filamentous algae
       Organic suppression of
       phytoplankton by secretion
       from macrophytes and
       competition for nutrients
       Relatively clear water
       maintained
                                      Decreased rate of secretion of
                                      phytoplankton suppressants and
                                      decreased uptake of nutrients
                                      from the water by macrophytes
                                                                                       I
                                                                               Increase in phytoplankton growth
                                                     Relatively turbid water
                                                     and further shading of
                                                     macrophytes
                                                                   Loss of macrophytes and
                                                                   predominance of phytoplankton
Figure 11-2. Hypothesis to account for declines in SAV populations when water bodies become nutrient enriched. Reproduced from Phillips
et at, 1978.
lakes is slightly greater than the Secchl depth in shallow
waters (<5 m) (Figure H-3), while the maximum depth
penetration is less than the Secchi depth in deeper waters
(>5 m). The maximum depth penetration of a diversity of
marine SAV species from a variety of coastal marine
environments is roughly equivalent to the Secchi depth
throughout a wide depth range  (Figure II-4).

The divergence of freshwater SAV depth penetration from
the 1:1 line of depth penetration and adherence of marine
SAV to the 1:1 line could be due in part to the differences
in canopy structure or plant architecture of many of the
species.   Canopy-forming SAV, common in freshwater,
can grow to the water's surface in shallow areas, thereby
avoiding the effect of light reductions due to water column
light attenuation.  On the other hand, meadow-forming
                 SAV, common in estuarine and marine habitats, are unable
                 to grow to the water's surface and overcome light limitation.
                 In the next chapter, a model of SAV/light interactions is
                 constructed for freshwater and estuarine/marine SAV based
                 on the overall patterns of plant response to light regime in
                 conjunction with the caveat of differences  in plant
                 architecture.

                 SAV Declines
                 SAV declines have been reported in scientific literature
                 from around the world.  Well-documented case studies
                 from Europe (Giesen et dl. 1990), North America (Costa
                 1988), and Australia (Cambridge and McComb 1984) have
                 demonstrated the ubiquitous nature  of the problems
                 associated with nutrient enrichment in coastal waters and
 4
 CSOSAV.12K

-------
                      Freshwater SAV
                                                                            SAV and Water Quality Relationships

                                                                            Marine SAV
                     Secchl Disc Depth (m)
                                                                           12     16     20
                                                                         Seech! Disc Depth (m)
Figures II-3 and II-4. Maximum depth penetration of freshwater (II-3) and marine (II-4) submerged aquatic vegetation plotted as a function
of Secchi depth. The 1:1 line of maximum depth penetration and Secchi depth is plotted for reference. Data from Canfield etal 1985-
Chambers and Kalff 1985.
SAV declines.  In addition, lake fertility studies have
similarly demonstrated the negative effects of eutrophication
on SAV (Moss  1976; Jupp and Spence 1977).  In many
areas, nutrient enrichment is a result of nonpoint sources
which are difficult to quantify and identify. In a particularly
well-documented case in Australia (Cambridge etal. 1986),
however, quantifiable point source nutrient enrichments
were directly linked to seagrass declines and phy toplankton
blooms (Figures II-5  and II-6).

In Chesapeake Bay, SAV declines have occurred in all
reaches of the  estuary, from tidal fresh  to polyhaline
regions (Orth  and Moore 1983).  SAV resurgences were
                                                    recently observed in some areas of Chesapeake Bay (Carter
                                                    and Rybicki 1986; Orth and Nowak 1990), but SAV
                                                    abundance still remains near its lowest levels in recorded
                                                    history.

                                                    Agricultural  development and  urbanization of  the
                                                    Chesapeake Bay watershed have led to increases in sediment
                                                    runoff and nutrient loadings, causing declines in water
                                                    quality and, thereby, affecting SAV (Figure II-7). Most of
                                                    the nutrient and sediment inputs to Chesapeake Bay are
                                                    derived from nonpoint sources which make quantifying
                                                    historical patterns of water quality difficult.  The well-
                                                    documented, bay wide SAV decli nes, however, give evidence
 >.
 I
 o>
 o>
 £
 as
 TO
s
     4000
     3000-
2000-
      1000-
                           nitrogen fertilizer plant
            Woodmans Point
            sewage treatment plant
        oil refinery
                    1960
                          1965
T—«—
 i  1970
1975
1980
                                Start of loss of major SAV
                                south of Kwinana (1969-70)
                                     Figure 11-5.  Estimated nitrogen loads
                                     entering Cockburn  Sound,  Australia,
                                     showing the commencementof discharge
                                     from the oil refinery, sewage treatment
                                     plant, and fertilizer works, together with
                                     the major time of SAV loss and the first
                                     record of marked phytoplankton blooms.
                                     Reproduced from Cambridge ef a/. 1986.
                                                     First records of large
                                                     phytoplankton blooms (1975 - 76)
                                                                                                             5
                                                                                                       CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
        \
 FIgurell-6. Each map shows Cockbum Sound, Australia, surrounded
 by the coast of the mainland to the right and Garden Island to the
 left. ThelOmcontourlineisindicated. The shading shows the area
 of SAV meadows present at different times.  Reproduced from
 Cambridge and McComb 1984.
 for the changes in historical patterns of water quality.
 Experimental mesocosms were also used to test SAV
 responses to increased nutrient loadings in Chesapeake
 Bay (Kemp et al.  1983).  Results indicated correlations
 between  SAV declines and large increases in nutrient
 loading rates and  epiphyte and phytoplankton biomass
 (Figure II-8).
                                                         McMillan 1979; Dennison and Alberte 1986). In spite of
                                                         these adaptations, evidence demonstrating light limitation
                                                         of SAV growth has been obtained through experimental in
                                                         situ manipulations of light intensity (Backman andBarilotti
                                                         1976;Bulthuis 1983;Dennisonand Alberte 1985; Williams
                                                         and Dennison 1990).

                                                         Variations in year-to-year light availability leading to
                                                         changes in SAV abundance have been reported for tidal
                                                         fresh (Carter and Rybicki 1990) and marine SAV (Wetzel
                                                         and  Penhale 1983) in Chesapeake Bay.  In addition, a
                                                         model was  developed that relates instantaneous photo-
                                                         synthetic  responses of a marine SAV species, Zostera
                                                         a.
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              SEWAGE DISCHARGE
              (NITRI
            1930   1940
                           1950    1960
                             YEARS
                                         1970
                                                 1980
 Light Relationships

 The low light environments of estuaries have led to various
 SAV adaptations, such as pigment composition changes
 and biochemical and structural adaptations, which allow
 the plants to better tolerate some of the suboptimal light
 conditions (Spence 1975; Bowes etal.  1977; Wiginton and
Figure 11-7. Summary of long-term trends (1930-1980) in selected
variables for Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries: (a) relative SAV
abundance in the upper Bay; (b) use of atrazine in coastal plain
counties draining into the Bay; (c) Susquehanna River flow; (d)
idealized sediment yield for Patuxent River Basin; (e) fertilizer sales
in Maryland; (f) nitrogen in sewage discharge from Washington D.C.
into the Potomac River estuary. Reproduced from Kemp efa/.1983.
 6
 CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
                                                                              SAV and Water Quality Relationships
 marina, to light availability, providing a means of relating
 changes in light attenuation to changes in SAV produc-
 tivity and depth penetration (Dennison 1987). This model
 (Hja/Hcomp) provides a predicted relationship between light
 attenuation coefficient (Kd) and maximum depth limit of
 SAV in which the depth limit (in m) is equal to 1.6/Kd
 (Figure II-9).

 Epiphyte/Grazing Interactions

 Epiphytic growth on SAV leaves contributes to reductions
 in light reaching the plants' leaf surfaces. Epiphyte grazing
 by herbivorous invertebrates, such as snails and isopods,
 decreases the accumulation of epiphytes thereby reducing
 leaf surface light attenuation and promoting SAV growth
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-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
 Figure 11-10. The comparlmental design and flow structure of a
 simulation model of Zostera marina production.  For the biotic
 compartments, solid lines representlinear, donorcontrolled pathways
 and dashed lines represent non-linear, donorcontrolled pathways.
 Letters in the open arrows on the pathways indicate controls:  P =
 physical-chemical; L = linear, donor controlled; F = non-linear,
 feedback controlled; and, R/R = roots/rhizomes.  Reproduced from
 Wetzel and Neckles 1986.
1983; Wetzel and Penhale 1983; Dennison 1987). Light
attenuation processes relevant to SAV fall into two major
categories: attenuation occurring in the overlying water
column and attenuation resulting from the layer of epiphytes
and other materials on the plant's leaves.

Water Column Light Attenuation

Light attenuation (reduction in light intensity) in the water
column occurs as a result of scattering and absorption of
light by water molecules, dissolved substances, and sus-
pended particles. Light attenuation by water molecules is
relatively insignificant in the shallow, turbid waters of
estuaries. In contrast, particles and dissolved substances in
the water column  can  contribute  substantially  to light
attenuation in estuaries.  Light absorption by organic and
inorganic particles (e.g.,  suspended sediments) is inferred
from measurements of total suspended solids. Light ab-
sorption and scattering  by organic particles (e.g., phy-
toplankton) is inferred by measurements of chlorophyll a.

The integration  of all  water column  light  attenuation,
including particulate light absorption components,  total
suspended solids and chlorophyll a, is performed by directly
measuring  the water column  light attenuation. This
measurement is obtained by either lowering a Secchi disk
through the water column until it becomes invisible (Secchi
depth) or by lowering a light  meter through the water
column and calculating light attenuation coefficients based
on an exponential decay function. The conversion between
Secchi depth and light meter measurements is discussed in
Chapter III.

A caveat in interpreting light attenuation is that chlorophyll
a values do not always accurately depict the phytoplankton
 Table IH.    Maximum annual Zostera marina leaf biomass (g C rrr2) during 10-year model simulations under various combinations of
             water column light attenuation and grazing intensity. Asterisks indicate loss of the community.  Reproduced from Wetzel
             and Neckles 1986.

                                                            Light Attenuation Coefficient (nT1)
Grazing
(% nominal)
100
50
25
10
1.00
141
135
113
105
1.25
136
123
69
53
1.50
107
69
*
*
1.75
*
*
*
*
 8
 CSC.SAV.W52

-------
                                                                         SAV and Water Quality Relationships
            Conceptual  Model  of SAV/Habltat  Interactions

                                             Light
                                                                          Water
                            Chlorophyll a
    Total
Suspended
   Solids
                                                                          Particles
                                                                                    Water Column
                                                                                        Light
                                                                                     Attenuation
                                                                                        (Kd)
                                         Epiphytes
                               Leaf Surface
                                  Light
                               Attenuation
Figure 11-11. Availability of light for SAV is determined by light attenuation processes. Water column attenuation, measured
as light attenuation coefficient (Kd), results from absorption and scatter of light by particles in the water (phytoplankton measured
as chlorophyll a; total organic and inorganic particles measured as total suspended solids) and by absorption of light by water
itself. Leaf surface attenuation, largely due to algal epiphytes growing on SAV leaf surfaces, also contributes to light attenuation.
Dissolved inorganic nutrients (DIN = dissolved inorganic nitrogen; DIP = dissolved inorganic phosphorus) contribute to the
phytoplankton and epiphyte components of overall light attenuation, and epiphyte grazers control accumulation of epiphytes.
                                                                                                   9
                                                                                             CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis

light absorption characteristics. There are several reasons
for this lack of correspondence:  1) chlorophyll a is only
one of many light absorbing pigments present in estuarine
phytoplankton; 2) chlorophyllaiscontainedinphytoplank-
ton cells of varying sizes (the "packaging effect"), affect-
ing light absorption characteristics; and,  3) the amount of
chlorophyll a can be highly variable due to adaptive re-
sponses, spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and measure-
ment technique. Despite  these shortcomings, the
measurement of chlorophyll a is used because chlorophyll
a is present in all major groups of phytoplankton and is the
standard method for estimating phytoplankton biomass.

Leaf Surface Light Attenuation

The other component of light attenuation crucial to SAV
is the attenuation by epiphytes and  particles on the leaf
surfaces. The growth of epiphytes and subsequent shading
of SAV has been implicated in the 1970s declines of SAV
in Chesapeake Bay (Orth and Moore 1983; Kemp et al.
 1983). Mesocosm and laboratory studies have borne out
the relationship  of nutrient loadings  stimulating epiphyte
growth on SAV leaves with resulting shading and die-back
ofSAV(Twilleyefa/. 1985). The light shading effect of
epiphytes has been directly  measured by Carter et al.
 (1985), who found that light transmittance through artifi-
 cial substrates was reduced to as little as 6% by epiphyte
 growth. A few studies have demonstrated that light attenu-
 ation through epiphyte shading can exceed light attenua-
 tion by the water column, especially  in the shallow waters
 of Chesapeake Bay (Staver 1985).

 Epiphytes on SAV leaves not only increase light attenu-
 ation but inhibit diffusion of substances into and out of the
 leaves. This thickening of the leaf boundary layer reduces
 the availability of key substances involved in metabolism;
 and, concurrently, decreases the mechanisms that remove
 metabolism by-products.  In the low  light of a turbid
 estuary such as Chesapeake Bay, the principal effect of
 epiphytes is to reduce light available for SAV photosyn-
 thesis. When light is limiting, as it often is for SAV  in
 Chesapeake Bay (Wetzel and Penhale 1983),  then the
 effect of epiphytes  on light availability is the relevant part
 of the SAV/light attenuation interaction.

 Algal epiphytes must obtain nutrients, such as nitrogen and
 phosphorus, in combination with carbon dioxide and light
 to achieve balanced growth. The principal sources for light
 (sun) and carbon dioxide (dissolved  as CO2 or HCO3 in the
 water) are the same for SAV and  epiphytes.  SAV and
 epiphytes differ, however, in their ability to extract nutri-
 ents from the sediments.  SAV have successfully adapted
 to exploit nutrient-rich sediments by absorbing nutrients

  10
 CSOSAV.1232
through their roots and translocating them to the above-
ground portions of the plant. SAV can also obtain nutrients
from the water column by leaf uptake (Couginar and Kalff
1980; Thursby and Harlin 1982).  Epiphytes, in contrast,
do not have access to the sediment pore water nutrients
exceptthrough small amounts of leakage from SAV (McRoy
and Goering 1974).

Increases in water column nitrogen and phosphorus can
stimulate algal epiphyte growth on SAV leaves (Borum
1985).  Sand-Jensen and Sondergaard (1981) observed
epiphyte biomass increase 200-fold as a result of nutrient
enrichment in Danish lakes. In Chesapeake Bay mesocosm
experiments, increased epiphyte biomass, resulting from
nutrient additions, led to reduced SAV growth and biomass
(Twilley et al. 1985). Additionally, the community struc-
ture of the epiphytic algae changes in response to nutrient
loading. Higher nutrient enrichment levels often lead to
epiphytic algal communities dominated by species other
than the "typical" diatom dominated assemblages (Moss
 1976).  Regardless of the species composition, the in-
creased epiphyte biomass resulting from nutrient additions
leads to reductions in light available for SAV photosyn-
thesis (Sand-Jensen  1975).  Further light  reductions to
plants that are already living in a turbid estuary can result
in senescence of  plant tissue and eventual population
 declines.

 Grazing by herbivorous invertebrates is an important con-
 trol of epiphyte biomass and productivity.  Snails (e.g.,
 Bittium varium) and isopods can enhance SAV growth and
 survival by cropping epiphytes (vanMontfrans et al. 1982).
 In the  absence of epiphyte grazers, a rapid build-up of
 epiphytes on SAV leaves can  occur in eutrophied areas
 (Howard and Short 1986). Experiments have shown that
 a five-fold greater above ground biomass of Z. marina is
 possible in treatments with epiphyte grazers present than
 in treatments without grazers  (Hootsmans and Vermaat
 1985). These results suggest that suppression of epiphyte
 biomass by grazing epifauna is an important factor in the
 maintenance of growth, productivity, and depth distribu-
 tion of SAV, particularly in light-stressed and nutrient-
 enriched portions of the  estuary (van Montfrans et al.
 1982). If grazing can keep up with increased epiphyte
 growth, biomass does not accumulate and leaf surface light
 attenuation by epiphytes does not increase.

 There are many estuarine examples where grazing does not
 keep up with epiphyte growth. Several factors contribute
 to the lack of grazer control of epiphyte populations.  One
 is the reduced diversity of grazers in estuarine habitats. The
 variable and low salinities of the estuary restrict the grazer
 species diversity of invertebrates, presumably due to os-

-------
moregulation demands. The life cycle considerations and
population fluctuations associated with each grazer spe-
cies, therefore, contributes to uneven grazing pressure on
epiphytes, allowing buildup of epiphyte biomass. Another
consideration is the change in species composition of algal
epiphytes as a result of nutrient enrichments (Kemp et al.
1988). These changes in species composition can result
in less palatable species predominating (Nuendorfer 1990).

The effect of water column nutrients  relative to  SAV
growth may be through the accumulation of epiphytes as
well as through phytoplankton growth.  The interaction
between  nitrogen and phosphorus in  controlling the
productivity of SAV and SAV epiphytes is crucial in
determining and ultimately predicting eutrophication effects
on Chesapeake Bay.  Few research studies have directly
addressed the nitrogen and phosphorus interaction aspect
of the SAV/epiphyte relationship.
                      SAV and Water Quality Relationships

In contrast, the interaction of nitrogen and phosphorus has
been studied extensively with respect to the role of the
nutrients as limiting factors for SAV growth and biomass.
This illustrates the apparent paradox that exists between
SAV and nutrients.  On one hand, sufficient nutrients are
necessary for the growth and survival of SAV; yet, on the
other hand, nutrientconcentrations that are too high promote
phytoplankton and epiphyte growth that inhibit SAV growth
through water column and leaf surface light attenuation,
respectively.  Various studies have established nitrogen as
a major limiting factor for the growth of marine SAV
(reviewed in Dennison et al. 1987), while phosphorus is
often thought to be the major limiting factor for freshwater
SAV (reviewed in Howarth 1988).  SAV in Chesapeake
Bay, which spans tidal fresh to polyhaline salinity regimes,
has a mixed response to nutrient additions, reflecting an
interactive role of nitrogen and phosphorus (Murray etal.
in review).
                                                                                                        11
                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12/92

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  Chapter  III
  SAV  Habitat  Requirements Development
         n the late 1980s, Chesapeake Bay submerged
         aquatic vegetation (SAV) investigators were pre-
         sented with a question at a Living Resources
 Habitat Requirements Development Workshop designed
 to elicit the water quality requirements of key SAV species.
 The question was: What are the habitat requirements nec-
 essary for the restoration of SAV in Chesapeake Bay? The
 majority of results from experimental work in Chesapeake
 Bay concluded that light limitation, due to nutrient enrich-
 ment and elevated suspended sediments, was the primary
 habitat quality issue facing SAV in the Bay.

 Approach to Development of SAV
 Habitat Requirements   	

 Rationale for Empirical Approach
 Until the SAV Technical Synthesis, no direct efforts were
 made to quantify the actual ambient light levels and con-
 centrations of total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, and
 nutrients necessary for SAV survival and growth in differ-
 ent regions of the Bay. This is mainly because many of
 the investigations into SAV/water quality interactions had
 been carried out in microcosms and mesocosms, which
 differ considerably from the real  world.

 This inconsistency is a continual problem in the environ-
 mental sciences, making the ultimate test  of scientific
 knowledge a  decision of how it can be used to  make
 predictions about the real world. Kemp et al (1983) have
 emphasized the trade-off in realism and controllability at
 various hierarchical scales in ecological investigations of
 complex systems in Figure III-l.  Although it is possible
 to decouple parts of the system and replicate it for detailed
 studies, there is a lack of generality because the system no
 longer functions in its original configuration.

 The pond mesocosm experiments, carried out at the Uni-
 versity of Maryland Horn Point Environmental Laboratory
 (HPEL) in the early 1980s, are prime examples of the
problems  of scale in investigating and quantifying SAV/
water quality relationships.  These experiments showed
that even low additions of nitrogen and phosphorus pumped
  HIGH

  §
  •
    ra
  LOW
                                         Realism
                                     Controllability
      SMALL
                       Scale of Study
LARGE
 Figure 111-1. Relative magnitudes of realism, controllability, and
 generality in research systems at various scales in a hierarchical
 scheme. It is conjectured that controllability decreases with increasing
 scale, whereas realism and  generality increase with  scale, and
 generality can  be extended somewhat by performing multiple
 experiments and by building generic mathematical models of systems
 being investigated. Modified from Kemp et al. 1980.
 into the ambient pond waters from the nearby Choptank
 River were enough to cause a 50% reduction in SAV
 biomass. The ponds lacked realism, however, in several
 key aspects.  One problem was the sediments. The sand
 in the bottom of the ponds, dredged from the Choptank
 River, was allowed to leach out several years before the
 experiment started. In contrast,  the Bay's sediments have
 a much higher organic and nutrient content in the intersti-
 tial waters because they are continually equilibrating with
 overlying waters. Due to leaching, the nutrient additions
 to the ponds were quickly absorbed by the sediments over
 a number of days (Figure III-2). Although this high rate
 of absorption could occur in certain situations after storm
 events, it has not been observed in the field.  Another
problem with the ponds was the lack of wave activity which
                                                                                                   13
                                                                                             CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
                    a) Nitrogen Uptake
                    246
                   Time Since Treatment (Days)
                                                            4-,
                                                          I
                                                          •a
                                                          2
                                                            1-
                  b) Nitrogen Content
        Control      Low      Medium
                   Nutrient Treatment
                                                                                                  High
Flaure III-2. Figure (a) shows the removal of NH4 and N03 from the water column in enriched treatments (• and •) and control treatments
(A and O). Figure (b) shows the incorporation of nitrogen into plant tissue for experimental pond ecosystems containing SAV and treated
with 3 levels of nutrient enrichment (plus controls). Reproduced from Kemp ef a/. 1984.
 significantly increases normal water column turbulence.
 Not only were the ponds more stratified than the Bay, but
 their sediments never resuspended. There was also little
 sediment input to the ponds due to reservoir filtration.

 Scientists are trained to make  interpretations based on
 "hard inference," where a particular experiment or line of
 experiments eliminate alternative hypotheses  about  the
 behavior of a system. Because of the potentially important
 differences between mesocosms and nature, the investiga-
 tors were reluctant to answer questions of what (and which)
 nutrient concentrations were detrimental to the Bay' s SAV.
 Their modeling approaches, used as an extension of pond
 and  lab experiments (e.g., Wetzel and Neckles  1986),
 never predicted what concentrations of nitrogen and phos-
 phorus were problematic for SAV in the field.  What was
 lacking was information from "soft inference."

 Correspondence Between SAV/Water Quality
 Gradients

 "Soft inference" requires inspiration (Beveridge 1950) as
 well as intensive detective work involving  probabilities
 that are akin to the well accepted epidemiologic studies in
 medicine that originated over a hundred years ago (Glass
  1986).  In this study, there are four independent sets of
 multi-year field observations which corroborate laboratory
 and mesocosm findings.

 The SAV habitat requirements,  developed through the
 analysis of findings from the four case study sites, are based
  on field  validation of SAV/water quality  relationships
initially defined through years of laboratory and mesocosm
studies and qualitative insights into SAV habitat require-
ments. Since natural interactions between all the param-
eters could not be modeled in a laboratory setting or even
in pond mesocosm, no quantitative habitat requirements
resulted. By focusing intensive field investigations along
an SAV/water quality gradient, the principal investigations
were able to quantify SAV/habitat quality interactions.

The basis for quantifying SAV habitat requirements-cor-
respondence analyses of SAV distribution and abundance
with water  quality gradients-was strengthened by two
components within each of the case studies. First, field
data has been collected over several years (almost a decade
in the Potomac) of varying meteorologic and hydrologic
conditions. Second, the findings from the four case studies,
across all salinity regimes, were similar for  light attenu-
ation coefficient, total suspended solids, and chlorophyll
a-consistent total suspended solids and chlorophyll a re-
sults were anticipated due to their close interaction with
water column light attenuation.

 Use of SAV Transplants in Habitat Requirement
Development
The discovery that SAV can be successfully transplanted
if the water quality is adequate led to the idea  of using
transplants as mini-experiments to determine if the water
 quality could support SAV growth. Transplants were used
because natural regrowth might be limited by the availabil-
 ity of seed and/or overwintering vegetative material for
 early spring growth.  If the transplants flourished in a
 particular area, it validated  the hypothesis that the water
  14
  CSCSAV.12S2

-------
  quality was sufficient for SAV growth and survival. At
  first, transplanting was viewed only as a potentially impor-
  tant tool in restoring SAV to previously unvegetated sites.
  However, when used over a number of sites throughout the
  estuary, transplanting was found to  be very useful in
  determining water quality thresholds necessary for SAV
  growth and survival.

  Determination of Critical Periods

  Periods chosen for application of the habitat requirements
  are defined as critical periods, when changes in water
  quality have the greatest effect on long-term SAV commu-
  nity survival.  In the tidal fresh, oligohaline, and mesoha-
  line regions of the Bay,  SAV overwinter as root stock,
  turions, or seeds.  As such, they are generally unaffected
  by water quality conditions during that time.  The critical
  period in these regions,  therefore, is  the above  ground
  growing season which occurs from the  spring through the
  fall.

  In the polyhaline region, the dominant SAV species, Zos-
  tera marina, is characterized by a bi-modal growth pattern,
  with high growth in the spring and fall and low growth
  during the summer and winter. Decreases in plant growth
 among the sites were found to be directly related to reduc-
 tions in water quality only during the spring  and fall.
 Growth was limited by low water temperatures during the
 winter.  In the summer, conditions were found to be
 generally similar with growth limited  by high tempera-
 tures. In the polyhaline region, therefore, water quality
 during the spring and fall seasons is critical to long-term
 community survival.  Water quality measurements  are
 integrated over the spring and fall seasons to provide a
 measure of habitat quality.

 Averaging Method

 Habitat requirements for SAV growth and survival were
 developed based on analysis and interpretation of seasonal
 medians of water quality data.  Median  values were used
 to characterize the water quality conditions that SAV were
 exposed to over an annual growing season of April-Octo-
 ber. These medians were calculated separately for each site
 and year, since the presence and condition of SAV at a site
 often varied from year to year. The data were not averaged
 spatially (among sites) or over long periods of time (across
 different years). The comparison of nearshore and mid-
 channel water quality data was also conducted using sea-
 sonal median values  for all parameters.

Median values were chosen because they are more accurate
estimators of the "average" or "typical"  value than  mean
                      SAV Habitat Requirements Development

  values when the data have a skewed and/or  censored
  distribution. Many of the data sets analyzed and presented
  in the SAV Technical Synthesis possess one or both char-
  acteristics to some degree. Skewed distributions occurred
  for parameters with a few high concentration values, such
  as chlorophyll a and total suspended solids. Censored data
  occurred when the results were below the method detection
  limit and were most common for nitrogen and phosphorus
  parameters measured at mid-channel stations. The median
  is unaffected by censored values if they make up less than
  half of the observations. Data used in the development of
  the SAV habitat requirements never had more than half the
  observations below detection limits.

  Secchi Depth/Light Attenuation Conversion

  The Secchi depth measurement is a simple field measure-
  ment that has been in use for over a century. The use of
  a Secchi disk to estimate water column light attenuation
  is based on a convenient coincidence. Light that is visible
  to the human eye is remarkably similar in terms of the light
  wavelength  that is available  to plants for photosynthesis
  (photosynthetically active radiation=400-700 nm).  More
  recently, photoelectric light  meters have been commer-
  cially available and are used extensively to measure under-
  water light fields. These light meters  measure light  as
 moles of quanta between 400-700 nm wavelengths. The
 measurement of light quanta (= photons) is relevant, since
 photosynthesis is  a quantum process.  Discrepancies  in
 light attenuation (measured by the Secchi disk) versus light
 attenuation (measured by a photosynthetically active ra-
 diation light  meter) are addressed through the application
 of a conversion calculation.

 Conversion factors between Secchi depth and light attenu-
 ation coefficient (Kd) were originally developed for clear
 ocean waters and  more recently formulated for  various
 estuaries. Considerable discussion over the relative merits
 of making such conversions has occurred, both historically
 (e.g., Poole and Atkins 1929) andrecently (e.g., Preisendorfer
 1986; Megard and Berman 1989). Developing a relevant
 conversion factor is particularly important when utilizing
 historical data sets  containing Secchi data (e.g., Giesen et
 al.  1990).  As simple as a Secchi depth measurement
 appears, there are many subjective influences on making
 such a measurement which have been  codified into 10
 "laws of the Secchi disk" (Preisendorfer 1986).  In spite
 of these subjective aspects, open ocean Secchi depth mea-
 surements are as accurate and precise as photoelectric
 sensors  (Megard and Berman  1989).

The application of Secchi depth measurements in deter-
mining light attenuation in turbid, coastal waters has prob-
                                                                                                        15
                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis
t
     .0
    0.5
             •1.0
                       -0.5
     •0.5
        Pods and AlHns (1929)
        Gil (1949)
        Graham (1966)
        Hoinas(1970)
        Mso and Gaxsrt (1974)
        \Wctxw (19T6)
        P««oaa(1980)
        Gfcsen (1988)
log light attenuation
coefficient (ni1  )
   Figure lil-3.  Double logarithmic plot of Secchi depth and light attenuation coefficient
   values.  Reproduced from Giesen etal. 1990.
   lems not encountered in open ocean situations. Organic
   detritus  from decaying plant material (e.g., salt marsh
   plants, SAV, and terrestrial plants) can attenuate light both
   as paniculate matter and dissolved matter. Water in the
   tidal fresh and oligohaline portions of the Bay is often tea-
   colored  from the decomposing plant matter that leaches
   humic substances. Because of this colored material in the
   water column, discrepancies between what the human eye
   perceives and what the photoelectric light meter measures
   becomes acute. Secchi depth measurements in these por-
   tions of the estuary may not be adequate estimates of light
   attenuation. Large adjustments in the conversion factor
   between Secchi depth and light attenuation coefficient are
   required in these regions. To develop accurate conversion
   factors, simultaneous measurements of Secchi depth and
   light attenuation must be performed for each water body.

   Use of a photoelectric light meter is an easy way to avoid
   the problems of developing conversion factors (e.g.,
                Preisendorfer 1986).  Equally impor-
                tant in a turbid estuary such as Chesa-
                peake Bay is the precise measurement
                of water depth that must accompany a
                Secchi depth measurement or lightread-
                ing. Since light extinction is an expo-
                nential decay function, relatively small
                changes in the measurement of water
                depth in turbid waters led to large changes
                in the calculated light attenuation coef-
                ficient. Sea state, therefore, affects the
                accuracy of water depth measurements
                and requires an eleventh "law of the
                Secchi disk" for estuaries.

                 Conversion factors for various water
                 bodies have been formulated by simul-
                 taneous  Secchi  depth  and light
                 attenuation  measurements and is an
                 area of considerable dispute. Even the
                 original conversion factor of Kd = 1.11
                 Secchi depth, proposed by Poole and
                 Atkins (1929) using measurements taken
                 in the English Channel, was recalcu-
                 lated by Walker (1980) to be 1.45 and
                 by Megard and Berman (1989) to be
                  1.6. However, conversion factors for-
                 mulated for oceanic waters  are  not
                 directly applicable to Chesapeake B ay.
                 Lower conversion factors than the Poole
                  and Atkins value of 1.7 have been
                  determined for turbid waters-Holmes
                  (1970) proposed 1.44 and Walker (1980)
	              recommended 1.46.  A recent study
                  conducted to cover the Secchi depth
 range of 0.5 to 2.0 m incorporated the measurements of
 8 independent researchers and determined an average
 conversion factor of Kd = 1.65/Secchi depth (Giesen et
 al. 1990;  Figure III-3).

 Simultaneous  measurements in the Chesapeake Bay of
 Secchi depth and light attenuation using a photoelectric
 light meter resulted in average conversion factors ranging
 from 1.4  to 1.7.   York River data indicate a median
 conversion factor of 1.4 (Hay ward and Webb, unpublished
 data).   Twenty-four simultaneous measurements at the
 mouth of the Susquehanna River,  taken in September,
 1989, resulted in  conversion factors ranging from 1.5 to
 1.95, with an  average value of 1.7 (see the upper Chesa-
 peakeBay study area section). A conversion factor of 1.38
 was determined for the Potomac River (Carter and Rybicki
 1990).  Separate conversion factors for the various case
 studies were used.  For polyhaline (York River) and me-
 sohaline (Choptank River) case studies, Kd = 1.45/Secchi
    16
    CSC.SAV.1Z52

-------
                                                                           SAV Habitat Requirements Development
 depth was used. For the upper Potomac River case study,
 Kd = 1.38/Secchi depth was used. The upper Bay sites had
 conversion factors ranging from 1.5 to 1.7/Secchi depth,
 depending on the location.

 These differences in conversion factors lead to small changes
 in the determination of light attenuation coefficients in
 turbid waters.  For example, only a 5% discrepancy be-
 tween light attenuation coefficient values occurs when
 comparing conversion factors of 1.4 versus 1.7 in water
 columns with a Secchi depth of 0.5 m. For the baywide
 application of the  resultant SAV habitat requirements
 across salinity regimes, the conversion factor of Kd = 1.457
 Secchi depth has been adopted.

 Light Attenuation/SAV Depth Penetration
 Minimum light requirements for SAV can be determined
 where the maximum depth limit and light attenuation
 coefficient are simultaneously measured. Percent of inci-
 dent light that corresponds to maximum depth penetration
 of a) freshwater SAV and b) marine SAV can be deter-
 mined by using the exponential light attenuation equation:
                                         Water Depth vs. Light Attenuation
          =i
(i)
where Iz is the light at depth z, Io is the light at the water
surface, Kd is the light attenuation coefficient and z is the
depth. Assuming that the minimum light requirement is
the light level at the maximum depth penetration of SAV,
the depth z in equation (1) can be determined by rearrang-
ing equation (1) to:
            _ ~-Kd-z
                       (2)
to yield the fraction of light remaining at depth z. Mul-
tiplying the fraction Iz/Io by 100 yields a percentage and
gives the minimum light requirement as a time-integrated
proportion of surface irradiance necessary to sustain SAV
at its deepest habitat (Figure III-4).  The conversion be-
tween Secchi depth to Kd that was used for literature values
was Kd = 1.65/Secchi depth (from Giesen et al. 1990).

The average minimum light requirement for freshwater
SAV from 88 lakes in Canada was determined to be 2.5
to 21.4% (Chambers and Kalff 1985). The minimum light
requirements for marine SAV range from 2.5 to 24.4%,
depending on the species (Table III-l).

The variation in minimum light requirements can be attrib-
uted to differences in physiological and morphological
adaptations of the various species. Marine SAV genera,
such as Heterozostera and Halophila, have low minimum
light requirements and grow deeper than other SAV spe-
                                                 Percantaga of Light Intensity

                                FigurellI-4. The water depth versus lightattenuation curves were plotted
                                using the exponential equation lz=l0«e-K (see text for explanation of
                                symbols).  Changes in  Kd, the light attenuation coefficient, lead to
                                changes in the light available to SAV at different water depths. For
                                example, if SAV survival is limited to light levels of 20% or higher of
                                surface light intensity, then water with a Kd of 2.0m-1 will support SAV to
                                a depth of 0.8m, water with a Kd of 1.5m-1 will support SAV to a depth of
                                1.1 m, and water with a Kd of 0.8m-1 will support SAV to a depth of 2.0m.
 cies where they co-exist (Shepherd and Robertson 1989;
 Coles etal. 1989, respectively), indicating that minimum
 light requirements vary between species. The predominant
 marine SAV species in Chesapeake Bay, Z. marina, has
 minimum light requirements that have been independently
 determined among three different locations to be about
 20%. Integrated over the entire year, Z. marina in Chesa-
 peake Bay has minimum light requirements of 23.9% (see
 the York River study area section).

 In Chesapeake Bay, freshwater SAV species can grow
 deeper (up to 3 m) than marine SAV.  This difference is
 attributed to the ability of some freshwater SAV species
 to grow to the water surface and form leaf canopies that
 intercept light before it is attenuated by the water column.
 The canopy-forming SAV (e.g., Hydrilla  verticillata,
 Myriophyllum spicatum) are able to tolerate higher water
 column light attenuation as a consequence. Only some
 freshwater SAV have this morphology. Marine SAV and
 other freshwater SAV (e.g., Vallisneria americana) form
 meadows at the bottom  of the water column  (reviewed
 by Stevenson 1988).

The different abilities of canopy- versus meadow-forming
 SAV to tolerate water column light attenuation result in
different minimum light  requirements for these plants.
For example, the minimum light requirement for canopy-
forming, freshwater SAV in the tidal fresh to oligohaline
sections of the Potomac River was estimated at5% (Carter
and Rybicki  1990).  In contrast, estimates of meadow-
                                                                                                        17
                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
Table IIM. Maximum depth limit, light attenuation coefficient, and minimum light requirements of various species of SAV: Where Secchi
depths were reported, Kd = 1 .65/Secchi depth was applied (Giesen et al. 1 990). Minimum light requirement was calculated
as percent light at the maximum depth limit using 100 x \j\0 = e*L Ranges of maximum depth limit and light attenuation
coefficient values and means ± standard error of minimum light requirement are given in locations with multiple data points.
Genus
Species (Reference)
Thalassia
testudinum (1)
Zostera
marina (2)
Zostera
marina (3)
Zostera
marina (4)
Syrlngodium
ftliforme (5)
Halodule
wrightii (5)
Posldonia
oceanica (6)
Cymodocea
nodosa (6)
Heterozostera
tasmanica (7)
Halophila
decipiens (8)
Halophila
decipiens (5)
Halophila
stipulacea (9)
Location
South coast,
Puerto Rico
Kattegat,
Denmark
Roskilde Fjord,
Denmark
Woods Hole,
MA, U.S.A.
Kobe Sound,
FL, U.S.A.
Kobe Sound,
FL, U.S.A.
Malta,
Mediterranean
Malta,
Mediterranean
Victoria,
Australia
St. Croix,
Caribbean
Kobe Sound,
FL, U.S.A.
Gulf of Eliat,
Red Sea
Maximum
Depth
Limit
(m)
1.0-5.0
3.7-10.1
2.0-5.0
6.0
1.9
1.9
35.0 .
38.5
3.8-9.8
40.0
4.0
50.0
Light
Attenuation
Coefficient
(m-1)
0.35-1.50
0.16-0.36
0.32-0.92
0.28
0.93
0.93
0.07
0.07
0.36-0.85
0.08
0.93
0.07
Minimum
Light
Requirement
(%).
24.4±4.2
20.1±2.1
19.4±1.3
18.6
n.2
17.2
9.2
7.3
5.010.6
4.4
2.5
3.0
         References:
         (1)  Vicente and Rivera, 1982
         (2)  Ostcnfcld, 1908
         (3)  Bonim, 1983
         (4)  Dcnnison, 1987
         (5)  Kcnworthy ct al., 1990
         (6)  Drew.  1978
         (7)  Bullhuis, 1983
         (8)  Williams and Dennison,  1990
         (9)  Beer and Waisel, 1982
18
CSOSAV.1282

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                                                                          SAV Habitat Requirements Development
 forming, polyhaline SAV (Z. marina) were on the order
 of 20% (Table III-1).

 As a consequence of these differences in minimum light
 requirements, the maximum depth penetration of canopy-
 forming versus meadow-forming SAV are different (Figures
 III-5 and III-6). The ability of canopy-forming SAV to
 grow to  the  surface and have deeper maximum depth
 limits than meadow-forming SAV only applies in shallow,
 turbid estuaries like Chesapeake Bay. In clearer waters,
 meadow-forming SAV penetrate much deeper than canopy-
 forming SAV. Canopy-forming SAV are susceptible to
 seasonal reductions in light availability when, in the
 spring, young shoots which have not reached the water's
 surface are subject to water column light attenuation like
 meadow-forming SAV.

 To meet the objectives of the SAV Technical Synthesis,
 light requirements for meadow-forming SAV have been
 used in the establishment of the SAV habitat requirements.
 Canopy-forming SAV (e.g., H. verticillataandM. spicatum)
 are generally limited to tidal fresh and oligohaline habitats.
 Meadow-forming species, like V. americana andZ. marina,
 inhabit larger ranges of salinities within Chesapeake Bay.
 Meeting light requirements for meadow-forming SAV,
 therefore, will ensure that the requirements are met for
 all Chesapeake Bay meadow-forming and canopy-forming
 SAV species.

 Depth Penetration-Based Habitat Requirements
 In presenting  the SAV habitat requirements, a distinction
 has been made between habitat requirements that simply
 provide sufficient water quality to maintain existing SAV
 beds versus habitat requirements for restoration of SAV to
 deeper depths and currently  non-vegetated locations.
 Achievement of SAV habitat requirements for one meter
restoration only means that SAV will persist in the shal-
 lowest (<1 m) depths.  Achievement of SAV habitat re-
 quirements for  two meter restoration, in contrast, will
promote a diverse SAV species composition, high biom-
 ass, and more extensive depth penetration. Habitat require-
 ments for two meter restoration have not yet been formulated
for Chesapeake Bay SAV, except for light attenuation
coefficient which is described below.

Light attenuation with depth, calculated using equation (1),
assuming a minimum light requirement for SAV at 20%
surface irradiance (e.g., Z. marina), and Kd = 1.5 m'1 (SAV
habitat requirement for one meter restoration) results in an
SAV depth limit of approximately 1.1 m (Figure III-7).
 This indicates that to maintain SAV beds in Chesapeake
 Bay, a Secchi depth of at least 1.0 m is required. In contrast,
 the SAV habitat requirement for two meter restoration,
 assuming the same minimum light requirement (20% sur-
 face irradiance) and having the distribution restoration
 goal going down to a 2 m depth, would require that the light
 attenuation coefficient Kd = 0.8 nv1 (Figure III-8). In this
 case, an average Secchi depth of at least 1.8 m is required
 for restoration of SAV to the 2 m depth.

 SAV/Habitat Feedbacks

 One of the principal ecological effects of SAV beds is to
 modify their physical, chemical, and biological environ-
 ment through various feedback controls. The consequence
 of these SAV/environment interactions is  to create  a
 "microenvironment" in which water quality parameters,
 such as those used for the SAV habitat requirements, are
 affected and, to some degree,  controlled by SAV.  For
 example, an existing SAV bed can baffle the water column
 with its leaf canopies, reducing water motion and facilitat-
 ing settlement of fine particles (Ward et al. 1984). These
 particles are then bound by SAV  roots and rhizomes,
 reducing resuspension of particles due to tidal and  wind
 mixing (Burrell and Schubel 1977). Filter-feeding organ-
 isms associated with SAV beds also filter the water col-
 umn, contributing to reduced light attenuation (Cohen et
 al. 1984). The net effect of these processes within an SAV
 bed is to reduce water column light attenuation, allowing
 existing SAV beds to persist in fluctuating conditions.

 In this context,  historical Chesapeake Bay SAV popula-
 tions were probably not only able to modify their micro-
 environment but also affect water quality throughout the
 entire Bay. Fluctuations in water quality, buffered by this
 feedback control exerted by SAV, could occur without
 drastically affecting SAV. The resurgence of SAV in the
 Potomac River demonstrated the importance of these feed-
 back controls on water quality (Carter et al. 1988). With
 the reduced SAV populations currently existing in Chesa-
 peake Bay, however, such feedback controls are not as
 extensive. The habitat requirements developed and pre-
 sented here are based on existing SAV populations in the
 Bay. Different requirements could be obtained with more
 abundant SAV populations, as probably was the case when
 the Bay was more extensively vegetated.

 SAV Habitat Requirements	

Empirical relationships between water quality character-
istics and the presence of SAV beds have been developed
using data generatedin various regions of ChesapeakeBay.
                                                                                                      19
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SAV Technical Synthesis

           Minimum Light Requirements for Canopy-Forming SAV
                                                                    5% Minimum
                                                                   Light Requirement
100% Surface
 Light Level
Figure HI-5. The interrelationships between light attenuation, minimum light requirements for SAV, Secchi depth and maximum depth of
SAV survival are depicted schematically. The intersection of the minimum light requirement of canopy forming SAV (5%) and light attenuation
curve for Kd = 2m-1 determines the maximum depth of SAV survival for canopy-forming SAV as 1.5m at this light attenuation level.
           Minimum Light Requirements for Meadow-Forming  SAV
                                                                        20% Minimum
                                                                       Light Requirement
100% Surface
 Light Level
                                                                                     Kd=2m-1
 Figure III-6. The interrelationships between light attenuation, minimum light requirements for meadow-forming SAV, Secchi depth and
 maximum depth of SAV survival are depicted schematically. The intersection of the minimum light requirement of meadow-forming SAV
 (20%) and light attenuation curve for Kd = 2m~1 determines the maximum depth of SAV survival for meadow-forming SAV as 0.8m at this
 attenuation level.
 20
 CSOSW.1292

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                                                                         SAV Habitat Requirements Development

    One Meter Restoration Habitat Requirement for  Light Attenuation
                                                                            20% Minimum
                                                       SeCChi depths 0.7m    Light Requirement
   100% Surface
    Light Level
     Maximum Depth of
     SAV Survival
Kd=2m-i
Figure III-7.  The interrelationships between light attenuation, the one meter restoration habitat requirement for light attenuation (for the
tidal fresh and oligohaline areas), Secchi depth and maximum depth of SAV survival are depicted schematically. The intersection of the
minimum light requirement (20%) and light attenuation curve determines the maximum depth of SAV survival. Based on the achievement
of a one meter restoration habitat requirement of Kd = 2.0m-1, corresponding with a Secchi depth of 1.0m and given Secchi depth = 1.45/
Kd, the maximum depth of SAV survival is approximately 0.8m.
    Two Meter Restoration Habitat  Requirement for Light Attenuation
                                                    Secchi depth = 1.8m    20% Minimum
                                                                     Light Requirement
1OO% Surface
 Light Level
                                                                                      Kd=0.8m-i
                                Maximum Depth of
                               SAV Survival (2.0m)1
Figure III-8. The interrelationships between light attenuation, the two meter restoration habitat requirement for light attenuation, Secchi
depth and maximum depth of SAV survival are depicted schematically. The intersection of the minimum light requirement (20%) and light
attenuation curve determines the maximum depth of SAV survival. Based on the achievement of a two meter restoration habitat requirement
of Kd = 0.8m-1, corresponding with a Secchi depth of 1.8m and given Secchi depth = 1.45/Kd, the maximum depth of SAV survival is
approximately 2.0m.
                                                                                                     21
                                                                                                CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
The four study areas were extended to five, with the upper
Potomac River divided into two separate regions-tidal
fresh and oligohaline.  Table m-2 presents SAV habitat
requirements for one meter restoration-water quality nec-
essary to allow existing SAV to persist in the shallowest
depths of its distribution (<1 m)-as developed for each of
the four study areas. Achievement of these habitat require-
ments does not  guarantee a diverse, dense,  and deep-
growing SAV bed. Instead, these water quality values
indicate the critical point below which SAV survival is no
longer possible.

The relationships of light attenuation coefficient, total
suspended solids, chlorophyll a, dissolved inorganic nitro-
gen, and dissolved inorganic phosphorus with SAV sur-
vival provide an empirically derived, "real-world" solution
to the problem of determining habitat requirements for
SAV survival. Application of these relationships (devel-
oped from data sets collected from different river systems
of Chesapeake Bay, by different investigators, and over the
span of several years) forms the basis of the SAV habitat
requirements presented in this document.  The extensive
data sets developed for the Choptank, York, and Potomac
rivers, augmented by data sets from the upper Chesapeake
Bay, were used to formulate habitat requirements for SAV.
The span of years studied most intensively in all four study
regions, 1986-1989, included hydrologically dissimilar
years. The 1986-1988 years were low rainfall, low runoff
years, and  1989 was a high rainfall, high runoff year.

As indicated in the conceptual model of SAV/habitat inter-
actions, the parameters used in the delineation of habitat
requirements are not independent variables. The degree of
interdependence of these water quality characteristics in the
mesohaline and polyhaline regions is  illustrated by the
three-dimensional plots of total suspended solids, chloro-
phyll a, and light attenuation coefficient for the Choptank
(Figure IH-9) and York rivers  (Figure III-10). Sampling
stations in each of the different regions were classified as
having SAV beds that were either persistent or  fluctuating.
Areas with persistent beds were defined as areas where
SAV survived across multiple growing seasons. Areas with
fluctuating beds were defined as areas where SAV was
present for one growing  season or less or where there
appeared to be significant shifts in the interannual distribu-
tion and abundance patterns. Light attenuation is strongly
affected by total suspended solids and chlorophyll a in both
regions.  Analysis of these plots reveals the basis of the
habitat requirements for these parameters: total suspended
solids <15 mg/1, chlorophyll a <15 pg/1, and light attenua-
tion coefficient <1.5 m"1 correspond with persistent SAV
growth and survival in mesohaline and polyhaline regions.
High values of total suspended solids or chlorophyll a
increase light  attenuation  and, consequentially, prevent
SAV from surviving. The same SAV habitat requirements
for total suspended solids and chlorophyll a were derived
for tidal fresh and oligohaline regions  from the upper
Chesapeake Bay and upper Potomac River study areas,
although the light attenuation requirements were slightly
higher (<2.0 nr1).

There are few data where total suspended solids are low and
chlorophyll a values are high, indicating a probable interac-
tion between these water quality parameters.  Periods of
phytoplankton blooms (reflected in the chlorophyll a val-
ues) can be linked to periods of wind mixing in mesohaline
and polyhaline regions where phytoplankton and nutrients
are maintained in the water column by resuspension. The
wind mixing events contributing to phytoplankton blooms
also resuspend sediments,  accounting for high total sus-
pended solids values. In tidal fresh and oligohaline regions,
phytoplankton form a significant part of the total suspended
solids (Carter and Rybicki  1990).

In contrast, total suspended solids concentrations are often
high when chlorophyll a values are low. There are several
reasons for this.  In mesohaline and polyhaline regions, if
runoff events are not accompanied by wind mixing, high
suspended solids could result. Temperature, salinity or
nutrient availability could inhibit phytoplankton  growth
during periods when wind mixing promotes  an unstratified
water columnotherwiseconduciveto phytoplankton growth.
The temporal variability in high suspended solids events
is probably  greater than the variability in phytoplankton
blooms (e.g., wind or runoff events can affect suspended
solids within hours, yet phytoplankton blooms take days
to develop). Regardless of the mechanism of water column
light attenuation, the result is an increased light attenuation
coefficient that directly affects SAV growth and survival.

The interrelationships between dissolved inorganic nitro-
gen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, and light attenuation
coefficient for the Choptank  (Figure III-ll) and York
rivers (Figure III-12) reveal the basis of and interrelations
between the habitat requirements for these  parameters.
These data indicate an interdependence of both nitrogen
and phosphorus  in determining  light attenuation.  Low
concentrations of dissolved inorganic phosphorus are par-
ticularly crucial for SAV survival, with maximum growing
season median values of 0.01 to 0.02 mg/1 in areas with
persistent SAV beds.

Limiting concentrations of dissolved inorganic phospho-
rus in the upper Chesapeake Bay study area were similar
to those in the mesohaline and polyhaline regions. Dis-
solved inorganic phosphorus concentrations in the upper
 22
 CSC,SAV.12/K

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                                                                                    SAV Habitat Requirements Development
Table 111-2. Summary of Chesapeake Bay SAV Habitat Requirements for the Four Study Regions.
         Study Region
    Light Attenuation
    Coefficient (hi'1)
  Secchi Depth (m)
    Total Suspended
      Solids (mg/1)
   Upper Chesapeake Bay
   Upper Potomac River/Tidal
   Fresh
   Upper Potomac River/
   Oligohaline
   Choptank River
   York River
Existing SAV beds declined, at  SAV survived sheltered areas at No SAV found in areas >20;
>2; <2 necessary for survival   >0.8; >1.0 necessary for        <10 correlated with persistent
                             unsheltered areas              SAV beds

>2.4 correlated with failure of   No SAV revegetation at <0.5;   <15-16 correlated with
revegetation;<2.2 correlated'    SAV revegetation and   .       revegetation and expansion of
with revegetation              expansion atsO.7              SAV

Established SAV beds survived  SAV survived at levels as low   ^15-16 correlated with    ;
at values as high as 2.7         as 0.5                ,        revegetation and continued
                       •                                   propagation
<1.S correlated with persistent
SAV growth; <2.0 correlated
with survival of fluctuating
SAV growth
         >0.8
                                        >0.8
         Study Region
  Chlorophyll a(ug/l)
Dissolved Inorganic
  Nitrogen (mg/1)
  Dissolved Inorganic
   Phosphorus (mg/1)
   Upper Chesapeake Bay
   Upper Potomac River/Tidal
   Fresh
   Upper Potomac River/
   Oligohaline
   Choptank River
   York River
<15 supported SAV
revegetation and expansion;
no impact on well established
beds at >30 for short time
periods    '

^15 supported SAV
revegetation and expansion
<15 SAV survived and
propagated; <10 maybe
necessary to sustain SAV
populations
      See Below
      See Below^
         <0.15
                                        <0.15
>0.02 led to declines of
fluctuating. SAV beds; <0.02
necessary for SAV survival

<0.04 correlated with
revegetation of SAV
<0.04-0.07 correlated with
survival of established SAV
beds and revegetation

           <0.01
                                      <0.02
1.      Upper Potomac River/Tidal Fresh: No dissolved inorganic nitrogen habitat requirement could be established.  Concentrations of
       >1.5 mg/l are common.  Ammonia concentrations >0.6 mg/l associated with revegetation failure.  Revegetation occurred when
       ammonia concentration decreased to < 0.4 mg/l. Nitrate plus nitrite concentration < 1.7-2 mg/l compatible with SAV propagation
       and survival.                                      •

2.      Upper Potomac/Oligohaline:  No dissolved inorganic nitrogen habitat requirement could be established. Concentrations of >1.5
       mg/l are common.  SAV survived at ammonia concentrations of 0.4-0.7 mg/l. Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations <1.7-2 mg/l were
       compatible with SAV propagation and survival.

Note:  Persistent SAV T- areas where SAV survived across multiple growing seasons.  Fluctuating SAV — areas where SAV was present
       for one growing season or less or where there appeared to be significant shifts in the interannual distribution and abundance patterns.
                                                                                                                      23
                                                                                                                CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis

Potomac River study area were higher than those in the
other three study areas but far lower than during the 1960s
and 1970s. The potential for large phytoplankton blooms
is still very high in the Potomac if climatic conditions are
appropriate. Such blooms, if infrequent, may not adversely
affect established SAV populations but may prevent ex-
pansion into unvegetated areas.

In contrast, dissolved inorganic nitrogen values appear less
important to SAV survival, especially in tidal fresh and
oligohaline regions of the Bay. These values were rarely
high when phosphorus was below 0.01 mgA, precluding an
opportunity to investigate the effect of elevated nitrogen
concentrations alone. Evidence from low salinity portions
of the Bay indicated that high dissolved inorganic nitrogen
can be tolerated by SAV (see Table III-2). In areas where
dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations were low,
SAV survival only occurred when accompanied by low
phosphorus values. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen medians
<0.15 mg/1 correspond with persistent SAV growth in the
Choptank (Figure HI-11) and York rivers (Figure IH-12).
26
CSOSAV.12%

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Chapter  IV
SAV  Habitat  Requirements  and Restoration  Targets
        ith the Chesapeake's wide range of salinity, the
        diversity of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)
        communities throughout the Bay has led to the
establishment of separate habitat requirements for the
following salinity regimes: tidal fresh, oligohaline, meso-
haline, and polyhaline. The habitat requirements for each
salinity regime  are based on results from the four study
areas. Each study area included at least two of the salinity
regimes,  so  the resulting habitat requirements are not
specific to results from a single study area. Tidal fresh and
oligohaline SAV habitat requirements are based  on upper
Chesapeake Bay and upper Potomac River studies (Chap-
ter V). Mesohaline and polyhaline SAV habitat require-
ments are based on Choptank River and York River studies
(Chapter V).
Empirical relationships between water quality character-
istics and SAV distributions provided the means of defin-
ing requirements for SAV survival.   SAV  habitat
requirements were formulated by: a) determining SAV
distributions by transplant survival and bay wide distribu-
tional surveys; b) measuring water quality characteristics
along large scale transects that spanned vegetated and non-
vegetated regions; and, c) combining distributional data
and water quality levels to establish minimum water qual-
ity conditions that support SAV survival.

This type of analysis (referred to as correspondence analy-
sis) was strengthened by factors common to each of the
case studies.  Field data was collected over several years
(almost a decade in the Potomac River) in varying meteo-
Table IV-1. Chesapeake Bay SAV Habitat Requirements.
                     SAV Habitat Requirements For One Meter Restoration1
                            Habitat Requirements Which Effect
                        Water Column/Leaf Surface Light Attenuation
                           SAV Habitat Requirements
                                For Two Meter
                                 Restoration1
Salinity2
Regime
Tidal Fresh
Oligohaline
Mesohaline
Polyhaline
Light3 Total
Attenuation Suspended Chlorophyll
Coefficient Solids a
(m-1) (mg/1) (ug/1)
<2 <15 <15
<2 <15 <15
5-18ppt; and, polyhaline=>18ppt.
3.  For determination of Secchi depth habitat requirements, apply the conversion factor Secchi depth=1.45/l!ght attenuation coefficient.
                                                                                                        27
                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12S2

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SAV Technical Synthesis
rologic and hydrologic conditions by different investiga-
tors. SAV distributions in the four case studies across all
salinity regimes were responsive to the five water quality
parameters used to develop habitat requirements. In ad-
dition, inter-annual changes in water quality led to changes
in SAV distribution and abundance in each region that were;
consistent with the habitat requirements.

SAV habitat requirements represent water quality condi-
tions sufficient to support survival, growth, and reproduc-
tion of SAV to water depths of one meter and two meters
(Table IV-1).  For SAV to  survive to one meter, light
attenuation coefficients <2 nr1 for tidal fresh and oligoha-
line regions and <1.5 nr1 for mesohaline and polyhaline
regions were needed. Total suspended solids (<15 mg/1)
and chlorophyll a (<15 ug/1) values were consistent for all
regions.  However, one meter habitat  requirements for
dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic phos-
phorus varied, as anticipated, between salinity regimes. In
tidal fresh and oligohaline regions, SAV survive  episodi-
cally and chronically high dissolved inorganic nitrogen
concentrations, consequently habitat requirements for dis-
solved inorganic nitrogen were not determined for these
regions.  In contrast, maximum dissolved inorganic nitro-
gen concentrations of 0.15 mg/1 were established for me-
sohaline and  polyhaline regions.  The SAV habitat
requirement for dissolved inorganic phosphorus was <0.02
mg/1 for all regions except for mesohaline regions (<0.01
mg/1).  SAV habitat requirements for two meters were not
determined by water quality correlations with SAV distri-
butions due to lack of data; however, a habitat requirement
for light attenuation coefficient (<0.8 nr1) was calculated.

Overall,  SAV habitat requirements developed for total
suspended solids and chlorophyll a are identical for all
salinity regimes of Chesapeake Bay. However, there is a
difference between light attenuation coefficients in tidal
fresh and oligohaline (<2.0 nr1) and mesohaline and poly-
haline  (<1.5 nr1) regions.   This  difference  is partially
explained by the lack of persistent SAV beds in the tidal
fresh and oligohaline regions. For example, most of the
SAV in the upper Chesapeake Bay goes through extensive
year-to-year variation in abundance resulting from changes
in precipitation and Susquehanna River runoff (Chapter
V). SAV habitat requirements for the salinity regimes are,
therefore, more a reflection of fluctuating rather than
persistent SAV. This accounts for the less stringent light
attenuation coefficient habitat requirement for tidal fresh
and oligohaline regions.

SAV habitat requirements for dissolved inorganic nitrogen
and dissolved inorganic phosphorus differ substantially
between salinity regimes. The lack of dissolved inorganic
28
CSOSAV.12/K
nitrogen habitat requirements for tidal fresh and oligoha-
line regions reflects the ability of SAV to survive the
variable dissolved inorganic nitrogen  concentrations in
these  regions.  The importance of dissolved inorganic
nitrogen in mesohaline and polyhaline regions, reflected
in a habitat requirement of <0.15  mg/1, is related to the
relative importance of nitrogen as a limiting nutrient for
plant growth in marine habitats (e.g., Valiela  1988).  In
contrast, the relative importance of phosphorus as a lim-
iting nutrient for plant growth in freshwater habitats con-
tributes to the lower dissolved inorganic phosphorus habitat
requirementformesohaline compared to polyhaline reaches.
Once  again, the tidal fresh and oligohaline regions have
less stringent requirements for dissolved inorganic phos-
phorus as a result of the presence of only fluctuating SAV
beds.

SAV habitat requirements for tidal fresh and oligohaline
regions of Chesapeake Bay were developed based on
distributions  of native, meadow-forming species.   The
lower tidal fresh and oligohaline reaches of the Potomac
River have extensive SAV beds along its shorelines. These
well established Potomac  River SAV beds are able to
withstand higher  light attenuation coefficient and dis-
solved inorganic phosphorus levels, as monitored in the
mid-channel, compared to other tidal fresh and oligohaline
areas of Chesapeake Bay where SAV growth is absent or
fluctuating.  In the upper Potomac River, an exotic SAV
species (Hydrilla verticillata) with a canopy-type architec-
ture and a lower minimum light requirement (Figures III-
5 and III-6) outcompetes native, meadow-forming SAV
species. These Hydrilla beds are better able to baffle the
water column within the bed and alter water clarity com-
pared to meadow-forming SAV (Carter^ al. 1988). How-
ever,  species introductions of SAV typically follow a
boom/bust cycle in abundance, with a rapid expansion of
areal coverage followed by a diminution of abundance, as
in the Myriophyttum spicatum introduction into Chesa-
peake Bay (Bayley etal. 1968,1978). Hence development
of habitat requirements for a recently introduced species
(e.g., Hydrilla) would not likely be valid over a long time
period.

Light attenuation, through the water column and at the leaf
surface, is the principal factor influencing SAV. The light
attenuation coefficient  habitat requirement reflects the
minimum water column light attenuation level at which
SAV survive and grow. Total suspended solids and chlo-
rophyll a directly influence and, therefore, can be used to
explain sources of water column light  attenuation.   Dis-
solved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic phos-
phorus also directly affect the potential for leaf surface
light attenuation through epiphytic growth. Although the

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                                                         SAV Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets
        Anticipated Results with  the Achievement of the
            Chesapeake  Bay SAY Habitat Requirements
                          SAV Beds When Habitat Requirements for
                            One Meter Restoration Are Achieved
  SAV Bed
                   1  m
                                     2m
• Provides minimum water
  quality necessary to support
  existing SAV beds.

• New growth limited as light
  attenuation requirement
  provides sufficient light
  penetration for SAV growth
  down to only 1 m depth.

• SAV beds characterized by
  low biomass, low density,
  and limited species diver-
  sity.
                         SAV Beds When Habitat Requirements for
                           Two Meter Restoration Are Achieved
  SAV Bed
                    1m
                                     2m
  Provides water quality
  necessary for achievement
  of SAV distribution, density,
  and species diversity goals.

  Light attenuation require-
  ment provides sufficient
  light penetration for SAV
  growth down to 2 m depth.

  SAV beds characterized by
  maximum density, high
  biomass, and native/diverse
  species.
Figure IV-1. Anticipated composition and areal coverage of SAV beds given achievement of the one meter (top figure) and two meter (bottom
figure) habitat requirements.  SAV beds where the one meter habitat requirements are hypothetically achieved would have patchy to
continuous areal coverage (shaded area on the water surface). In contrast, the SAV beds where the two meter habitat requirements are
hypothetically achieved would have more continuous areal coverage with higher biomass, density and species diversity than the SAV beds
where only the one meter habitat requirements were achieved.
                                                                                           29
                                                                                      CSC.SAV.12S2

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SAV Technical Synthesis
light attenuation coefficient habitat requirement should be
applied as the primary SAV habitat requirement, applica-
tion of the remaining SAV habitat requirements will help
explain regional or site specific causes of water column and
leaf surface light attenuation which can be directly man-
aged through nutrient reductions and shoreline erosion
controls.

Achievement of the SAV habitat requirements for one
meter restoration will provide water quality conditions
sufficient to support continued survival of existing SAV
beds (Figure IV-1). They would also provide for expansion
of existing beds and establishment of new SAV beds down
to a water column depth of approximately one meter.

Achievement of the SAV habitat requirements for two
meter restoration would provide water quality conditions
suitable for SAV survival, growth, reproduction, expan-
sion of existing beds, and reestablishment of new beds
down to approximately the two meter depth contour in
areas defined as existing or potential SAV habitat under
the SAV distribution restoration targets (Figure IV-1). In
contrast to the habitat requirements for one meter restora-
tion, achievement of the two  meter restoration habitat
requirement would promote a more diverse SAV species
composition, higher biomass, and more extensive depth
penetration.

The SAV light attenuation habitat requirement for two
meter restoration (Table IV-1) was derived using an expo-
nential light attenuation  equation which quantitatively
defines the interrelationship between light attenuation,
minimum lightrequirements and depth penetration of SAV
(see Chapter III).   The SAV  light  attenuation habitat
requirement for two meter restoration was determined to
be Kd <0.8 nv1, based on 20% surface irradiance as the
minimum light requirement.

Concentrations of total suspended solids, chlorophyll a,
dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and dissolved inorganic phos-
phorus required to attain the light attenuation conditions
defined in the habitat requirements for two meter restora-
tion could not be determined through analysis of the find-
ings from the four study areas. Existing habitat conditions
in the study areas (with the possible exception of some
areas in the upper Potomac River) and, in general, through-
out ChesapeakeBay only support SAV growth down to the
one meter depth. Further field studies are necessary in
areas where there is persistent SAV growth down to two
meters to complete the development of SAV habitat re-
quirements for two meter restoration.  These habitat re-
quirements  will be developed through  quantitative
correspondences and extrapolation between concentra-
30
CSOSAV.12/S2
tions of these parameters, light attenuation and SAV re-
growth, and depth penetration down to two meters.

Bay wide Application of SAV Habitat
Requirements	

Correlations between SAV habitat requirements

The five water quality parameters used for SAV habitat
requirements were chosen based on the conceptual model
of SAV/habitat interactions (Figure 11-11) since all are
known to  affect SAV growth and  survival.  Empirical
studies summarized in Chapter V show that with the
exception of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in tidal fresh and
oligohaline regimes, all five parameters affected SAV
growth. However, before their applicability in other areas
was tested, the degree of their correlations with each other
was examined since all of the five  habitat requirements
affect light availability. This examination showed that the
correlations were not as high as might be expected and that
all five habitat requirements should be applied together.

Because they all affect light availability, the five habitat
requirements would be expected to show positive correla-
tions with  each other-when one is high, the others would
tend to be  high, and vice versa. This tendency is evident
for some parameters in the three-dimensional plots based
on the Choptank and York river study area monitoring data
(Figures III-9 to III-12). However, this positive correlation
is not universal, and the strength of the association varies
markedly among different pairs of parameters and in dif-
ferent areas. Also, one element of light attenuation, caused
at  the leaf surface by  epiphytes (Figure 11-11), is not
measured  directly by monitoring programs, although it
should be  positively correlated with nutrient levels.

Correlations between parameters are shown from Chop-
tank River nearshore monitoring data, using May-October
annual medians of 1986-1989 data from stations with SAV
(Table IV-2), and stations with no SAV (Table IV-3). Data
from the two groups of stations were not combined due to
the different magnitudes and  directions of correlations
found, which can produce spurious correlations when data
are combined. The only statistically significant (p <0.05)
positive correlations found in both  tables were between
light attenuation coefficient and total suspended solids and
between light attenuation coefficient and chlorophyll a.
Total suspended solids and chlorophyll a, and light attenu-
ation and dissolved inorganic phosphorus, were also sig-
nificantly  correlated at stations with SAV (Table IV-2).
Since both total suspended solids and chlorophyll a affect
light attenuation, and total suspended solids includes chlo-

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                                                                     SAV Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets
TABLE IV-2. Correlations between SAV habitat requirements for stations with SAV, Choptank River nearshore stations, May-October
            annual medians, 1986-1989.  Sample size was 30 observations for light attenuation coefficient (Kd), total suspended solids
            (TSS), chlorophyll a(CHLA), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP). Open boxes placed
            around statistically significant (p<0.05) positive correlations.
KEY: Pearson's r
      (p value)
                      TSS
CHLA
DIN
DIP
KD
TSS
CHLA
DIN

0.756
(0.0001)


0.541
(0.002)
0.499
(0.005)
-0.099 0.3
(0.602) (O.C
83
137)
-0.147 0.227
(0.438) . (0.227)
0.199 0.261
(0.291) , (0.163)
' 0.245
• . • , (0.191)
TABLE IV-3. Correlations between SAV habitat requirements for stations with no SAV, Choptank River nearshore stations, May-October
            annual medians, 1986-1989.  Sample size was 26 observations for light attenuation coefficient (Kd), total suspended solids
            (TSS), chlorophyll a (CHLA), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP). Open boxes placed
            around statistically significant (p<0.05) positive correlations.
KEY: Pearson's r .
(p value)
. TSS CHLA
KD 0.743 0.475
(0.0001) (0.014)
TSS 0.133
, (0.516)
CHLA
DIN
DIN
0.294
(0.145)
0.222
(0.277)
-0.0763
(0.711)

DIP
-0.0960
(0.641)
-0.135
(0.510)
-0.221
(0.278)
0.299
(0.139)
rophyll a, the correlations among light attenuation, total
suspended solids, and chlorophyll a were expected. The
correlation between light attenuation and dissolved inor-
ganic phosphorus was barely significant (p = 0.037). The
correlation between light attenuation and dissolved inor-
ganic phosphorus  was the only significant correlation
between any of the two light-related parameters and the
two nutrient parameters.; These lower correlations were
expected, as the three light-related parameters all involve
particulates and the nutrients are from filtered samples.
Correlations between these parameters  in York River
nearshore data are generally similar but smaller, probably
due to the smaller number of stations in  the York (6 per
year compared to 14 in the Choptank).

The correlations in Tables IV-2 and IV-3 support the
application of all five habitat requirements.  Even for the
              light attenuation coefficient, total suspended solids, and
              chlorophyll a habitat requirements, the magnitudes of their
              correlations are low enough to demonstrate that they all
              separately account for components of the total light avail-
              ability. The highest correlations, between light attenuation
              and total suspended solids, show that one variable can
              explain only 55-57% of the variance in the other. The need
              to apply all five habitat requirements is also illustrated by
              specific monitoring sites and  years that had  only two
              habitat requirements exceeded (based on growing season
              medians) and had no SAV. These sites and years include:

              •  Warwick Creek  in the  Choptank River, 1986-1988,
              where the dissolved inorganic phosphorus habitat require-
              ment was exceeded (0.014-0.04 mg/1), and light attenua-
              tion coefficient habitat requirement was exceeded (1.7-2.1
              nr1), but all other habitat requirements were met;
                                                                                                              31
                                                                                                         CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
•  Dickinson Bay in the Choptank River, 1989, where the
dissolved inorganic nitrogen habitat requirement was ex-
ceeded (0.22 mg/1), and light attenuation coefficient was
exceeded (2.1 m"1), but all other habitat requirements were
met;
•  Catlett Island in the York River, 1986, where the dis-
solved inorganic phosphorus habitat requirement was ex-
ceeded (0.05 mg/1), and light attenuation coefficient habitat
requirement was slightly exceeded (1.7 m"1). but all other
habitat requirements were met; and,

•  Catlett Island and Claybank in the York River, 1987,
where the dissolved inorganic phosphorus habitat require-
ment was exceeded (0.03 mg/1), and total suspended solids
habitat requirements was exceeded (22-23 mg/1), but all
other requirements were met.

The last two examples also show that although  water
column light attenuation is conceptually the most impor-
tant of the five habitat  requirements, some sites without
SAV met the later column-based light attenuation coeffi-
cient habitat requirement.

In summary, there are several reasons why all five SAV
habitat requirements need  to be applied together:
1. All five parameters are known to affect SAV growth
and survival via the pathways identified in the S AV/habitat
interactions conceptual model (Figure II-ll);

2. All of the correlations between the habitat requirements
vary in magnitude, and some pairs of parameters show few
or no statistically significant correlations;
3. The correlations between the habitat requirements were
low enough to demonstrate  that application of all five
parameters is required to account for all the factors reduc-
ing light availability at the leaf surface; and,

4. Case studies show that SAV growth may be prevented
when as few as two habitat requirements are not met, and
that the two parameters involved vary over space and time.

Habitat Requirements Application
The habitat requirements for SAV by salinity regime are
based on monitoring and research findings from four study
areas.  These study areas  cover the full range of salinity
from  tidal  fresh to  polyhaline conditions. As the SAV
species within the four study regions are also found through-
out the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (within similar
salinity conditions), the habitat requirements for each study
area should apply baywide for areas of similar salinity.
Table IV-4. Process for validation of the baywide application of the SAV habitat requirements.


        •   Identification of the subset of stations that  characterized existing or potential SAV habitat from all
           Chesapeake Bay mainstem and tidal tributary water quality monitoring stations;

        •   Assignment of a set of SAV habitat requirements for one meter restoration to each station based on the
           April-October mean salinity at the station for that year;

        •   Calculation of the April-October (for tidal fresh, oligohaline and mesohaline stations) or combined March-
           May and September-November (for polyhaline stations) median values for surface only light attenuation
           coefficient, total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic
           phosphorus data for each station using 1987 and 1989 data separately;

        •   Documentation of the presence or absence of SAV in proximity to each station for each of the two years
           based on 1987 and 1989 aerial survey data;

        •   Comparison of the median values for the five water quality parameters for each year with the corresponding
           set of salinity based SAV  habitat requirement for one meter restoration; and,

        •   Documentation of whether the median water quality values met the corresponding SAV habitat requirements
           with a ratio of the number of SAV habitat requirements met compared to the total number of SAV habitat
           requirements for which data were available.
32
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                                                                    SAV Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets
Bay wide applicability of the SAV habitat requirements for
one meter restoration was tested using water quality moni-
toring data and corresponding SAV aerial survey distribu-
tion data for 1987 and 1989 (Table IV-4). Based on the
findings from comparative analysis of mid-channel and
nearshore water quality data (see Chapter VII), data from
mid-channel tributary and lateral mainstem water quality
monitoring stations were used to characterize nearshore
habitat conditions. If the station was not close enough to
existing or potential SAV habitat to characterize water
quality  for SAV, it was excluded from the analysis.

The analysis was based on data from 105 stations per year
that characterized water quality in existing or  potential
SAV habitats. Tidal fresh and oligohaline stations in the
Potomac River were excluded from the analysis due to the
presence of the exotic canopy-forming SAV, H. verticillata,
which has different habitat requirements.
                                           Because there were some statistically significant correla-
                                           tions between habitat requirements, applicability was first
                                           examined for each parameter  separately to see if  they
                                           varied in their ability to predict SAV presence or absence.
                                           If a parameter was a perfect predictor of SAV presence or
                                           absence, the percentage of stations with the habitat require-
                                           ment met would be 100% when SAV was present, and 0%
                                           when SAV was absent, respectively.  Since this analysis
                                           showed that  none of  the parameters were consistently
                                           better predictors  of SAV presence than the others, the
                                           number of requirements met per station per year was also
                                           calculated.  If the five habitat requirements applied as a
                                           group were good  predictors of SAV presence or absence,
                                           most of the stations with SAV would have four or five
                                           habitat requirements met, and most of the stations without
                                           SAV would have three  or fewer of the habitat requirements
                                           met. This analysis was first done for mid-channel stations
                                           in three study  areas (upper Chesapeake Bay, Choptank
Table IV-5.   Application of the five SAV habitat requirements to growing season medians of data from mid-channel monitoring stations
            from 1987 (A) and 1989 (B). Percentages represent the frequency of stations in that category that had the habitat requirement
            met, followed by the total number of stations in that category in parentheses. Numbers of stations vary slightly due to missing
            data. Light attenuation coefficient (Kd), total suspended solids (TSS), chlorophyll a (CHLA), dissolved inorganic nitrogen
            (DIN), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP).
A. 1987 Mid-channel stations
Salinity       SAV
Regime      Present
Tidal
Fresh

Oligo-
haline

Meso-
haline

Poly-
haline
Yes
No

Yes
No

Yes
No

Yes
No
                                        Habitat Requirement
KD
100%
25%
0%
20%
84%
45%
100%
33%
(1)
(4)
(2)
(18)
(19)
(42)
(11)
(3)
TSS
100%
50%
27%
88%
65%
100%
100%
(1)
(0)
(2)
(15)
(17)
(41)
(10)
(1)
CHLA
100%
50%
50%
48%
100%
81%
82%
67%
(1)
(6)
(2)
(21)
(19)
(42)
(11)
(3)
DIN
-
-
79%
33%,
100%
67%


(19)
(42)
(ID
(3)
DIP
100%
40%
50%
57%
89%
57%
100%
100%
(1)
(5)
(2)
(21)
(19)
(42)
(11)
(3)
B. 1989 Mid-channel stations
Salinity       SAV
Regime      Present
                                        Habitat Requirement
Tidal
Fresh

Oligo-
haline

Meso-
haline

Poly-
haline
Yes
No

Yes
No

Yes
No

Yes
No
KD
100%
17%
0%
5%
95%
38%
100%
33%
(1)
(4)
(1)
(19)
(19)
(42)
(11)
(3)
TSS
100%
43%
0%
14%
79%
40%
55%
33%
(1)
(7)
(1)
(21)
(19)
(42)
(11)
(3)
CHLA
100%
43%
100%
57%
100%
79%
100%
100%
(1)
(7)
(1)
(21)
(19)
(42)
(11)
(3)
DIN
-
-
68% (19)
21% (42)
100% (11)
67% (3)
DIP
100%
0%
100%
67%
95%
60%
100%
100%
(1)
(7)
(1)
(21)
(19)
(42)
(11)
(3)
                                                                                                             33
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SAV Technical Synthesis
Table IV-6. Number of SAV habitat requirements achieved for stations, with and without SAV, based on growing season medians of data
          from mid-channel monitoring stations from 1987 and 1989. Percentages represent the frequency of stations in that category
          which had the indicated number of habitat requirements achieved.
Year
1987
1989
SAV
Present
Yes
No
Yes
No
Number of Habitat Requirements Achieved
5
53%
9%
38%
1%
4
29%
13%
44%
15%
3
12%
,17%
16%
16%
2
3%
24%
0%
26%
1
3%
28% .. .
3%
34%
0
0%
10%
0%
7%
No. of
Stations
34
71
32
73
River, and York River) and compared to results from other
mid-channel stations outside the study  areas.  Because
results for the two groups of stations were very similar,
combined results for all stations that characterized SAV
habitats are presented here.

Results

The growing season median water quality number of habi-
tat requirements met and SAV presence or absence is
shown for all of the Chesapeake Bay Program mainstem
and tributary monitoring stations in Appendix A, Tables A-
1 (1987) and A-2 (1989). These results were summarized
by salinity regime, SAV presence parameter, and number
of habitat requirements met in the following analyses.

The percentage of stations per year that had each of the five
habitat requirements met were  tabulated in each salinity
regime by SAV presence (Table IV-5). No single habitat
requirement was a perfect predictor of SAV presence or
absence, and no  single habitat requirement was consis-
tently a better predictor than others.  Differences among
salinity regimes appear more pronounced than differences
among habitat requirements. Water quality was generally
better at polyhaline stations than at other stations, resulting
in high percentages of habitat requirements met at poly-
haline stations.

Because the preceding analysis  did not show any marked
differences among the five habitat requirements, they were
also tabulated according to how many requirements were
met per year. Tabulations were made for each salinity
regime. Combined results for all four regimes are shown
(Table IV-6) because the sample sizes were small in tidal
fresh and oligohaline regimes, and the results from the four
regimes were similar. The results  show that 82% of  the
stations with SAV had four or five habitat requirements
met each year, and 79-83% of the stations without SAV
had three or fewer habitat requirements met each year.
These high percentages support the application of the five
SAV habitat requirements bay wide, using growing season
medians calculated from mid-channel monitoring data.

Summary and Conclusions

Based on these analyses using two different years of water
quality conditions and SAV distribution, the Chesapeake
Bay SAV habitat requirements for one meter restoration
developed for tidal fresh, oligohaline, mesohaline and
polyhaline habitats can be applied bay wide within compa-
rable salinity regimes using mid-channel  water quality
data. When  the SAV habitat requirements are met, SAV
is usually present in the area of improved  water quality.

Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration
Targets	

Distribution Restoration Targets

Historical records of  SAV distribution and  density in
Chesapeake  Bay, both quantitative (seed record, distribu-
tion surveys, etc.) and anecdotal (watermen's and citizen's
observations) indicate that SAV was  significantly more
abundant in  the past (Stevenson and Confer 1978; Carter
et al 1983; Orth and Moore 1984; Brush and Hilgartner
1989).   Although the actual distribution has never been
quantified, estimates of historical SAV distribution range
upwards of 100,000 hectares or more baywide. The most
recent aerial  survey (1990) indicated that 24,296 hectares
of the Bay^s bottom has SAV  (Orth et al.  1991).
34
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                                                                  SAV Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets
Table IV-7.   Chesapeake Bay SAV distribution restoration targets and 1990 SAV distribution.

            1990                SAV Distribution Restoration Targets1
     SAV Distribution
          24,393
 Tier I Target

46,025  (53%)
Tier II Target2
  In Process
Tier HI Target

247,658 (10%)
1. The percentage in parenthesis beside each target is the 1990 SAV distribution as a percentage of that SAV distribution restoration target. All SAV
  distributions are in hectares.
2. Efforts to quantify areas covered under the Tier II Target were in process at the time of publication.
Currently, most SAV is found in water depths of 1.0-1.5m
or less at mean low water (MLW). In the past, it is likely
that significant stands  of SAV grew to depths  of three
meters or more. This reasoning is based on the knowledge
that species growing in the Bay have been documented at
these deeper depths in other regions where light penetra-
tion is much greater than currently found in the Bay (Table
HI-l.Duarte 1991). In addition, there are some areas where
the meadow-forming SAV species, Zostera marina, grows
to depths of two meters MLW (Orth, personal observa-
tion), and a canopy-forming species (H. verticillata) grows
to depths of three meters in the Potomac River.  Exami-
nation of aerial photography from the 1960s indicates that
Z. marina may have penetrated to water depths greater than
two meters in Chesapeake Bay.  As noted earlier, deterio-
rating water quality due to increased inputs of nutrients and
sediments has resulted in less light penetration, which in
turn reduces maximum depth penetration of SAV. Alter-
natively, improvements in water quality should result in
increased distribution and density of SAV if sufficient
propagules are present and other environmental factors
limiting growth (e.g., salinity, temperature) are within the
tolerance limits of the species.

In defining habitat requirements for SAV, management
agencies have been given the necessary scientific informa-
tion to set specific water quality goals. Achievement of
these habitat requirements will result in continued growth
of existing SAV as well as restoration of potential habitat
that is presently unable to support SAV.

To assess the success of Bay restoration strategies imple-
mented by management agencies there must be a yardstick
to measure the effectiveness of each strategy.  The most
appropriate method would be to measure the net gain of
the particular resource in question. "The Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation Policy for the Chesapeake Bay and Tidal Tribu-
taries" (Chesapeake Executive Council 1989) has set a goal
to achieve a net gain in SAV distribution and density and
committed the Chesapeake Bay Program agencies to  set
                      "regional SAV restoration goals considering historical
                      distribution records and estimates of potential habitat."
                      This net resource gain is intimately tied to the bay wide and
                      tributary specific nutrient reduction strategy for Chesa-
                      peake Bay.

                      To provide management agencies with stepwise measures
                      of progress, a tiered set of SAV distribution restoration
                      targets have been established for Chesapeake Bay (Table
                      IV-7).  Each target represents expansions in SAV distri-
                      bution anticipated in response to improvements in water
                      quality over time, measured as achievement of the SAV
                      habitat requirements for one meter restoration and the SAV
                      habitat requirements for two meter restoration.

                      The distribution restoration targets  were developed by
                      mapping potential SAV habitat on USGS quadrangles and
                      comparing these areas with the historical survey data and
                      more recent distribution data (Orth et al. 1991) through a
                      process described in Chapter VI. In summary, potential
                      habitat was initially defined as all shoal areas of Chesa-
                      peake Bay less than two meters. Although historical SAV
                      in Chesapeake Bay may have grown in depths of up to three
                      meters, the two meter depth contour was chosen because
                      it was the best compromise of the anticipated maximum
                      depth penetration of most SAV species when both sets of
                      habitat requirements are achieved baywide and observa-
                      tions from current depth distributions of SAV.  Selected
                      areas were excluded as being highly unlikely to support
                      SAV (even if water quality was significantly improved)
                      based on long-term, historical observations and recent
                      survey information.

                      Tier I Target: Restoration of SAV to areas currently or
                      previously inhabited by SAV as mapped through regional
                      and baywide aerial surveys from 1971 through 1990.

                      Achievement  of this SAV  distribution restoration target
                      depends on achievement of the SAV habitat requirements
                      for one meter restoration (Table IV-1) in areas delineated
                      as current or previous SAV habitat and on the presence of
                                                                       35
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SAV Technical Synthesis
sufficient propagules and other environmental factors that
limit growth (e.g., salinity, temperature, sediment sub-
strates, herbicides) remaining within the tolerance limits
of the SAV species.

A total of 46,025 hectares of SAV has been mapped as past
and present habitat compromising the Tier I target.  The
1990 estimate of SAV abundance indicates that current
levels of SAV are 53% of Tier I. Areas with greater than
50% of the Tier I target are CBl-57% (Northern Chesa-
peakeBay), CB5-79% (Lower Chesapeake Bay), CB6-65%
(Western Lower Chesapeake Bay), CB7-67% (Eastern
Lower ChesapeakeBay),TF2-53%(UpperPotomac River),
RET2-74% (Middle Potomac  River), ET2-78%  (Elk/
Bohemia River), WE4-71% (MobjackBay), andEE3-76%
(Tangier Sound). Although the two upper Bay segments
that include the Susquehanna Flats region have high per-
centages, 95% of the vegetated area is very sparse and has
remained sparse during the aerial surveys. These segments
historically supported some of the densest stands of SAV
in the Bay. Today, the large area of the Flats supports only
sporadic patches of one species (M, spicatum), whereas in
the past, dense, continuous, multi-species beds were present
(Bayley et al. 1978). Thus, the density and species diver-
sity targets for this region are below the expected targets.
Surprisingly, a large number of species are found in the
many fringing beds in this region but most are dominated
by one or a few species (Orth and Nowak 1990; Orth et al.
1991).

The rapid expansion of H. verticillata in the upper Potomac
River in the 1980s has contributed to a relatively large area
now vegetated. Although H. verticillata is the numerically
dominant species in the Potomac, many of the areas inshore
ofH. verticillata are vegetated with numerous other SAV
species (Orth and Nowak 1990; Orth  et al. 1991).

SAV, based on the Tier I target, is doing best in the lower
mainstem segments (CBS,  CB6, CB7, and EE1), where
water quality is  expected to be better than upper Bay or
upper tributary areas. In particular, SAV is notably absent
or in very reduced abundance in many of the upper western
shore tributaries (WTl-Bush River;  WT2-Gunpowder
River;  WT3-Middle River; WT4-Back River; WT5-
Potapsco River; WT6-Magothy River; WT7-Severn River;
and WT8-South/WestfRhodes rivers), many of the Eastern
Shore's tributaries (ETl-Northeast River; ET4-Chester
River; ET5-ChoptankRiver; ET6-Nanticoke River; ET7-
Wicomico River; and ETIO-Pocomoke River), the Patux-
ent River (TF1, RET1, and LEI), the lower Potomac River
(LE2), the middle and upper York River (RET4, TF4), and
the James River (LE5, RETS, and TF5). Of the five major
western shore tributaries, the James and Patuxent rivers
have the least amount of SAV.

Tier n Target: Restoration of SAV to all shallow water
areas delineated as existing or potential SA V habitat down
to the one meter depth contour.

Achievement of this SAV distribution restoration target
also depends on achievement of the SAV habitat require-
ments for one meter restoration (Table IV-1) and aims for
SAV growth down to a one meter depth. Tier II includes
all areas in Tier I, as well as areas delineated within the
one meter depth contour in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal
tributaries. Tier II excludes  a number of areas that were
considered highly unlikely to support SAV. These areas
occur in regions  were the physical exposure to intense
wave and current energy would prevent the establishment
of any SAV propagules. These areas are predominantly
in the mainstem of Chesapeake Bay (e.g., the shoreline
between the mouth of the Potomac and Patuxent rivers).
It also excludes areas where extensive physical disruption
of the shoreline and nearshore habitat would prevent SAV
from re-establishing (e.g., certain areas in the Hampton
Roads and Baltimore Harbor regions).  Achievement of
this SAV distribution restoration target will also depend
on the presence of sufficient propagules. In addition, other
environmental factors limiting growth and reproduction
(e.g., salinity, temperature, sediment substrate, and herbi-
cides) must be within the general tolerance limits of the
SAV species.

Tier III Target:  Restoration ofSA V to all shallow water
areas delineated as existing or potential SAV habitat down
to the two meter depth.

Achievement of this SAV distribution target depends on
achievement of the  SAV habitat requirements for  two
meter restoration for light penetration (Table IV-1) and
aims for SAV growth down to two meters in depth. Tier
III includes all areas in Tiers  I and II as well as areas
delineated within the  two meter depth contour in the
Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. Tier III excludes
the same areas as Tier II as  well as some selected areas
within the one-two meter depth contour where primarily
wave exposure would limit SAV growth to the one meter
depth contour.  Achievement  of this SAV distribution
restoration target  will  also  depend on the presence of
sufficient propagules.  In  addition, other environmental
factors limiting growth and reproduction (e.g., salinity,
sediment substrate, and herbicides) must be within the
general  tolerance limits of the SAV species.
36
CSOSAV.12%

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                                                                  SAV Habitat Requirements and Restoration Targets
 The Tier III target shows 247,659 hectares of potential
 habitat within the two meter depth contour. The 1990 SAV
 distribution indicates that the current levels of SAV are
 only 10% of the target for Tier III. Areas with greater than
 10% of the target are CBl-25% (Northern Chesapeake
 Bay),  CB5-33% (Lower  Chesapeake Bay), CB6-18%
 (Western Lower Chesapeake Bay), CB7-26% (Eastern
 Lower Chesapeake Bay), TF2-20% (Upper Potomac River),
 RET2-18% (Middle Potomac River), ET2-12% (Elk/
 Bohemia River), WE4-34% (Mobjack Bay), and EE3-14%
 (Tangier Sound). As with the Tier I target, The greatest
 proportion of the highest percentage of achievement of the
 Tier III was in the lower Bay segments where water quality
 conditions are better.

 Attainment of the Tier I, II, and III Chesapeake Bay SAV
 distribution  restoration targets will ultimately rest, most
 importantly, on the achievement of the habitat require-
 ments for one and two meter restoration. Once the require-
 ments are met and maintained, SAV plants or propagules
 must be present to insure that a given area will rebound with
 SAV.  A specific timeline for achieving these targets will
 depend on how rapidly water quality improves through the
 implementation of loading reduction measures for both
 point and nonpoint sources of nutrients and sediments.

 Density Targets

 For  all habitat  areas delineated within the tiered SAV
 distribution restoration targets, the Chesapeake Bay SAV
 density restoration target is to  maximize  the amount of
 SAV present with coverage within the 70-100% density
 category of the crown density scale used in the Chesapeake
 Bay SAV Aerial Survey Program (Orth et al. 1991).

 The 1990 SAV distributional survey delineated 11,243
 hectares of bottom that were classified as dense (70-100%
 coverage based on Orth et al. 1991), or 46% of the total
 SAV mapped for the Bay and tributaries in 1990.  This
represents 24% of the SAV Density Restoration Target for
 the SAV Tier I Distribution Restoration Target. Areas with
 significant coverage in this density class  are CB5-24%
 (Lower Chesapeake Bay), CB6-39% (Western Lower
 Chesapeake Bay), WE4-45% (Mobjack Bay), EE3-48%
(Tangier Sound), TF2-38% (Upper Potomac River), and
RET2-45% (Middle Potomac River). These data for the
density restoration targets contrast with the Tier I target
percentages.  This is because several  of the segments,
despite high percentages for Tier I, had very sparse cov-
erage and thus much lower estimates for the density res-
toration target-notably the upper Chesapeake Bay area for
the Susquehanna Flats and the Elk and Bohemia rivers. All
 segments with the highest percentages in the density res-
 toration targets are in the lower Chesapeake Bay, along
 both the eastern and western shores, reflecting the better
 water  quality in the mainstem of the Bay and in the
 Potomac  River  where H. verticillata and  other native
 species have rapidly recolonized the shoals  over the last
 seven years.

 Species Distribution and Diversity Targets

 Baywide and regional targets for Chesapeake Bay species
 distribution and  diversity were developed based on both
 present and historical SAV distribution patterns (see Chap-
 ter VI for the species distribution restoration target maps).
 Species distribution information was synthesized from
 surveys of present  SAV, pollen and seed records, and
 literature documenting historical distributions. Achieve-
 ment of these species specific distribution and diversity
 restoration targets through repropagation to their distribu-
 tion limits (salinity  tolerances) are based on meeting the
 SAV habitat requirements on a bay wide basis, the presence
 of sufficient propagules and other environmental factors
 limiting growth (e.g., temperature, sediment substrate and
 herbicides) remaining within the tolerance limits of the
 SAV species.

 Development of the recent and potential distribution maps
 for each species revealed that even though many of the
 native species are still present in the Bay, all species, in
 particular the freshwater species, have significantly differ-
 ent baywide distribution patterns than what was observed
 historically. An exception is the recent arrival and spread
 of the  non-native H. verticillata in the Potomac River.
 Some once very common SAV species (e.g., Potamogeton
perfoliatus and Elodea canadensis) are now extremely
 scarce. The diversity of plants in different sections of the
 Bay is also very low. Many areas once dominated by four
 or more species now have only one.  This low diversity is
 suggestive of a system in an earlier  successional stage
 where  species with  both high growth and reproductive
 rates dominate.  Disturbed systems, because  of continual
 perturbations, are normally maintained in an early succes-
 sional phase. Exotic species with very high growth and
reproduction rates generally outcompete native species,
principally by competitive exclusion, as in the case with
the spread of M. spicatum in the upper Bay in the  1960s.
 (Bayley et al. 1978).
                                                                                                        37
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 Chapter  V
 Regional  SAV  Study  Area  Findings
        our submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) study
        areas were used to develop specific relationships
        between SAV survival and water quality (Figure
V-l).  These areas represent regions of intensive SAV
studies over the past decade in which water quality data and
SAV growth, distribution, density,  and transplant data
were available.  Empirical relationships between water
quality characteristics and SAV distributions provided the
means of defining habitat requirements for SAV survival.
It is the application of these SAV/water quality relation-
ships from the case studies in different regions of Chesa-
peake Bay  by different investigators over the span  of
several years that forms the basis of the SAV habitat
requirements.
 Background
      Locator Map of SAV Study Areas
                          IUSQUIHANNA
                                        Upper
                                        Chesapeake Bay
 Upper
 Potomac River
Figure V-1. Locations of the four regional SAV study areas-upper
Chesapeake Bay, upper Potomac River, Choptank River, and York
River.
 Upper Chesapeake Bay

 The upper Chesapeake Bay, which includes the Susque-
 hanna Flats and the Elk, Sassafras, Northeast, and Susque-
 hanna rivers, is a region characteristic of tidal fresh and
 oligohaline areas. Like most other tidal fresh and oligohaline
 areas, populations of SAV are currently at very low levels
 (Orth et al. 1989) compared to previous periods (Bayley
 etal. 1978).

 Historically, studies of SAV in this area focused on popu-
 lation level fluctuations in the distribution and density  of
 both native and introduced species such as M. spicatum
 (Stotts 1970; Steenis 1970; Bayley et al. 1978).  Prior  to
 1957, the Susquehanna Flats, a shallow area (<3 meters (m)
 in depth) located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River,
 was populated with a diverse community of approximately
 13 SAV species that covered nearly 4,000 hectares (these
 figures do not include the beds previously located in the
 Elk, Sassafras, Northeast, or Susquehanna rivers).  Be-
 tween 1959 and 1961, however, M.  spicatum reached
 nuisance levels—49% of the stations sampled by Bayley
 et al. (1978) were vegetated with that  species.  After
 competitive exclusion of the native species, M. spicatum
 subsequently declined for unknown reasons. Native veg-
 etation returned but at lower densities and lesser abun-
 dances than before the invasion. Changes in the region
 triggered by Tropical Storm Agnes in  1972 resulted in a
 nearly complete loss of vegetation. Causes for the decline
 and lack of regrowth, while perhaps initiated by storm
 events, may have been largely due to increasing back-
 ground levels of turbidity and nutrients from agriculture
 and urbanization of the surrounding watershed.  Study
 results presented here focus on developing an understand-
 ing between these factors and SAV survival.

 Presently, M. spicatum is the most widely distributed SAV
 species in the tidal fresh and oligohaline waters of the upper
 Chesapeake. It occurs at deeper depths (up to 2 m) than
any other species except Ceratophyllum demersum, which
is one of the most tolerant species of low light conditions
                                               39
                                          CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
(Van et al 1976).  Potamogeton crispus andM. spicatum
are able to inhabit slightly deeper waters because they
initiate growth early in the season when waters are less
turbid. By early  summer, their leaves are at the water
surface, absorbing unattenuated light.

Upper Potomac River
The tidal Potomac River and Estuary are regions where
scientists have documented and examined dramatic changes
in SAV distribution. Historically, the tidal Potomac River
contained numerous SAV species (Haramis and Carter
1983; Carter et al. 1985a). A 1916 map of the upper tidal
fresh zone of the  river from Washington, D.C. to below
Marshall Hall (at  low tide) shows a narrow channel and
wide, shallow, vegetated margins or flats containing beds
of P. crispus, C. demersum, and V. americana (Gumming
et al. 1916). Species identified in the freshwater tidal river
before the disappearance of plants in the late 1930s include:
V. americana, C. demersum, Najas flexilis, Elodea cana-
densis, P. crispus, and Najas guadalupensis. Populations
of SAV in the tidal Potomac River declined or disappeared
during the late 1930s (Martin and Uhler 1939; Elser 1969;
Stevenson and Confer 1978; Bartsch 1954; Stewart 1962;
Haramis and Carter 1983; Carter et al. 1985a; Rybicki et al.
1988; Orthefa/.1979).Losses were greatestinthetidal river
and the mesohaline reach of the estuary. Bartsch (1954)
and Stewart (1962) reported that the freshwater tidal reach
of the Potomac River was devoid of SAV. Stewart found
an abundance of plants in the central Potomac (between
Maryland Point and the Route 301 bridge) but reported
only narrow zones of SAV in the mesohaline reach of the
estuary.  In 1972,1973,1977, and 1978, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service found no SAV in the tidal river; only 4%
of 150 sampling stations in the tidal river and estuary were
vegetated (Haramis 1977; personal communication, G.M.
Haramis, FWS1978). No comprehensive survey of SAV
 in the tidal Potomac River, however, had been conducted
 prior to 1978.

 A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) /U.S. Fish and Wildlife
 Service survey in 1978-1981 found  a few small isolated
 populations in tributary mouths and in the mainstem tidal
 river (Haramis and Carter 1983; Carter et al. 1985a). In 1983,
 however, following a period of improvements  in waste-
 water treatment and during a year with unusual weather,
 there was a resurgence of SAV in  the upper tidal river
 (Carter and Rybicki  1986).  Carter and Rybicki (1986)
 found 13 species, including two previously unreported
 species-/?. verticillataandHeterantheradubia. Coverage
 of SAV has increased in the tidal river since 1983.  SAV
has persisted in the oligohaline to mesohaline transition
zone of the Potomac Estuary from the 1930s to the present.
To date, there has been no significant recovery of SAV in
the mesohaline estuary.

The pattern of decline and sustained absence of SAV from
the 1930s through 1981 can be linked to changing nutrient
and sediment conditions in the tidal Potomac River.  In-
vestigators believe that these conditions combined with
extensive storm damage in the late 1930s led to the demise
of SAV (Carter et al. 1983; Rybicki and Carter 1986). The
tidal Potomac  River receives nearly  all the municipal
sewage discharged from advanced-waste sewage treat-
ment plants that serve the population of three million in the
Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (Callender ef al. 1984).
Nutrient loading to the Potomac River increased drasti-
cally from the early 1900s until 1974 when tertiary treat-
ment to remove phosphorus was begun (Jaworski et al.
1971; Callender et al. 1984).  This was followed by the
introduction of nitrification in 1980, which removed ad-
ditional phosphorus and converted ammonia to nitrate
(Callender et al. 1984). Sedimentation has long  been a
problem in the Potomac as well (Feltz and Herb 1978;
Callender et al. 1984). Subsequent transplant and water
quality  studies  in the Potomac River and Estuary gave
credence to the hypothesis that light penetration was the
limiting factor in the establishment and survival of SAV.

Using V. americana, USGS scientists made a series of
transplants in the tidal riverfrom 1980-1983 andfoundthat
the plants survived in some sites with light attenuation <2.7
nr1 if protected from herbivore grazing during the first year
after transplanting (Carter and Rybicki 1985). Investiga-
tors generally attributed the lack of SAV in the region to
a combination of nutrient enrichment and high levels of
total suspended solids which limited light needed for plant
photosynthesis (Carter et al. 1985a; Carter and Rybicki
 1986).

In 1983, SAV returned to the upper tidal Potomac River.
 Its distribution and density increased through 1988 (Carter
 and Rybicki 1986; Orth et al. 1987; Rybicki et al. 1988).
 After 1986, SAV spread into the lower tidal river, reestab-
 lishing in many areas. From 1985-1986, USGS scientists
 made a detailed study of the underwater light environment
 in the  upper and lower tidal freshwater areas and the
 oligohaline transition zone during two growing  seasons
 (Carter and Rybicki 1990).  Results indicated that light
 attenuation in the unvegetated lower tidal river was greater
 than light attenuation in the upper tidal river where SAV
 was present.
 40
 CS&SAV.1292

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                                                                               Regional SAV Study Avea Findings
 Choptank River

 The Choptank River, the largest tributary on the eastern
 Shore of Chesapeake Bay, has served as the site of several
 studies on SAV mid-Bay mesohaline communities. In the
 early 1970s, the lower Choptank shallows were dominated
 by a variety of SAV species including Ruppia maritima,
 Potamogeton perfoliatus, Potamogeton  pectinatus, M.
 spicatum, and Zannichelia palustris (Stevenson and Con-
 fer 1978). During the 1970s, Stevenson and Confer (1978)
 estimated that 41%, or approximately 15,000 hectares, of
 the Choptank River littoral zone was vegetated with SAV.
 By 1987, Orth et al. (1989) reported that only 350 hectares
 were vegetated.

 Heinle et al. (1980) categorized water quality at the mouth
 of the Choptank River and the adjacent Bay as moderately
 enriched with nutrients and occasionally high chlorophyll
 a levels. Upriver areas of the Choptank River and Tucka-
 hoe Creek have been increasingly affected by point  and
 non-point source runoff (Ward and Twilley 1986). In this
 region,  the tidal river is considered eutrophic and is char-
 acterized by high  levels of turbidity and chlorophyll a
 (Lomax and Stevenson 1982).

 Using principally P. perfoliatus and R. maritima, Twilley
 et al. (1985) grew SAV in experimental ponds which were
 filled with  water pumped  directly  from the  Choptank
 River. These ponds were dosed with dissolved nutrients
 (nitrogen and phosphorus) at three concentrations in addi-
 tion to  an untreated control pond.  Seston (particulate
 suspended matter) and phytoplankton chlorophyll a levels
 increased  with fertilization - pronounced algal blooms
 occurred with higher dosages of fertilization. Of the total
 seston, phytoplankton had the greatest influence on light
 attenuation with light levels at the sediment surface were
 reduced below the compensation point for SAV.   An
 extensive epiphytic community developed on plants in all
 nutrient-treated ponds. The epiphytes in the highest dos-
 age treatments attenuated >80% of the incident light at the
 leaf surface. Compared to control and low treatments,
 biomass of the SAV decreased significantly under high and
 medium nutrient treatments within 60 days of initial fer-
 tilization.  Most of the decrease in SAV photosynthesis
 could be explained by attenuation of light associated with
 epiphytic loadings. Without light attenuation in the over-
 lying water column, however, epiphytic growth appeared
insufficient to reduce light below compensation levels.
This experiment, along with other studies where nutrients
and light were manipulated under controlled conditions
 (Staver  1985; Goldsborough and Kemp  1988), helped
isolate the mechanisms behind the SAV decline.
 During  1987 and 1988, scientists at the University of
 Maryland Horn Point Environmental Laboratory (HPEL)
 conducted three experiments investigating  the relative
 responses of SAV and epiphyte growth to additions of
 nitrogen versus phosphorus in brackish and more saline
 regions  of the Chesapeake Bay.  In two of these studies,
 they added nitrogen  and phosphorus  at various rates and
 ratios to water columns of replicate mesocosms containing
 in one case the brackish water plant, P. perfoliatus, and in
 the other case the marine SAV species Zostera marina. In
 these experiments, which simulated the eutrophication of
 the Bay's shallow mesohaline and polyhaline waters, they
 monitored epiphytic algae and phytoplankton, nutrient
 concentrations, and SAV growth and abundance.  In the
 other set of studies, nitrogen and phosphorus were added
 to sediment pore waters in field sites containing Z. marina
 to test the potential stimulation of SAV growth (i.e., "nu-
 trient limitation") by nitrogen and/or  phosphorus.  In ad-
 dition, rates  of nitrogen and phosphorus  recycling and
 microbial transformation processes were measured in sedi-
 ments at these field  sites. These studies have provided
 important information of the direct and indirect responses
 of SAV  ecosystems in shallow waters around the Bay to
 nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment.

 Both nitrogen and phosphorus additions (equivalent to a
 100-fold increase) to the water columns of experimental
 mesocosms containing P. perfoliatus resulted in signifi-
 cant increases (275-350%) in the biomass of epiphytic
 algae on the plant leaves.  Phytoplankton biomass also
 increased by a factor of about 10-15 times from low to high
 nitrogen and phosphorus additions. Growth of P. perfo-
 liatus decreased by about 60% in response to additions of
 both nutrients. Light attenuation by epiphytic algae was
 sufficiently great at  high nutrient treatments to explain
 most of the decrease in plant growth, suggesting that both
 nitrogen and phosphorus can be important in limiting SAV
 growth in the upper regions of the Bay.

 York River

 Zostera marina is the dominant SAV species in the meso-
 haline and polyhaline regions of the  lower Chesapeake
 Bay.  Historically, extensive SAV beds covered the shoal
 areas of the  mainstem of the Bay and the eastern and
 western shore tributaries where salinities averaged greater
 than 10 parts per thousand.  Beginning in the late 1960s,
 however, a dieback was observed in these polyhaline SAV
 beds, coinciding with a general dieback in SAV throughout
 the Bay system. Losses were greatest  in western, upriver
 areas and the deeper channelward limits of the SAV beds.
This pattern of dieback suggested that  the losses might be
                                                                                                        41

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

associated with increasing river discharge and that the
factors limiting SAV survival were less important with
increased mixing of oceanic water (Orth and Moore 1983).

Although Z. marina was the dominant  species in these
polyhaline SAV beds, R. maritima co-occurred in many
areas and was the dominant species in the shallowest zones
(Marsh 1970; Orth andMoore 1988). This pattern suggests
that either the same limiting factors were involved or that
loss of Z marina from the deeper, channelward zones had
a deleterious effect on the survival of R. maritima grass
bordering the shoreline.  Therefore Z. marina was chosen
as the species used to develop relationships between habi-
tat quality and SAV survival in this region. ,   ;

The lower York River was chosen as a study area since it
was characteristic of SAV decline in the polyhaline region
of the Bay, and a number of ongoing projects were being
conducted there. Within a relatively small area, the lower
York River had sites that experienced complete dieback,
partial dieback, or only a minimal SAV loss. This estuary
is characterized by broad, shallow flats extending land-
ward from a relatively deep, narrow channel.

Historical photography revealed that SAV beds, prior to
1971, were located along both shorelines of the river at
depths of approximately 2 m or less. They extended from
the mouth of the estuary upriver 25 km  to the average 10
parts per thousand isohaline at Claybank. Studies from the
region (Marsh 1970; 1973;  Orth 1973) and empirical ob-
servations indicate that the SAV beds which declined were
dominated by Z. marina with some R. maritima occurring
at the shallowest inshore sections of the beds.  Between
 1971 and 1974.SAV disappeared from all locations upriver
of Gloucester Point and from the deeper, channelward
sections of the beds at or downriver of this area (Orth et
al. 1979).  Since that time,  there has been some recovery
of beds downriver of Gloucester Point,  as seedlings of Z.
marina spread into areas immediately adjacent to existing
beds; however, there has been no substantial regrowth into
areas upriver of this point.

There have been some studies relating SAV growth in the
polyhaline, lower Bay with water quality. Results from a
lower Bay experiment with Z. marina by HPEL scientists
 were considerably different than those for upper Bay spe-
 cies  (Nuendorfer 1990). In the  lower  Bay, phosphorus
 additions caused little growth increases of epiphytes or
 phy toplankton and had no effect on plant growth. Nitrogen
 additions, however, resulted in dramatic increases in epi-
 phyte biomass and small decreases in plant growth. The
 relatively small reduction in Z. marina  growth may have
been a consequence of the fact that light availability under
experimental conditions was greater than in the field, so
that attenuation due to algal growth was insufficient to
bring light below growth-saturated levels.  Changes in
nutrient treatment rates and nitrogenrphosphorus ratios
caused significant alterations in the taxohomic composi-
tion of the epiphytic community. The alterations resulted
in significant changes in the rate of experimental grazing
by two different species of invertebrates (a gastropod and
an isopod). The results indicate that nitrogen is more
important than phosphorus in stimulating the growth of
epiphytes and, therefore, inhibits SAV growth in the lower
Bay communities.  Changes in the nitrogen: phosphorus
ratio, however, can affect the epiphyte composition and
susceptibility to grazing.

Additions of both nitrogen  and phosphorus  to sediment
pore waters of Z. marina communities resulted in marked
increases in both biomass and plant growth of experimental
plants.  The greatest growth responses occurred with ad-
ditions of both nitrogen and phosphorus. Even though light
levels at the sediment fertilization field sites were generally
below conditions needed to saturate Z. marina growth,
these results indicate that the SAV were limited by insuf-
ficient sediment nutrients.

Studies in Virginia, in which nitrogen and phosphorus were
added to the sediments of transplanted Z. marina, demon-
strated that plant growth may be nutrient limited (Orth and
Moore 1982). While increased sediment nutrient availabil-
ity may initially promote growth, it does not create con-
ditions for long-term survival (Orth et al. 1982).  This
finding suggests that while sediment condition, including
the availability of nutrients, may contribute to SAV loss,
differences in water column factors between sites are likely
the primary mechanism responsible for differences in SAV
survival.

The patterns of SAV decline observed between 1965 and
 1980 (Orth and Moore 1984) support this hypothesis. SAV
beds declined from areas with a wide variety of sediment
 types, including both exposed, sandy areas with low inter-
 stitial nutrients and high redox potentials, and sheltered,
 organic-rich areas with higher nutrient levels and lower
 redox.  The declines were greatest in upbay and upriver
 areas of the western tributaries, closely  paralleling the
 pattern of nutrient enrichment. In areas where the vegeta-
 tion  did not completely disappear, it was generally the
 deeper, channelward regions  which died back.  These
 observations suggest that water quality factors which be-
 come more pronounced with increasing depth may  be
 responsible for the SAV declines.
 42
 CSOSAV.1232

-------
  The following four regional study areas span the range of
  salinities, from tidal freshwater in the Susquehanna Flats
  and Potomac River to the highest salinity areas near the
  Bay's mouth.  They are presented in order of increasing
  salinity from the upper Chesapeake Bay and upper Potomac
  River to the Choptank River and finally the York River.


  Upper  Chesapeake Bav	

  SAV habitat requirements for tidal fresh and oligohaline
  regions of the upper Chesapeake Bay were developed by
  relating water quality parameters with the presence or
  absence of healthy SAV populations and by determining
  whether or not SAV transplants were successful under
  particular water quality regimes. While correspondences
 between SAV survival and growth with factors such as
 light attenuation (measured as light attenuation coefficient
 and Secchi depth), chlorophyll a,  and total suspended
 solids were  clear,  determining nutrient levels at which
 SAV grow and survive proved more difficult.

 The sites  that were selected for nutrient  sampling and
 analyses were changed during each of the first three of five
 years to obtain a broader picture of upper Bay water
 quality.  Thus, there was no yearly progression of data to
 evaluate from all sites until years four and five. Second,
 because epiphytic growth was not evaluated or character-
 ized, the degree to which their population  growth and
 densities were influenced by nutrient levels was not deter-
 mined.  In some instances photosynthetically active radia-
 tion reaching leaf surfaces may have been significantly
 altered by epiphytic growth.   Third, monthly  measure-
 ments of water quality do not adequately characterize the
 dynamic nature of nutrient concentrations in the upper Bay.
 Important pulses or events may have been missed due to
 sampling dates spaced too far apart. Despite these incon-
 sistencies,  correspondences were developed between the
 parameters studied and the presence or absence of SAV.

 Study Area
 The upper Chesapeake Bay region is defined here as the
 area ranging  from the mouth of the Susquehanna River
 south to the Bush River on the western shore and to Still
 Pond Creek on the eastern shore.  The  study area also
 includes the Elk River to the C&D Canal and the Sassafras
 River along its entire length.  The most abundant SAV
populations with the greatest cover in the upper Bay are
currently located at the mouths  of the Susquehanna and
Sassafras rivers and intermittently along the north shore of
the lower Elk River.  These areas, especially  the river
                          Regional SAV Study Area Findings

  mouths, regularly have the greatest light penetration com-
  pared to other locations around the upper Bay.

  From August-October of 1987, June-October of 1988, and
  April-October of 1989,24 water quality stations (Table V-
  1 and Figure V-2) were monitored monthly for tempera-
  ture, pH, Secchi depth, dissolved oxygen, salinity, nitrate,
  ammonia, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, total phospho-
  rus, and chlorophyll a.  All sites were selected to provide
  a spectrum of  upper Bay water quality information in
  regions where transplants  were being performed and for
  the purpose of comparing water quality conditions along
  transects. Since the 1987 data reflect only the latter portion
  of the growing season, their analysis has not been included
  here.

  In 1989, direct measurement of the light attenuation coef-
  ficient was added to the list of parameters, and the moni-
  toring was  expanded to include eight additional stations
  (Table V-l and Figure V-2) to better characterize upper
 Chesapeake Bay and Sassafras River water quality condi-
 tions. In 1989,  samples from all Sassafras River stations
 (Howell Point, Betterton, Lloyd's Creek, Marsh Neck [in],
 Marsh Neck [out],  Ordinary Point, Confluence, Daffodil
 Island, Georgetown,  Jacob's  Creek,  Duffy Creek, and
 Grove Neck [in]) were split with HPEL and analyzed for
 nitrate and nitrite, ammonia, dissolved inorganic phospho-
 rus, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids.

 Methods

 Transplant Experiments

 Since 1984, various techniques for transplanting V.
 americana have been tested (Kollar 1985, 1986, 1987,
 1988). In general, transplants utilizing Wisconsin grown
 stock or locally grown turions planted in the spring or fall
 were not successful.  Transplanting mature stock using
 pesthole diggers was laborious, time consuming, and in-
 effective. The most successful method involved harvest-
 ing mature plants by plunging both hands deep into the
 sediments and shaking them rapidly while lifting as much
 root, stolon and plant material as  possible.  When re-
 planted, unbroken stolons were gently wrapped around one
 another in a loose circle in groups of approximately 150
 plants  per square meter.  Every other square meter was
 skipped,  creating a checkerboard pattern of high density
 plots which  would eventually grow together if the  trans-
 plants were  successful.

Transplant success  was  monitored weekly to biweekly
 after placement and several times a year after the first
successful growing season.  The definition for transplant
                                                                                                        43
                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Table V-1.  Upper Chesapeake Bay SAV habitat monitoring stations.
Station
Number































(1)
(2)
(3)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Station
Name
Log Pond
Outfall/Havre de Grace
Fishing Battery (in)
Fishing Battery (out)
Central Bay
Howell Point
Betterton
Lloyd's Creek
Marsh (in)
Marsh (out)
Ordinary Point
Confluence
Daffodil Island
Georgetown
Jacob's Creek
Duffy Creek
Grove Point Marsh (in)
Sassafras Mouth
Elk River Mouth
Cabin John Creek (in)
Cabin John Creek (out)
Bohemia River
Piney Creek (in)
Piney Creek (out)
Elk Neck (in)
Elk Neck (out)
Rocky Point
Northeast River
Furnace Bay
Grass Flats
Perry Point
Grove Neck Marsh (out)
Relative SAV abundance in the vicinity of the
Years
Sampled
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1989
1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1887-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1987-1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1989
1987-1989
SAV
Status ' Latitude
P(2)
F
P(2)
P(2)
-
-
F
-
F
-
P(2)
-
-
-
-
-
P
F
-
-
-
-
F
P
F
-
-
-
F
39°32'39"
39°31'53"
39°29'40"
39°29'37"
39°27'47"
39°22'34"
39°22'26"
39021-43"
39°22'04"
39°22'04"
39°22'21"
39°22'26"
39021'57"
39°21'49"
39°22'16"
39°22'37"
39°23'05"
39°23'08"
39°26'29"
39°27'20"
39°27'42"
39°28'32"
39°30'45"
39°30'29"
39°28'50"
39°28'50"
39°28'43"
39°32'05"
39°33'01"
39°32'16"
P(2) 39°33'06"
F
39°22'54"
monitoring station from 1987-1989: P = persistent SAV;
SAV persistent in the vicinity of the monitoring station in 1988, but SAV was
Status of SAV transplants in the vicinity of the monitoring station 1 984-1 988: S
- no transplants attempted; numbers in parentheses indicates the number of
Longitude
76°05'00"
76°05'15"
76°05'07"
76°05'12"
76°02'57"
76°06'40"
76°03'45"
76°0r32"
75°59'26"
75°59'16"
75°58'49"
75°56'54'
75°55'09"
75°52'59"
75°50'26"
75°49'46"
76°01'07"
76°02'44"
75°59'43"
75°56'40"
75°57'37"
75°54'39"
75°55'42"
75°55'13"
75°58'02"
75°57'49"
76°00'23"
75°59'33"
76°02'47"
76°01'33"
76°04'38"
76°01'13"
F = fluctuating
Transplant
Status 3
-
-
S(2)
~
"
-
M(l)
F(2)
S(l)
-
S(l)
F(l)
F(2)
F(l)
-
-
M(4)
M(l)
-
F(2)
F(2)
-
F(2)
S(3)
-
-
-
-
F(6)
S(2)
-
SAV; - = SAV absent.
fluctuating or absent in 1989.
= successful transplant; F = failed transplant; M = marginal transplant;
areas transplanted.
 success changed during the first two years of the project.
 During the first year, any plot in which at least 50% of the
 plants survived was considered successful; in the second
 year at least 50% of the plants had to produce at least one
 new plantlet and survive for two successive growing sea-
 sons. This definition has remained with the stipulation that
 a healthy, successful transplant plot fill in and expand its
 range. Healthy V. americana plants have been observed
 to produce as many as 17 new plantlets in a growing season
 under optimum conditions.
Water Quality Monitoring
Dissolved oxygen and temperature readings were made in
situ using a YSI model 5 IB D.O. meter while pH was
determined using a Corning model 105 pH meter. Light
attenuation coefficient measurements were made just be-
low the surface, at the 0.5 m and 1 m depths using a LICOR
LI 1000 Datalogger with LI 1925A underwater quantum
sensor. Water column samples were collected at the 0.33
m depth, filtered through a 0.45 micron GFC glass filter
(1989 only), and analyzed immediately upon return to the
lab. Nitrate and ammonia levels were determined using an
Orion 407B lonalyzer with respective electrodes.  Dis-
solved inorganic phosphorus was read via direct colorim-
etry. Absorption was determined using a B ausch and Lomb
  44
  CSOSAV.ISM

-------
                   Upper Chesapeake Bay Stations
  Figure V-2. Location of the upper Chesapeake Bay SAV habitat monitoring stations.
 Spectronic 20 spectrophotometer with a light path of 2.5
 cm. Total phosphorus was determined using acid hydroly-
 sis and persulfate digestion with ascorbic acid as a colo-
 rimetric indicator.

 Accuracy problems arose with the use of the ion specific
 nitrate  electrode.  Despite checking every fifth  sample
 against a known standard and beginning each sample run
 against an EPA nutrient performance audit  sample, the
 readings appear to be high by approximately 0.5 - 1.5 mg/1.
 Checks  against  split samples with the HPEL in  1989
 revealed that the electrodes were apparently encountering
 a matrix interference with upper Bay samples. Therefore,
 only the nitrate and total nitrogen results from samples
 analyzed by HPEL in 1989 have been used to develop the
 SAV habitat requirements described here. Earlier nitrate
 data have not been utilized except to describe overall
 patterns from 1987-1989. Nutrient samples were checked
 frequently against known standards and the analytical
 systems were checked before and after each  run against
EPA reference standard samples. Methods used at HPEL
in the analysis of the split samples from the Sassafras
stations (1989 only) are described in the Choptank River
section of this chapter. Chlorophyll a samples were ana-
lyzed fluorometrically by the University of Maryland Wye
                          Regional SAV Study Area Findings

                       Laboratory  (August 1987-June
                       1989) and HPEL (July 1989-Octo-
                       ber 1989).  All soil particle-size
                       analyses  were determined using
                       Bouyoucos standard hydrometers.
                       Organic matter was  ascertained
                       using high temperature oxidation.

                       Results

                       Season Determination
                       V. americana begins to emerge from
                       the sediments when water tempera-
                       tures reach 15 °C.  Plant growth
                       does not accelerate until tempera-
                       tures reach 20 °C or above.  The
                       ideal transplant window is approxi-
                       mately May 15 through August 1
                       with some success up until Sep-
                      tember 1. The more time the plants
                      have to establish themselves,  the
                      more carbon can be allocated for
                      turion formation which occurs from
                      around August 15 through October
                      1. Critical periods in the life cycle
                      of V. americana are April through
                      early June (when emerging plant-
                      lets are growing towards the light)
 and late August through September (when turions are
 forming).

 Transplant Experiments

 Of 65 total transplant sites, 16 were considered marginal
 to successful with 9 sites defined as successful and healthy
 depending upon the year.  Table V-l lists water quality
 monitoring stations in the upper Chesapeake Bay where
 transplants survived.  All of these successful and healthy
 sites-Perry Point I and II, and Elk Neck I, II, and III - were
 at river mouths, except Fishing Battery which is protected
 by a submerged breakwater. These areas were character-
 ized by lower turbidity, chlorophyll a, phosphorus, and
 total suspended solid concentrations than the unsuccessful
 transplant sites.  Sites  at the mouth of the Sassafras River
 had pre-existing M. spicatum and P. crispus populations.
 Transplants there met with good to marginal success until
 1989.  Transplants in the upper Chesapeake Bay never
 survived where no other previously established SAV was
 in reasonable proximity.

Figure V-3 indicates transplant performance along an early
(1985) transect in the  Susquehanna Flats.  At least three
variables are involved here (depth, sediment,  and wave
energy). The plants grew optimally in the sillier sediments

                                                 45
                                           CSG.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

at depths (0.75-1.0 m) with adequate light penetration.
Greater depths had lower light penetration.  Shallower
areas without SAV had substrates that were too sandy or
sterile for growth.  Wave energy or current velocity may
also have been a factor, although V. americana has been
shown to tolerate high energy environments very  effec-
tively (Titus and Adams 1979).

From early experiments, three criteria for transplant suc-
cess were derived (Figure V-3):
   1) a depth regime of 0.3 to 0.5 m Mean Low Water
      (MLW);
   2) sediments that consisted of sandy silts or sandy loam
      with between 1% and 5% organic matter; and,
   3) sites that afforded some degree of protection from
      high waves or currents.

In later experiments, transplants in the Sassafras River
performed well only below Ordinary Point, specifically
along the north shore with the exception of two small sites
adjacent to Betterton.  Repeated transplant attempts up-
stream from Ordinary Point failed even when plots were
protected with snow fencing.
What all of the successful sites in the Sassafras River had
in common was good water clarity. Secchi depth medians
were always above 1 m with light attenuation < 2m'1.

Total suspended solids medians were below 10 mg/1 and
chlorophyll a medians were generally below 10 ug/1 except
at stations 9 and 17.  Ordinary Point (station 11) and
Sassafras  Marsh-In (station 9) were anomalous in that
transplants could only be made in very shallow water (<0.6
m) which was often only 15 cm deep at low tide. Both sites
were completely (Sassafras Marsh-In) or partially (Ordi-
nary Point) surrounded by land.  The calm, shallow water
apparently allowed for better growth and establishment
than would otherwise be  achievable.  At Grove Neck
(station 17), existing M spicatum and P. crispus popula-
tions continued to prosper when the chlorophyll a median
rose above 15 ug/1 in 1989, but the transplanted V.  ameri-
cana populations succumbed in 1989 after two years of
success. One factor that the Sassafras sites lacked was an
ideal substrate; they tended to be very high in sand with
little or no silt.

At Elk Neck, three transplant plots were attempted and all
achieved  success.  These plots were planted along the
                   Optimal Transplant Conditions on the Susquehanna Flats
  Figure V-3. The depth of the water column, sediment, and wave energy all influence transplant success and, ultimately, SAV survival and
  propagation. Optimal conditions displayed in this figure are a water column depth of 0.75-1 .Om (0.3-0.5m MLW), sandy silt sediment, and
  low wave energy.
  46
  CSOSAV.12J92

-------
  shoreline within a shallow embayment and were surrounded
  by an extensive bed of M. spicatum, which provided a good
  buffer against wave action. Total suspended solids medi-
  ans were low (<8 mg/1) as were chlorophyll a medians (<8
  (ig/1), and  the light attenuation coefficient was <2 m'1 in
  1989. Secchi depth often could not be measured due to the
  shallow water.  The  protected shallow habitat provided
  ideal conditions for the growth of V. americana.  Within
  two years, plots that were 1 m2 had expanded to approxi-
  mately 3 m2, forming very dense beds. Other more exposed
  sites along the Elk shoreline did not demonstrate the same
  potential for SAV reestablishment.  Light attenuation
  coefficients at all of the other sites monitored in the Elk
  River had growing season medians above 2 m'1 with the
  exception of Elk Mouth (station 19, see Figure V-8) which
  contained a marginal  transplant plot.

  At Perry Point (station 31), along the north shore of the
  Susqueharina River mouth, native SAV populations de-
  clined during 1989, except for V. americana transplants
  which did very well despite a growing season median light
  attenuation coefficient of 2.25 nv1 (see Figure V-8).  Total
  suspended solids and chlorophyll a seasonal medians were
  low--7.3 mg/1 and 6.6 ug/1, respectively. It should be noted
  that  the light attenuation coefficient and  Secchi depth
  readings may not  be directly applicable here since moni-
 toring was applied just outside the shoal area where plant-
 ing occurred. The calmer waters over the shoal were
 probably slightly  clearer. Also, a snow fence was used
 around these plants to exclude carp, which can have a
 devastating effect on new transplants. The fencing, though
 loosely constructed, could have had an ameliorating effect
 on wave action  and turbidity.

 At all the successful transplant sites, growing season median
 water quality conditions varied slightly but usually  in-
 cluded: Secchi depth >1 m, light attenuation coefficient <2
 m'1, total suspended solids<15 mg/1, chlorophylla<15ug/l, and
 dissolved inorganic phosphorus <0.02 mg/1. While these
 were not the only  factors required for transplant success
 at all sites, when growing season medians exceeded these
 levels, the transplants performed poorly or failed.

 Water Quality Parameters
 Temperature

 While species such as M. spicatum and P. crispus begin
 growing when light is sufficient and water temperatures are
 above 5 °C, V. americana growth does not begin until
 ambient temperatures are between  15 °C to 20 °C, with
rapid growth not beginning until temperatures reach 25 °C
(optimum temperatures  are between 30 °C to 35 °C). Thus^
in late April or early May when water temperatures are
                          Regional SAV Study Area Findings

  between 15 °C and 20 °C., M. spicatum and P. crispus are
  usually breaking the water surface when V. americana is
  just beginning to grow

  Temperatures in upper Chesapeake Bay waters peak be-
  tween  late July and late August depending upon  cloud
  cover,  light, and air temperature.  The  drought years of
  1987 and 1988 brought warmer temperatures to upper Bay
  waters from June through August, compared to 1986 and
  the cloudy, rainy year of 1989. While June temperatures
  normally average between 23.5 °C and 27.5 °C,  :1989
  weather conditions caused average temperatures of only 21 °C
  which, along with .high turbidity, seriously compromised
  the ability of V. americana populations  to flourish.

  Normal growing season temperature averages for the upper
  Chesapeake Bay are as follows for surface water: April-
  15 °C, May-20 °C, June-25 °C, July-27 °C, August-26 °C,
  September-18 °C, and October-13 °C. Thus, it can be seen
  that V. americana normally achieves most active growth
  during the months of June, July, and August with turion
  formation occurring in August and September.

  Temperature profiles are of course dependent upon water
  depth, currents, surrounding terrain, and  other factors. It
  is possible one of the reasons that transplants of V. ameri-
  cana performed reasonably well at Ordinary Point and
  Sassafras Marsh was that the calm, shallow waters  held
  higher temperatures longer than normal thus compensating
  for high chlorophyll a and total suspended solid concen-
 trations during the main growing season.
  Salinity

 Within the Susquehanna Flats, salinity levels were nearly
 always 0-1  parts  per thousand (ppt).   In the Elk and
 Sassafras rivers, salinity  levels of 1-2  ppt were most
 common, dropping to 0 ppt above Ordinary Point in the
 Sassafras River.

 Light Attenuation     '
 In 1987 and 1988, water transparency was measured at
 upper Chesapeake Bay stations using a Secchi disk. During
 the  1989 monitoring year, direct measurements of light
 attenuation coefficients were included as  well. For most
 sites, a growing season median Secchi depth of greater
 than 1.0 m was associated with the presence of persistent
 SAV (Figures V-4 through V-8).

At  a few very sheltered sites  such  as Ordinary .Point
 (station 11 on Figures V-4 and V-5) and Elk Neck (station
 25 on Figure V-6) lower  light attenuation  coefficient
 values were, noted. The presence, of SAV at these sites
 is explained  by the reduced stress encountered by; the
                                                                                                        47

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
      1.6-
                     Secchi Depth in the
                    Sassafras River 1988
 I"
 2
1.4-
1.2-
 1-

0.8-
0.6-
0.4-
03.-
 0



1
      18    17
                10
                            11    12
                            Stations
                                      13
                                            14    15
         Sassafras River Mouth
                                    Upper Sassafras River
 Figure V-4. Growing season 1988 median Secchi depths from the
 mouthoftheSassafrasRiverupstrearn. P=PersistentSAV; F=Fluctuating
 SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
          Secchi Depth and Light Attenuation
              in the Sassafras River 1989
              Secchi Depth
              Light Attenuation Coefficient
                 18  17 10  11   12  13  14  15  16
                         Stations
         Sassafras River Mouth        Upper Sassafras River
  RgureV-5June-October1989median Secchi depth andlightattenuation
  coefficient measurements from the Sassafras River mouth upstream.
  P=PersistentSAV;F=FiuctuatingSAV;remainingsiteswere unvegetated.


          Secchi Depth and Light Attenuation
                  in the Elk River 1989
           Elk Rlvar Mouth              Plney Creek
  FigureV-€.Jurte-October1989medianSecchidepth andlightattenuation
  coefficient measurements in the Elk  River.  P=Persistent SAV;
  F=Fluclualing SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.

  48
  CSOSAV.12/K
plants as a result of a sheltering spit at Ordinary Point and
extensive M. spicatum populations at Elk Neck.  Both
factors induce  calmer waters than would otherwise  be
found. The SAV are also growing in very shallow water
(<0.6 m), which allows them to absorb more light than
they would  normally encounter  under high  turbidity
conditions.

At Elk Neck,  turbidity levels  are  dependent upon
resuspension due to wave action.  Most of the readings
at Elk Neck (station 25) were obtained at low tide, when
turbidity and wave action were greatest; therefore, the
growing season median Secchi depth value of 0.70 m may
not reflect a real average that the plants would experience
throughout the day.  The data show, however, that pro-
tected sites may sustain persistent SAV populations when
Secchi  depths  drop as low as 0.7 m.

From the Sassafras River across the Susquehanna Flats to
the Susquehanna River, Secchi depths averaged  less in
 1989 than in  1988 (p<.05),  and  SAV populations lost
 considerable biomass when compared to 1988.  Spatial
 relationships also reversed themselves.   While in 1988
 Secchi depths were found to increase towards the Susque-
 hanna River mouth (Figure V-7), in  1989 they became
 shallower (Figure V-8).  Persistent SAV populations in
 either case  were noted only when Secchi depths were
 greater than 1.0 m.

 Along  this transect, total suspended solids correlated with
 the Secchi depth in  1989  (p<.05), while chlorophyll a
 values did not. This infers that total suspended solids are
 more important than chlorophyll a in  reducing light pen-
 etration at the Susquehanna River mouth area.

 For reestablishment of SAV, the data from 1988 are reveal-
 ing (Figure V-7). During 1987 and 1988, both considered
 drought years, V. americana seedlings were noted at sta-
 tions 1 and 2, and transplants did well at station 18. At all
 of these stations, Secchi depths were > 1.2m. Itshouldalso
 be noted that from  1983 to 1990,  V.  americana only
 reproduced naturally via seeds in 1987 and 1988. There-
 fore, growing season median Secchi depths of at least 1.2
 m are required for the expansion of V.  americana popu-
 lations in the upper Bay.

  When light attenuation coefficient was directly measured
  during 1989, no persistent SAV populations were noted when
  growing season median light attenuation coefficient values
  were >2 nr1. Many declining or fluctuating populations were
  noted at values between 1.85 m'1 and 3.8 mf1. This was
  documented in both the Sassafras (Figure V-5)  and Elk
  (Figure V-6) rivers. Despite the shallow depths which

-------
.g.
s.
     1.6-
     1.4-

     1.2-

       1-

     0.8-

     0.6-

     0.4-

     0.2-

       0
             Secchi Depth from the Sassafras to
                 the Susquehanna River 1988
            18      19
        Sassafras River
                              T—' '""—
                          542
                          Stations
                                 Susquehanna River Mouth
 Figure V-7. Median 1988 growing season Secchi depth measurements
 along a transect of stations from the mouth of the Sassafras River
 through the Susquehanna Flats to the mouth of the Susquehanna River.
 P=Persistent SAV; F=Fluctuating SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
                                                               40-
 «
 "S
                                                             35-
25-

20-
                                                          ™ 10-
                                                                                   Regional SAV Study Area Findings

                                                                        Total Suspended Solids in the
                                                                             Sassafras River 1989
          6   7   18  17  10  11   12   13  14  15  16
                           Stations

 Figure V-10. May-October 1989 median total suspended solids
 concentrations from the Sassafras River mouth upriver. P=Persistent
 SAV; F=Fluctuating SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
    Secchi Depth and Light Attenuation from the
     Sassafras to the Susquehanna River 1989
 s
 i
 a

 8
               18    19
                        Stations
 Figure V-8. June-October 1989 median Secchi depth and lightattenuation
 coefficient measurements along a transect of stations from the mouth
 of the Sassafras River through the Susquehanna Flats to the mouth of
 theSusquehanna River. P=Persistent SAV; F=Fluctuating SAV; remaining
 sites were unvegetated.

              Total Suspended Solids from the
     1fl  Sassafras to the Susquehanna River 1989
     16-
 1 12-
 i10^
 "S  8-
 s,
     2-
     0








          6    18    19    5     4
                         Stations
                                     2     1    31
     Sassafras River Mouth         Susquehanna River Mouth
Figure V-9.  May-October 1989 median total suspended solids
concentrations along a transect of stations from the mouth of the
Sassafras River through the Susquehanna Flats to the mouth of the
Susquehanna River. P=PersistentSAV; F=Fluctuating SAV; remaining
sites were unvegetated.
                                                                        Total Suspended Solids in the
                                                                                Elk River 1989
                                                              25-
                                                             20-


                                                             15-


                                                             10-j


                                                              5-
                                                                     19
                                                                            20
                                                                                                    22
                                                                                                           23
                                                                                   21      25
                                                                                     Stations
                                                                Elk River Mouth                  Plney Creek
                                                         Figure V-11. May-October 1989 median total suspended solids
                                                         concentrations in the Elk River. P=Persistent SAV; F=Fluctuating
                                                         SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
occur at station 11 (Ordinary Point), reduced light penetra-
tion caused a considerable SAV decline during 1989.

Along the Sassafras River to Susquehanna mouth transect
(Figure V-8) in 1989, fluctuating SAV populations were
found when growing season median light attenuation co-
efficient values were >2 nr1. These sites (characterized by
stations 1,2,4, and 31) previously had the most productive
and persistent SAV beds in the upper Chesapeake Bay
region but, in  1989, were in a state of severe decline when
compared to 1988.

In Figure V-12, the presence of SAV is plotted against total
suspended solids, chlorophyll a, and light attenuation co-
efficient.  On these plots, no persistent SAV occured where
growing season median light attenuation levels were >2 nr1,

                                                    49
                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

where total suspended solid values were >15 mg/1, or
where chlorophyll a exceeded 15 ug/1. Ordinary Point and
Sassafras Marsh, the two sites with fluctuating SAV where
water quality conditions slightly exceeded growing season
medians, are the only prominent outliers in Figure V-12.
At both of these sites on the Sassafras River, plants have
been protected in shallow waters and receive virtually no
wave action. The other marginal sites (Figure V-12), with
light attenuation coefficient values >2 nr1, are those at the
mouth of the Susquehanna River which lost significant
biomass when compared to 1988.  Based upon these
findings, a light attenuation coefficient level of 2 nv1 can
be defended as an absolute maximum level at which SAV
will grow and reproduce in tidal fresh and oligohaline
waters of Chesapeake Bay.

While a Secchi depth to light attenuation coefficient con-
version factor of 1.45 has been adopted, the applicability
of this value at all times seems questionable in the waters
of the upper Chesapeake. Suspended solids, humic acids,
chlorophyll a, and other coloring agents have  all been
                                                       demonstrated to alter water transparency and light penetra-
                                                       tion.  Although averages may yield a conversion factor of
                                                       1.45, specific situations may vary. In the Sassafras River,
                                                       for example, the most transparent waters at the mouth
                                                       yielded an average conversion factor of 1.94, while the
                                                       most turbid headwaters yield an average conversion factor
                                                       of 1.06   Overall, a clear trend was obvious along the
                                                       transect which provided an almost linear match with total
                                                       suspended solids. At the Susquehanna River mouth in
                                                       September 1990, a series of 24 Secchi depth and light
                                                       attenuation coefficient readings were  taken on a sunny
                                                       afternoon. Both the Secchi disk and light sensor lines were
                                                       carefully checked for accuracy,  and six  readings  were
                                                       made at each of four locations. Conversion factors ranged
                                                       from 1.5 to 1.95 and averaged 1.71. This variation is not
                                                       unusual.  Megard and Berman (1989) noted conversion
                                                       factor ranges from 0.86 to 2.07 in a very  clear region of
                                                       the Mediterranean Sea. The variations were induced pri-
                                                       marily by water column algae and suspended solids. For
                                                       the entire Sassafras River, the average of all conversion
                                                       factors for 1989 was 1.54.
                               Total Suspended Solids, Chlorophyll a, and
                                Light Attenuation:  Upper Chesapeake Bay
             Light
          Attenuation
           Coefficient
Rgure V-12. Three-dimensional plot of April-October median light attenuation coefficient, total suspended solids, and chlorophyll a concentrations
at the upper Chesapeake Bay stations for 1989. Stations are plotted separately with SAV status indicated. Plus=persistent SAV; flag=fluctuating
SAV; circle = SAV absent.
50
CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 Total Suspended Solids
 Based on 1989 data, no persistent SAV sites existed where
 total suspended solids growing season median values were
 above 15 mg/1.  The best sites averaged below 10 mg/1
 (Figures V-9 through V-ll). Sites at the Susquehanna
 mouth, which were thriving from 1985 to 1988, lost half
 their biomass in  1989. While the 1989 data indicate that
 June was the worst month (total suspended solids >30 mg/1), the
 Susquehanna River was  exceedingly turbid  during  the
 months of April and May.  Data from  late  May 1989
 showed total suspended solid levels of around 10 mg/1,
 indicating that the earlier, more turbid conditions were
 missed as sampling was not initiated until late May.

 In the Sassafras River in 1989 (Figure V-10), the Sassafras
 Mouth (station 18) and Grove Point (station 17) sites had
 healthy M. spicatumandP. crwpM^populations with marginal
 V. americana transplant success.  The upriver limits of
 SAV survival in  the Sassafras River occurred  at growing
 season median total suspended solid concentrations of 15
 mg/1.

 In the Elk River (Figure V-ll), total suspended solid
 concentrations at the healthiest native SAV and transplant
 sites-Elk Neck (station 25) and Elk River mouth (station
 19)-averaged 9 mg/1 over the growing season.  The maxi-
 mum total suspended solids concentration at which SAV
 survived in the upper Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna
 Flats was 16 mg/1, while levels below 10 mg/1 strongly
 correlated with a higher abundance of persistent SAV.

 Chlorophyll a
 The Sassafras River best illustrates the impact of chloro-
 phyll a on SAV populations in the upper Chesapeake Bay's
 tidal freshwater systems. For both 1988 (Figure V-13) and
 1989 (Figure V-14), no persistent SAV populations sur-
 vived where growing  season median chlorophyll a levels
 rose above 15 ug/1, except at Ordinary Point (station 11 in
 Figure V-13) and Grove Neck (station 17 in Figure V-14).
 Transplants at Ordinary Point were planted during 1988 in
 a shallow, very well protected area which  enhanced their
 survival. Although still present in 1989 (Figure V-14), the
 Ordinary Point transplants barely survived.   From July
 through October the lowest chlorophyll a reading was 25.9
 ug /I (there were only four chlorophyll a values in 1989).
The  transplants at Grove Neck also declined in  1989,
leading to a complete loss of V. americana there. Trans-
plants did fairly well at Grove Neck up to 1988. When the
water quality declined in  1989, only P. crispus and M.
spicatum survived.  Because  both species had already
grown to the water surface when water quality began to
deteriorate in April, they  were less impacted  by the in-
    100-
     90-
     80-
 
-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
   12-
             Chlorophyll a from the Sassafras
             to the Susquehanna River 1989
  .10-
£.  8-
 «o
    2_

               I
       I """ I ""•  I
    6    18    19    5


                                                  31
                                421
                           Stations
         Sinatra* RIvor Mouth      Susquehanna River Mouth
Figure V-16. April-October 1989 median chlorophyll a concentrations
from the mouth of the Sassafras River through the Susquehanna Flats
tothemouthoftheSusquehannaRiver.P=PersistentSAV;F=Fluctuating
SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
             Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in the
                    Sassafras River 1988
2.5-

 2-

1.5-

 1-

0.5-

 0



                                                   ,
           18
                 17
                      10
                      11    12
                       Stations
                                       13
                                            14
                                                  15
         Sassafras River Mouth         Upper Sassafras River
 Figure V-17. Growingseason 1988 median dissolved inorganic nitrogen
 concentrations from the Sassafras River mouth upriver. P=Persistent
 SAV; FsFluctuating SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
            Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in the
                    Sassafras River 1989
z-
1.8-:
1.6-
1.4-
1JZ-
1-
O.8-
0.6-
0.4-
0.2-
O-



I







I







I







P
I



l«...



i




1
W,
%
\
                            Stations
          Sassafras River Mouth         Upper Sassafras River
 Figure V-18. Growing season 1989 median dissolved inorganic nitrogen
 concentrations from the Sassafras River mouth upriver. P=Persistent
 SAV; F=Fluctuating SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
 52
creases in light attenuation and chlorophyll a and thus were
able to survive.

In the Elk River, growing season median chlorophyll a
concentrations were always below 15 ug/1 except in Cabin
John Creek (station 20) where no transplant plots have ever
survived (Figure V-15). In the lower Susquehanna River,
phy toplankton are unlikely to develop since the Conowingo
Dam is a bottom discharge facility. Few or no actively
growing phytoplankton are released into the river and the
rate of flow is sufficiently swift that chlorophyll a levels
greater than 15 Ug/1 do not occur until the middle of
Susquehanna Flats (Figure V-16).

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
The concentrations of nitrogen in the upper Chesapeake
Bay study region appear to be less important than phospho-
rus in controlling chlorophyll a  concentrations.   If dis-
solved inorganic nitrogen concentrations (Figure V-17) are
compared with chlorophyll a concentrations (Figure V-
13), the trends with river distance  are in opposite direc-
tions. This same pattern is noted in 1989 when dissolved
inorganic nitrogen concentrations (Figure V-18) are com-
pared with chlorophyll a (Figure V-14). High chlorophyll
a concentrations in the upper reaches correspond to lower
dissolved  inorganic nitrogen levels of which nitrate is
usually the largest component.  Because chlorophyll a
levels are highest when dissolved inorganic nitrogen con-
centrations are at their  lowest,  it is  not plausible that
phytoplankton levels are nitrogen limited.  It seems that
peak phytoplankton concentrations correspond with peak
nitrogen uptake.

Figure V-19 demonstrates that while most healthy upper
Bay SAV populations in 1988 occurred where dissolved
inorganic phosphorus (unfiltered) growing season median
values were below 0.02 mg/1, nitrate and ammonium grow-
ing season median levels ranged up to 2.2 mg/1.  At the
Sassafras River stations during 1989, dissolved inorganic
nitrogen concentrations are more tightly clustered (Figure
V-20), but SAV are distributed  over a broader range of
dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels (rather than dissolved
inorganic phosphorus).  Therefore, in the tidal fresh and
oligohaline waters of the upper Chesapeake Bay, nitrogen
species do not appear to be important in controlling phy-
toplankton concentrations.

 Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
During 1988, growing season median unfiltered dissolved
inorganic phosphorus concentrations ranged from 0.007 to
0.046 mg/1 in the Sassafras River (Figure V-21) and from
0.006 to 0.026 mg/1 along the transect from the Sassafras

-------
                                                                                          Regional SAV Study Area Findings

       Nitrate and Ammonium, Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus, and Light Attenuation: Upper Chesapeake Bay
                             Light
                           Attenuation
                           Coefficient
                             (m-1)
Figure V-19.  Three-dimensional plot of April-October median light attenuation coefficient, nitrate and ammonium, and dissolved inorganic
phosphorus (unfiltered) concentrations at upper Chesapeake Bay stations in 1988. Stations are plotted separately with SAV status indicated.  Plus
= persistent SAV; flag = fluctuating SAV; circle = SAV absent.

      Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen, Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus, and Light Attenuation:  Sassafras River
                             Light
                           Attenuation
                           Coefficient
                             (m-1)
                              6
Figure V- 20. Three-dimensional plot of April-October median light attenuation coefficient, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and dissolved inorganic
phosphorus concentrations at the Sassafras River stations in 1989. Stations are plotted separately with SAV status indicated. Plus = persistent
SAV; flag = fluctuating SAV; circle = SAV absent.
Table V-2. SAV habitat requirements for tidal fresh and oligohaline habits in the upper Chesapeake Bay.

                    Parameter                                        Habitat Requirement
                 Light attenuation coefficient

                 Total suspended solids

                 Chlorophyll a

                 Dissolved inorganic phosphorus


                 Dissolved inorganic nitrogen
<2nr'

<15 mg/1
<0.02 mg/1

No limit set
                                                                                                                      53
                                                                                                                CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
    0.05-
    0.04-
    0.03-
    0.02-
    0.01-
              Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                 in the Sassafras River 1988
I
1
I
1

I
           18
                17
           10    11    12
                Stations
                                       13   14
                                                  15
         Sassafras River Mouth       Upper Sassafras River
Figure V-21.  Growing season 1988 median dissolved inorganic
phosphorus (unfiltered) concentrations from the Sassafras River mouth
upriver. P=Persistent SAV; F=Fluctuating SAV; remaining sites were
unvegetated.
                                                               0.04-
0.035-
 0.03-
0.025-
 0.02-
0.015-
 0.01-
0.005-
                                                             Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                                                                in the Sassafras River 1989
                                                                            18  17
                                                                                    10  11  12
                                                                                     Stations
                                                                                                13  14  15  16
                                                        Sassafras River Mouth        Upper Sassafras River
                                               Figure V-23. April-October 1989 median dissolved inorganic phosphorus
                                               concentrations from the Sassafras River mouth upriver. P=Persistent
                                               SAV; F=Fluctuating SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
    0.05-
         Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus from the
         Sassafras to the Susquehanna River 1988
            18
                   19
                 5      4
                  Stations
        Sassafras River Mouth       Susquehanna River Mouth
Figure V-22.  Growing season 1988 median dissolved inorganic
phosphorus (unfiltered) concentrations along a transect of stations from
the mouth of the Sassafras River through the Susquehanna Flats to the
mouth of the Susquehanna River.  P=Persistent SAV; F=Fluctuating
SAV; remaining sites were unvegetated.
                                                      Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus from the
                                                      Sassafras to the Susquehanna River 1989


                                                                                                I
                                                                                           I
                                                                                           I
                                                                           18   19
                                                                                                           31
                                                                         Stations
                                                        Sassafras River Mouth       Susquehanna River Mouth
                                               Figure V-24. April-October 1989 median dissolved inorganic phosphorus
                                               concentrations along a transect of stations from the  mouth of the
                                               Sassafras River through the Susquehanna Flats to the mouth of the
                                               Susquehanna River. P=PersistentSAV; F=Fluctuating SAV; remaining
                                               sites were unvegetated.
River to the mouth of the Susquehanna River (Figure V-
22).  Growing season median values during 1988 were
higher than 1989. This difference is possibly due to the
fact that samples were unfiltered during 1988 and filtered
in 1989. In 1989, growing season median dissolved inor-
ganic phosphorus concentrations ranged from 0.005 mg/1 to
0.025 mg/1 in the Sassafras River (Figure V-23) and from
0.005 to 0.025 mg/1 along the transect from the Sassafras
River to the mouth of the Susquehanna River (Figure V-
24).
                                               Lower dissolved  inorganic  phosphorus readings  corre-
                                               spond to the presence of SAV, although the correspon-
                                               dence in the upper Bay waters is not so strong as with light
                                               attenuation coefficient, total suspended solids, and chlo-
                                               rophyll a. In the upper Bay, SAV declined in 1989 after
                                               two drought years during which  V. americana began to
                                               recolonize many areas both vegetatively and from seed.
                                               While this loss of SAV may be more easily correlated with
                                               light attenuation, the majority of healthy SAV sites had
                                               growing season median dissolved inorganic phosphorus
                                               concentrations <0.02 mg/1 during  1988 (Figures V-19, V-
                                               21 and V-22) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus concen-
 54
 CSOSAV.12S2

-------
                                                                               Regional SAV'Study Area Findings
trations below 0.01 mg/1 during 1989 (Figures V-20, V-23
andV-24).

Sediments
Sites with healthy SAV tended to have similar substrates.
At the sites listed in Table V-l, where native SAV popu-
lations exist or where transplants survived, the sediments
consisted of at least 6% silt, no more than 90% sand, and
between  1-5.3% organic matter.  Log Pond was an anoma-
lous case, supporting a robust SAV population with 7.5%
organic matter in the lower sediment strata (5-15 cm). At
several locations, persistent SAV beds were noted in simi-
lar circumstances where sandier sediments overlaid more
finely textured substrates.

Barko and Smart (1986) described optimum organic matter
and  silt fractions for several SAV species  and noted a
decline in productivity when sediments contain more than
5% organic matter. Since V. americana and other SAV
species have been described growing in sediments ranging
from pebbles to peat  (Hunt 1963; Korschagen and Green
1985), an optimum substrate combination seems to be
necessary in the upper Chesapeake Bay to give the plants
the edge to  survive  unfavorable ambient water quality
conditions.  This edge might be achieved by increasing
cation exchange capacity, anchoring ability, or ease of
stolon penetration. Under more optimum water quality
conditions, the plants would likely survive and grow in a
greater diversity of substrates.       ,

Summary and Conclusions

SAV habitat requirements were established  (Table V-2)
based on correspondences between the distributions of
SAV, SAV transplant success, and growing season medi-
ans of water quality in tidal fresh and oligohaline waters
of the upper Chesapeake Bay.  In summary:

   1) SAV beds found at or below 1.0m mean tidal depth will
     begin to decline when growing season median Secchi
     depths are <1.0 m,  or growing season  median light
     attenuation coefficient values rise above 2.0 m:1 (during
     periods of SAV expansion, Secchi depths were always
     above 1.2 m).
   2) SAV declines when total suspended solids growing
     season median concentrations rise above  15 mg/1.
     At  sites where total suspended solids concentrations
     average above 20 mg/1, SAV are not found. Gen-
     erally, total suspended solid levels below 10 nig/1 are
     required to support persistent SAV growth, reveg-
     etation, and expansion.
   3) No persistent SAV populations have been noted
      when chlorophyll a growing season median concen-
      trations rise above 15 ug/1.
   4) Based on 1988 and 1989 data, the observed range
      of growing  season median concentrations  of dis-
      solved inorganic nitrogen (1.0 to 2.5  mg/1) do not
      appear to limit SAV growth  and survival  in this
      region.

   5) Dissolved inorganic phosphorus growing  season
      median concentrations  above 0.01 mg/1 were del-
      eterious to transplants and to young  seedlings in
      marginal beds. While certain well-established beds
      tolerated growing season median concentrations up
      to 0.02 mg/1, SAV declined at growing season me-
      dian concentrations above this value.
   6) With the existing poor water quality conditions in
      the upper Chesapeake Bay, SAV appear to be con-
      fined to a narrower range of sediments than they
      might otherwise tolerate. Sandy loams or silts with
      at least 6% silt and from 1-5% organic  matter
      promote optimum SAV growth and survival.


Upper Potomac River	

Habitat requirements for SAV in the tidal fresh Potomac
River and the oligohaline transition zone of  the Potomac
Estuary were developed by analyzing existing water qual-
ity data .collected before and during reestablishment of
SAV. These data were correlated with the environmental
conditions that supported the reestablishment and contin-
ued  expansion in coverage  of three  key species-//.
verticillata, M. spicatum,  and V. americana.  These three
species  along with  C. demersumate the dominant species
in the tidal river and transition zone.

Although two of these species are exotics (H. verticillata
and M.  spicatum),  it appears that these species are also
indicators of suitable environmental  conditions for SAV
in tidal fresh and oligohaline habitats of Chesapeake Bay.
The water quality data analyzed here were collected by
several agencies for different objectives including charac-
terization of trends and development of a better  under-
standing of factors affecting the distribution and density of
SAV. The natural  revegetation of the Potomac River as
a result  of improvements in water quality since the early
1970s has provided a "natural laboratory" for development
of habitat requirements for tidal fresh and oligohaline
Chesapeake Bay SAV species.
                                                                                                        55
                                                                                                  CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
Study Area
The tidal Potomac River and Estuary extends 183 km from
the river's mouth to Chain Bridge in Washington, DC. This
study focuses only on the tidal fresh reach of the river
between Chain Bridge and Quantico, Va. and the oligoha-
line reach of the transition zone of the Potomac Estuary
between Quantico and Maryland Point. For the purposes
of this report, the tidal freshwater reach has been further
subdivided into the upper tidal river (Washington, DC to
Marshall Hall) and the lower tidal river (Marshall Hall to
Quantico) (Figure V-25).

Methods
Distribution Surveys

Between 1978 and 1981, the USGS conducted an initial
survey of SAV in the tidal Potomac River and Estuary to
establish baseline distribution and density.  Permanent
transects were established in the tidal river, transition zone,
and estuary (Table V-3)(Carter et al. 1985a). The transects
relevant to this study are in the Piscataway-Mattawoman
Creeks, the  Nanjemoy  Creek-Port Tobacco River,  the
Aquia-Potomac Creeks, and the Gunston Cove regions
(Figure V-25).  Additional transects were  added to fill in
                            sampling gaps including five transects in Washington, DC,
                            sampled in 1978 but not in subsequent years.  Data on
                            vegetation and substrate composition were collected by
                            seasonal sampling at stations along these transects using
                            modified oyster tongs with blades welded across the teeth
                            to facilitate biting into the sediment and collecting rooted
                            plants (Paschal et al. 1982).  Vegetation samples were
                            identified at the species level, and wet volumes per grab
                            for each species were  taken as a  measure of relative
                            biomass. A total of 27,509 samples was collected along
                            256 different transects as part  of this formal  sampling
                            program in the tidal Potomac River and Estuary.

                            Following the resurgence of SAV in the upper tidal Poto-
                            mac River in 1983 (Carter and Rybicki 1986), the USGS
                            began monitoring the distribution and abundance of plants
                            in the tidal river on an annual basis and, less frequently,
                            in the transition zone. This monitoring was done to follow
                            the progress of revegetation and to provide distribution and
                            density data for correlation with water quality data. Two
                            general methods were adopted for monitoring-intensive
                            shoreline surveys and sampling on permanent  transects.
                            Table V-3 summarizes  the sampling program  for 1983-
                            1988.
Table V-3.   Summary of shoreline and transect sampling in the tidal Potomac River and transition zone of the Potomac Estuary, 1983-
            1988. Transition zone includes only Quantico to Maryland Point.
               Year
Shoreline Surveyed
    Number of
Transects Sampled
                                                                                   Biomass
                                                                                   Measured
               1983         Washington, DC to
                           Quantico, VA

               1984         Washington, DC to
                           Quantico, VA, and
                           Mallows Bay, MD

               1985         Washington, DC to
                           Quantico, VA, and
                           Mallows Bay, MD

               1986         Washington, DC to
                           Quantico, VA and
                           Mallows Bay, MD

               1987        Washington, DC to
                           Maryland Point

               1988        Washington, DC to
                           Maryland Point
                                  None
                              Tidal river:  69
                            Transition zone: 4
                              Tidal river:  62
                              Tidal river:  62
                            Transition zone: 35
                            Transition zone: 35
                               Tidal river: 4
                            Transition zone: 35
                               No
                              Yes
                              Yes
                               Yes
                               No
                               No
56
CSOSAV.1292

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                                                                               Regional SAV Study Area Findings
Shoreline surveys were done by boat at low tide, using
rakes to gather samples and check whether plants were
rooted or floating.  Beginning in 1984, percent cover and
proportion of each species were estimated and referenced
to 1 km square grids shown on the USGS 7-1/2-minute
topographic and bathymetry maps. The ranges of percent
cover used (<10%, 10%-40%, 40%-70%, and 70%-100%)
were those used by Orth et al. (1979). Distribution infor-
mation was transferred to small-scale maps for publication
in a series of yearly USGS Open-File Reports (Rybicki et
al. 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988; Rybicki and Schening 1990;
Carter et al. 1985b) and summarized by Orth et al. (1985,
1986, 1987, 1989) and Orth and Nowak (1990).

Permanent transects, established during 1978-1981, were
supplemented with additional transects when necessary to
provide more complete coverage.  In the transition zone,
only transects that had three or more species during 1978-
        Upper Potomac River Water Quality
                Monitoring Stations
                                    Washington D.C.
      JH = Upper Tidal River
      fj = Lower Tidal Rnw
      Q] r Tranaitfon Zone

  	XX = USGS Water Quality Transect
 • XXXOOOO .MDE, DC Water Quality Station
    ®XX = USGS Experimental Site
   Aquia Creek
    XDA4238
     Potomac Creek
                                 £,_, Broad Creek
                                 Mr
                                  Hatton Point
                                    XFB2470
                              EC    Piscalavray Creek
                            Marshall Hall
                                         'Washington Channel
                                      Highway 301
                   XDA1177
  Figure V-25. Waterquality monitoring stations and transects located
  in the upper Potomac River.
1981 were resampled in 1984. Transect sampling methods
are summarized in Open-File Reports published by the
USGS for individual years (Rybicki et al. 1985,1986,1987,
1988; Carter et al. 1985b; Rybicki and Schening 1990).

Transplant Experiments

Plugs, sprigs, and tubers of V. americana were transplanted
from the Potomac Estuary to six sites in the tidal Potomac
River during 1980-1983 (Carter and Rybicki 1985). Four
of these sites—Goose Island (GI), Rosier Bluff (RB),
Elodea Creek (EC), and Neabsco Creek (NC) (Figure V-
25)—were used as intensive study sites. Tubers and sprigs
were planted by hand at water depths between 0.5 and 1.0
m.  Plugs with three to  six plants each were planted in
shallow trenches.  Hardware cloth and wood exclosures
were placed around selected transplant plots to assess the
affect of grazers  on survival.  Water transparency was
measured with  a Secchi disk.  Photosynthetically active
radiation was measured during 1981 with a LICOR185B
Quantum Radiometer-photometer equipped with an un-
derwater sensor. Light energy in uE nrV was measured
above the water surface, just below the water surface, and
at 20  cm increments below the water surface.  Sediment
type was determined for all sites. To compare plant density
and rhizome development, cores were taken in  1981 from
the transplanted plot at Rosier Bluff,  a natural bed of V.
americana in the Washington Channel,  and  from two
natural beds of  V.  americana in the oligohaline transition
zone.

Biomass Determinations

Biomass sampling techniques and locations varied from
year to year as the coverage and density of SAV increased.
In general, samples were placed in mesh bags and hung on
lines to air dry.  They were then dried  in ovens at 105-110
°C, and the dry weight (in  grams per grab sample) or
biomass (in grams dry weight/m2) of each species was
determined.

Growth Experiments

Although revegetation by SAV has occurred in the main
river and shallow embayments on the Maryland side, SAV
has not returned  to the shallow Pohick  Bay (PB)  and
Occoquan Bay  (OB) located on the Virginia side of the
lower tidal river (Figure  V-25). To ascertain whether the
lack of SAV was solely a result of poor light penetration,
V. americana  was  planted in exclosures in shallow,
unvegetated embayments PB (1987-1989) and OB (1989
only), with light  supplied to the experimental cages by
swimming pool lights during daylight hours.
                                                                                                         57
                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
Water Quality Monitoring

During 1979-1989, the USGS made numerous water qual-
ity measurements in the tidal river and transition zone to
help determine the factors that were controlling SAV
revegetation and the effects that reestablishment of SAV
might have on water quality.  Samples were collected at
irregularintervals during the growing season and thenumber
of stations was variable. Most of the data were collected
in water ^3 m in depth. Water quality parameters included
total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrate plus nitrite, dissolved inor-
ganic phosphorus, total soluble phosphorus, total ammo-
nia, total phosphorus, light attenuation coefficient, Secchi
depth, total suspended solids, and chlorophyll a-the nutri-
ent parameters were measured only in 1985.

During the 1985-1986 growing seasons, USGS measured
light attenuation coefficient and concentrations of chloro-
phyll a and total suspended solids every two weeks in the
vegetated upper tidal river, the unvegetated lower tidal
river, and the vegetated oligohaline transition zone, to
determine whether changing light availability was respon-
sible for the discontinuous distribution of vegetation in the
tidal river (Carter and Rybicki 1990). Incident and under-
water irradiance were measured with a portable LICOR
submersible scanning spectroradiometer.  Secchi depth
was  measured simultaneously.  In 1985, measurements
were made at six stations  (two in each reach)  and at 12
stations (fourin each reach) in 1986 (Figure V-25). Stations
were ^3 m in depth and were located outside plant beds
along the margin of the river.  In addition, stations were
located in two shallow embayments, Pohick  Bay and
Occoquan Bay, in 1986 (Figure V-25).

Water  quality data sets, available for the tidal Potomac
River and oligohaline transition zone of the Potomac Estuary
for 1979-1989, were obtainedfromseveral different sources
for this analysis. USGS data came from the USGS Poto-
mac Estuary Study, 1979-1983 (excluding  1982).  This
study was intended to provide a comprehensive look at
water quality in the tidal Potomac River  and Estuary
(Callender et al. 1984).  Data collection was conducted at
fixed stations along the length of the river from Chain
Bridge to Maryland Point (Figure V-25 and Table V-4) and
during  longitudinal cruises.  At  some stations, depth-
integrated vertical samples were collected at more than one
location in the cross section and composited.  At other
stations, or at different sampling times, only near-surface
mid-channel samples were collected. The data were di-
vided into two sets for the trend analysis-cross-sectional
composites and near-surface channel samples. Sampling
was monthly or weekly during 1979-1981 depending on the
station; however, sampling consisted of several longitudi-
nal sampling cruises in 1983. Water quality parameters
included Secchi depth and concentrations of dissolved
ammonia, total ammonia, nitrate plus nitrite, total Kjeldahl
nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved inorganic phospho-
rus, total soluble phosphorus, total suspended solids, and
chlorophyll a. Data are summarized  in Blanchard et al.
(1982a,  1982b), Blanchard and Hahl  (1981), Coupe and
Webb (1983), and Woodward et al. (1984).

Other data sets were acquired either through the Metropoli-
tan Washington Council of Governments, which coordi-
nates and provides database management for all monitoring
data collected in the Potomac River and publishes reports
on the water quality of the Potomac River (Metropolitan
Washington Council of Governments 1983, 1984, 1985,
1986, 1990), or directly through the collection agencies.
These include data sets from the following agencies:

The Maryland Department  of the Environment (MDE),
1983-1989:   MDE sampled every  2 weeks  during the
growing season (April-October) at fixed stations along the
mainstem of the Potomac from Hatton Point to Maryland
Point (Figure V-25 and Table V-4). Sampling was done
in the mid-channel at depths of 0.3 m and 5 m and near the
bottom. Only the samples collected near the surface (0.3
m) were used in this analysis. Parameters included total
ammonia, nitrate plus nitrite, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total
phosphorus, total orthophosphorus, total suspended solids,
chlorophyll a, and Secchi depth.

The District of Columbia Department of Consumer and
Regulatory Affairs (DC), 1983-1988: these samples were
collected monthly at fixed stations, two of which were used
in this analysis (Figure V-25 and Table V-4). The samples
were collected at the surface of the river channel.  Water
quality parameters included dissolved ammonia,  nitrate
plus nitrite, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, dis-
solved inorganic phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus,
total suspended solids, chlorophyll a,  and Secchi depth.

Appendix B summarizes the analytical methods used by
each agency for each of the water quality parameters and
comments on their compatibility. The major difficulties
of comparing diverse data sets include:  1) differences in
sample  collection  methods  (depth-integrated samples,
composited samples, surface samples, mid-channel versus
nearshore samples); 2) differences in sample treatment and
preservation (filtered versus unfiltered nutrient samples);
3) differences in actual parameters measured and methods
of analysis  (dissolved  versus total); 4) differences in de-
tection limits for parameters; and, 5) changes in detection
limits and methods over the period of record.
58
csosw.iz/w

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                                                                                     Regional SAV Study Area Findings
Table V-4.   Water quality monitoring stations used for the water quality analyses of the tidal Potomac River and transition zone of the
            Potomac Estuary.
          Station Name
Latitude
Longitude
        Upper Tidal River:
        salinity 0-0.5 ppt

        Geisboro Point (GP)
            USGS 385039077015800
 38°50'39"
 38°49'18"
 77°01'26"
 77°01'53
        Rosier Bluff (RB)
            USGS 384605077015800
            USGS Wetland Studies site RB
            DC PM551
 38°46'05"
 38°46'31"
 38°46'12"
 77°01'58"
 77°01'46"
 77°01'54"
        Hatton Point (HP)
            USGS 384318077020300
            MDE XFB2470
 38°43'18"
 38°42'23"
 77°02'03"
 77°02'57"
        Marshall Hall (MH)
            USGS384136077054500
            USGS Wetland Studies  site EC
            MDE XFB1433

        Lower Tidal River:
        salinity 0-3 ppt

        Gunston Cover (GC)
            USGS Wetland Studies  site GC
 38°41'36"
 38°41'30"
 38°41'26"
 77°05'46"
 77°04'47"
 77°06'31"
 38°40'02"
 77°08'10"
        Pohick Bay (PB)
            USGS Wetland Studies site PB
 38°40'37"
 77°09'53"
        Occoquan Bay (OB)
            USGS Wetland Studies site OB
 38°38'24"
 77°13'12"
        Indian Head (IH)
            USGS 01655480
            USGS Wetland Studies site MN
            MDE XEA6596
 38°36'03"
 38033'39"
 38°36'29"
 77°10'56"
 77°12'35"
 77°10'27"
        Quantico (Q)
            USGS 01658710
            USGS Wetland Studies site MN
            MDE XEA1840
 38°31'12"
 38°33'47"
 38°31'47"
 77°17'08"
 77°12'35"
 77°15'56"
        Oligohaline Transition Zone:
        salinity 0-5-7 ppt

        Douglas Point (DP)
            USGS 382640077159900
            USGS Weltand Studies site WB
            MDE XDA4238
 38°26'40"
 38°25'54"
 38°24'12"
 77°15'19"
 77°15'55"
 77°16'10"
        Maryland Point (MP)
            USGS  382233077102000
            MDEXDA1177
 38°22'33"
 38°21'07"
 77°10'20"
 77°12'17"
Note:  USGS = U.S. Geological Survey; MDE = Maryland Department of the Environment; DC = District of Columbia Department of Consumer Regulatory
      Affairs; VSWCB = Virginia State Water Control Board.

                                                                                                                 59
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SAV Technical Synthesis
Water quality data are discussed by both station and reach
(upper tidal river, lower tidal river, transition zone). Sta-
tion data were collected primarily by USGS, MDE, and
DC. Reach data were collected primarily by the USGS in
conjunction with various experiments and monitoring pro-
grams described previously. Stations located in the upper
tidal river reach include Geisboro Point (GP), Rosier Bluff
(RB), Hatton Point (HP), and Marshall Hall (MH) (Figure
V-25, Table V-4). Stations located in the lower tidal river
reach include Indian Head (IH)  and Quantico (Q). The
oligohaline transition zone reach begins below Quantico
and includes  Douglas Point (DP) and Maryland Point
(MP).

Growing season median values were calculated for all
water quality parameters for 1980-1989.  Median dissolved
inorganic nitrogen was calculated by adding median nitrate
plus nitrite to median  dissolved ammonia (DC  data) or
median total ammonia (USGS and MDE data). For com-
parison purposes, median values for 1980,1983,1986, and
1989 are plotted for all stations by year.  The 1980 data
reflect conditions in the tidal river  and  transition zone
before the plants resurgence. The 1983 data characterize
water quality conditions when SAV grew back in the upper
tidal river. Data from 1986  show water quality when
vegetation in the upper tidal river was at its most extensive
and the plants had begun to spread into the lower tidal river.
The 1989 data complete the data set and show the status of
water quality when plant  populations increased  in the
lower tidal river and declined in the upper tidal river. Data
from three stations—Hatton Point, Indian Head, and Dou-
glas Point—were used for plots showing  each parameter
for all years when data were available. Water quality data
were compared with SAV  coverage in  order to establish
the SAV habitat requirements.  Information on relative
SAV  coverage at water quality stations was taken from
USGS survey data and aerial photographs. Actual cover-
age within a 2.5 km reach on either side of each station was
acquired from the Chesapeake Bay Program's SAV Geo-
graphical Information Systems data base for 1984-1987
and 1989. Coverage for 1983 was estimated from USGS
field notes and observations; coverage for 1988 was esti-
mated from aerial photographs.

Trend Analysis

The nonparametric Seasonal Kendall test (Hirsch et al.
1982; Hirsch and Slack 1984) was used to examine the water
quality trends in the upper Potomac River during 1980-
1989. This time period corresponds with  the reestablish-
ment of SAV in the Potomac River. The trend is a linear,
monotonic change in value over the period of the data. The
Seasonal Kendall test accounts for the seasonal variation
in water quality by dividing the data into seasons or months
and testing each month's values for trends.  A trend and
level of significance are then calculated for all months. For
periods over ten years, the level of significance of the test
is adjusted for serial correlation among the months.

For this report, each data set was divided into seven calendar
months (April through October).  For each station and
parameter, one nonmissing value was randomly selected for
each month.  'Less than detection limit' values for each
parameter were set to half the largest detection level. Re-
sults indicate whether the parameter increased or decreased
over the period of the test or if there were no trends detected.
Failure to detect a trend may be the result of missing data or
the absence of a trend. Trends are only reported if the level
of significance is 0.05. The following two types of data
were tested: 1) those measured in the main channel at a depth
of 1 m or less; and, 2) cross-section average values. All data
collected by MDE and DC, and some data collected by
USGS, comprise the first type. The remaining USGS data
comprise the second type.

Trend tests were run on each of the following data sets: 1)
USGS, 2) DC, 3) MDE, and 4) combined USGS, DC, and
MDE.  The combined data  sets  included only surface
channel data.  USGS data for 1983 were not used. Trends
for the combined data sets are reported for those stations
and parameters for which there are both USGS and either
DC or MDE data.

Results

Distribution Surveys

Figure V-26 summarizes  SAV distribution in the upper
Potomac River for 1980,1983,1986, and 1989. Figure V-
27 shows SAV distribution in the tidal Potomac River in
1916, suggesting the extent of SAV revegetation possible
in this reach of the river.  Today's channel, however, is
probably wider than that in 1916. The 1979-1981 survey
(Figures V-26 and V-28) showed  that vegetation was
extremely sparse in the tidal Potomac River.  Most of the
small isolated patches of SAV found in an intensive shore-
line survey were in isolated or protected environments in
tributaries rather than along the mainstem of the Potomac
River (Haramis  and Carter 1983; Carter et al. 1985a).  A
variety of SAV species was found on  transects in the
transition zone.  Table V-5 lists species found during the
survey.

Following the resurgence of plants in the upper tidal river,
fifteen species of SAV were collected in the tidal Potomac
River and transition zones of the  Potomac Estuary from
60
CSOSAV.ia-K

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                                                                                      Regional SAV Study Area Findings
Table V-5.   List of SAV species found in the tidal Potomac River and oligohaline transition zone of the Potomac Estuary:  1978-1981
            and 1983-1989.
            Nitella flexilis
            Chara braunii
           Chara zeylanica
       Potamogeton perfoliatus
       Potamogeton pectinatus
         Potamogeton crispus
Potamogeton pusillus
Zannichellia palustris
 Najas guadalupensis
     Najas minor
  Najas gracillima
Vallisneria americana
  Hydrilla verticillata
   Elodea canadensis
      Egeria densa
Ceratophyllum demersum
 Myriophyllum spicatum
  Heteranthera dubia
          Chain Bridge

            1980
                  National Airport
                                     Woodrow
                                   Wilson Bridge
          Gunston    ,.
           Cove
                                \
                       Chain Bridge  '
                         1983
                                                  Woodrow
                                                 Wilson Bridge
                       Gunston
              Chain Bridge
               1986
              Gunston
               Cove
                      Chain Bridge

                       1989
                              National Airport
                                         Woodrow
                                       Wilson Bridge
                                                 Woodrow
                                                Wilson Bridge
                      Gunston
Figure V-26.  Distribution of SAV (• ) in the upper Potomac River during the 1980's. Modified from Carter and Rybicki 1986.
                                                                                                                  61
                                                                                                            CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
     1916
  Gunston
   Cove
Figure V-27. Distribution of SAV ($$;)in the upper Potomac River in
1916 (Gumming ef a/. 1916).

1983-1989 (Carter and Rybicki 1986) (Table V-5).  The
only new species identified in 1983 were H. dubia, Najas
minor, andN.flexilis. The plant distribution was extremely
patchy during 1983, except in the Alexandria area where
H. verticillata was the dominant species.  In subsequent
years, however, SAV became increasingly dense (Figures
V-28 through V-30).  Plant populations stabilized in the
upper tidal river (Geisboro Point, Rosier Bluff, Hatton
Point, andMarshall Hall) in 1986 and!987, with//, verticillata
the dominant species throughout the reach. In 1988, plant
area decreased, largely due to the disappearance of H.
verticillata from the back of shallow coves (Piscataway
Creek and Broad Creek) and from the deeper fringes of the
plant beds. In 1989, there was a dramatic reduction in the
H. verticillata population in the upper tidal river (Figures
V-28 and V-29).

By 1986, SAV had spread below Marshall Hall into the
lower tidal river (Indian Head and Quantico) (Figures V-
28 and V-30).  The distribution was patchy at first, but
density increased during 1986 and 1989 as plants spread
down river and into sites <2. m in depth. During the same
period, H, verticillata was rapidly becoming the dominant
species in this reach of the river as well.
Although confined to the shallow shoreline margins, SAV
was present in the transition zone (Douglas Point, Mary-
land Point) during 1978-1981.  These plants persisted in
1983-1989, becoming more dense and widespread between
Quantico and Maryland Point (Figures V-28 and V-30).
There was more SAV on the Maryland side of the river,
growing discontinuously in shallow coves from Chicamuxen
Creek south around Maryland Point.  East of Maryland
Point, the band of vegetation was relatively continuous and
consistent from year-to-year.

Season Determination

After ten years of  field observations, the basic phenologi-
cal patterns of the three key species in the tidal Potomac
River are fairly well understood. The onset of growth and
germination depends on water and substrate temperature
and thus varies from year to year. In general, the growing
season in the tidal  river and transition zone begins in April
and ends with senescence in late October. M. spicatum is
the first plant to grow and reach the water's surface.  It
sprouts from last  year's root  stocks and stems utilizing
stored structural carbohydrate when water temperatures
are about 12-13 °C usually reaching the surface within three
weeks. V. americana germinates from overwintering tu-
bers when the water temperature is 13 to 15 °C. H. verticillata
tubers and turions do not sprout until the sediment and
water temperatures are about 15 °C.  All three plants grow
more rapidly as water temperatures rise. None are limited
by the maximum  water temperatures  (approximately 30
°C)  in the tidal river or transition zone and continue to
photosynthesize until the end  of October.

Transplant Experiments

In 1980 and 1981,  transplants were successful only when
protected by full exclosures that prevented grazing (Carter
and Rybicki 1985). Plants at Rosier Bluff and Elodea Cove,
protected during the first year, were permanently estab-
lished despite grazing in subsequent years, however, there
was little or no expansion of these beds until 1983.  The
mean light attenuation coefficient at these sites was <2.7
nr1 with  average  1% light level at a depth of 1.6-1.7 m.
Plants were never permanently established at Goose Island
or at Neabsco Creek where light penetration was poor with
the average 1% light level at 1.4 m and 1.0 m, respectively,
and a mean light attenuation > 2.7 nv1. In 1983, mean Secchi
depth in the upper tidal river increased significantly com-
pared with 1978-1981 (Table V-6) and both protected and
unprotected transplants survived (Carter and Rybicki 1985).
The results from the transplant experiments confirm that
environmental conditions in the tidal river prior to 1983
62
CSOSAV.12/92

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                                                                                Regional SAV Study Area Findings
   Potomac River SAV Abundance  by Station
1989 -

1988 -

1987 -

1986 -

1985 -

1984 '

1983 '

1982 '

1979- •
1981
          GP      RB     HP      MH     IH      Q       DP

                    Potomac River Water Quality Stations
       MP
Figure V-28. Trends in SAV in the tidal Potomac River and transition zone of the Potomac
Estuary, 1979-1989.  Line width is proportional to density with the smallest width indicating
a few small patches of vegetation and the largest width indicating dense coverage of all shallow
sites. See Table V-3 for full station names.
were only marginally suitable for the
establishment of vegetation because
of high light attenuation and grazing.

Growth Experiments

The results of the light/transplant stud-
ies in Pohick and Occoquan bays show
that light was the primary factor con-
trolling the growth  and survival of
SAV at both sites. At Pohick Bay in
1987 and 1988, the only SAV trans-
plants surviving through the end of the
summer were in the experimental cages
to which artificial light was added. In
1987,  light attenuation  coefficients
varied from 2.4 nr1 (in June) to 8.8 nr1 (in
August).

In 1989, the only year in which both
Occoquan and Pohick bays were stud-
ied, the biomass in the experimental
cages at both  sites was significantly
greater than that in the unlit control
cages.  Biomass in the experimental
cages in Pohick Bay averaged 65 g dry
weight compared to an average of 2 g
dry weight in the controls. Biomass in
the experimental cages in Occoquan
Bay averaged 63 g dry  weight com-
pared with 6 g dry weight in the con-
trols.
  SAV Cover at Stations in the Upper Tidal River
      1983   1984  1985  1986   1987  1988   1989
Figure V-29. SAV cover at stations in the upper tidal Potomac River
from 1983-1989.
  SAV Cover at Stations in the Lower Tidal River
                and Transition Zone
                                                          200-,
                                                          150-
                                                        sioo-l
                                                        x
                                                           50-
      1983  1984  1985  1986  1987   1988   1989

Figure V-30. SAV cover at stations in the lower tidal Potomac River
and the transition zone of the Potomac Estuary from 1983-1989.

                                                  63
                                             CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
Table V-6.   Summary of mean Secchi depths in the upper tidal Potomac River, the lower tidal Potomac River, and the transition zone
            of the Potomac Estuary (1979-1981,1983,1985, and 1986).
 Location
1979-1981
Mean Secchi Depth
     1983
1985
1986
Upper Tidal River
Lower Tidal River
Transition Zone
0.53(1.7, 117) (a)
0.43 (0.87, 142) (b)
0.45 (0.81, 229) (b)
0.86 (4.4, 50) (c)
0.50 (5.1, 13) (b) (d)
n.d.
0.89 (3.3, 85) (c)
0.59 (1.9. 78) (d)
0.69 (2.8, 23) (a)
0.83 (3.3, 76) (c)
0.53 (1.5, 101) (d)
0.51 (2.8, 51) (b)
Data are presented as mean Secchi depth in m (standard error, number of samples). Column numbers designated by different letters are significantly
different, p < 0.001; row numbers designated by different letters are significantly different, p < 0.001. Data from 1979-1981 include the entire transition
zone from Quantico to the Route 301 Bridge, whereas data from 1985 and 1986 include only the oligohaline transition zone.
Water Quality Parameters

Tables V-7 through V-9 give the results of the  trend
analyses and are discussed by parameter in the following
text.  No trends were detected in any of the selected
parameters in the 1983-1989 DC data for Geisboro  Point
and Rosier Bluff.

Secchi Depth
Figures V-31 through V-34 show growing season median
Secchi depths and SAV distribution for 1980,1983,1986
and  1989,  respectively.  In 1980, median mid-channel
Secchi depths generally ranged from 0.5-0.7 m; the great-
est water clarity was at Maryland Point (Figure V-31). In
1983, growing season median Secchi depths were >0.7 m
at Rosier Bluff and Marshall Hall in the upper tidal river
and at Douglas Point and Maryland Point in the transition
zone (Figure V-32). In 1986, the growing season median
Secchi depth was 0.5-0.7  m-the lowest values (-0.5 m)
were at Indian Head and Quantico where plants were still
sparse  (Figure V-33). In 1989, Secchi depth at Quantico
(0.9 m) was unusually high compared with previous  years
(Figure V-34).  No trend in Secchi depth was found in
USGS data for 1979-1983 (Table V-7). MDE data for 1983-
1989 (Table V-8) indicate a downward trend of 0.06 m/yr
at Hatton  Point and 0.05 m/yr at Marshall Hall.  This
suggests water clarity was unusually good  in 1983 in the
upper tidal river. Combined data from 1979-1988 show an
upward trend of 0.04 m/yr at Quantico (Table V-8).  This
improvement in water clarity may be responsible for the
increase in SAV during 1987-1989 (Figures V-28 and V-
30) in this reach of the river.
                           At Hatton Point, anual median Secchi depth was about 0.6
                           m during 1980-1983 and then increased to >0.65 m during
                           1984-1988 (Figure V-35). In 1989, there was a decline in
                           H. verticillata and annual median Secchi depth (to 0.5 m)
                           at Hatton Point.  At Indian Head, annual median Secchi
                           depth was <0.5m during 1980-1981, but was >0.6m during
                           1983-1989 except for 1986 (Figure V-36). In spite of these
                           relatively large Secchi depths, there was virtually no veg-
                           etation at this station until 1987. At Douglas Point, annual
                           median Secchi depth was variable over the period-<0.6 m
                           in 1981,1985, and 1986, and >0.6m during the other years
                           (Figure V-37).

                           During 1983, there was a massive blue-green algal bloom
                           in the lower tidal river at Indian Head, Marshall Hall, and
                           Quantico that eventually reached the vicinity of Rosier
                           Bluff in late August (Metropolitan Washington of Govern-
                           ments 1984). The MDE data do not reflect the presence of
                           this bloom. A series of USGS longitudinal cruises in 1983,
                           however, intended to monitor progress of the bloom, show
                           that median Secchi depths were <0.5 m from Marshall Hall
                           to Douglas Point (Figure V-38). USGS data were collected
                           during the algae bloom and do not depict seasonal condi-
                           tions. Figure V-39 demonstrates the  variability  of light
                           conditions in the river.

                           Secchi depths necessary for revegetation and/or expansion
                           of SAV may differ from those necessary to maintain viable
                           populations. Hundreds of Secchi depth measurements in
                           the tidal river and transition zone have been made by USGS
                           since 1979. The yearly means for these Secchi depths are
                           summarized by reach in Table  V-6 for  1978-1981, 1983,
                           1985, and 1986 (the years with a good seasonal distribution
64
CSOSAV.1W2

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                                                                                           Regional SAV Study Area Findings


Table V-7. Trend results from USGS data, 1979-1983. Trends are reported if significance level is <0.05 [-indicates downward trend;
           0 indicates no trend; * indicates not tested; trend slope values for nutrients and TSS in mg/l/yr; trend slope values for chlorophyll a
           in ug/l/yr; TSS is total suspended solids;  DIP is dissolved inorganic phosphorus;  TNH4 is total ammonia; DNH4 is dissolved
           ammonia; N02+N03 is nitrate plus nitrite; CHLA is chlorophyll a; NA means not applicable].
Surface (C)
or X-Section
Station Average (X) TSS
GP

RB

HP

MH

IH

Q

DP

MP

C
X
C
X
C
X
C
X
C
X
C
X
C
X
C
X
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
0
0
0
NA
0
NA
Secchi
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
NA
0
NA
DIP
*
0
0
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
TNH4
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
*
0
0
0
0
0
*
*
DNH4
*
0
0
0
*
-0.2
*
0
*
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
NO2+
NO3
*
0
0
0.6
*
0.3
*
0
*

0
0
0
0
0
0
CHLA
0
0
0
0
*
13
*
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
Table V-8. Trends in MDE water quality data, 1983-1989.  Trends are reported if significance level is <0.05 [- indicates down trend;
           0 indicates no trend; trend slope for Secchi depth is in m/yr; trend slope for nutrients and TSS is in mg/l/yr; TSS is total suspended
           solids; DIP is dissolved inorganic phosphorus; TNH4 is total ammonia;  N02+N03 is nitrate plus nitrate; CHLA is chlorophyll a].
Station
HP
MH
IH
Q
DP
MP
TSS
0
0
-1.3
-1.5
0
0
Secchi
-0.06
-0.05
0
0
0
0
DIP
0
0
0
0
0
0
TNH4
0
0
0
0.01
0
0
NO2+
NO3
0
0
0
0.09
0.09
0
CHLA
0
0
0
0
0
0
 Table V-9.  Trend results for combined USGS, MDE, and DC data.  Time period for all stations is 1979-1988. Trends are reported if
            significance level is <0.05 [-indicates down trend;  0 indicates no trend; a blank indicates that either USGS, DC, or MDE data
            are missing;  trend slope for Secchi depth in m/yr; trend slope for TSS and nutrients in  mg/l/yr; trend slope for chlorophyll a
            in ug/l/yr; TSS is total suspended solids; DIP is dissolved inorganic phosphorus; TNH4 is total ammonia; DNH4 is dissolved
            ammonia;  N02+N03 is nitrate plus nitrate; CHLA is chlorophyll a;  NA is not applicable].
Station
GP
RB
HP
MH
IH
Q
DP
MP


TSS
0
0
0
0
-2
-2
0
0


Secchi
0
0
0
0
0
0.04
0
0


DIP
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
0
0


TNH4
0

0
0.01
0
0
NA
NA


DNH4
0
0
NA
0
NA
NA
NA
NA


NO2+
NO3
0.10
0.13
0.05
0.10
0.07
0.07
0
0


CHLA
0
0
0
0
-3.K-2.1)
-1.7
0
0
65
CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis
       0.8


       0.6


       0.4


       0.2
           —i—
            174
            GP
                   Median Secchi Depth
                             1980
      166   160
       RB    HP
       151
        MH
       139
        IH
      —I—
       126
        Q
      117
      DP
      99
      MP
                    Water Quality Station/River Kilometer
                                                          0.8


                                                          0.6
                                                      1  0.4

                                                      3
                                                          0.2.
                     174
                     GP
                                                                        Median Secchi Depth
                                                                                 1989
        166
         RB
160
 HP
151
 MH
139
 IH
126
 Q
117
DP
                                                                                                                       MP
                                                                                   Water Quality Station/River Kilometer
  Figure V-31. April-October 1980 median Secchi depth by station in the
  Potomac River. Shaded area indicates 1980 SAV distribution in the river.
                                                      Figure V-34.  April-October 1989 median Secchi depth by station in the
                                                      Potomac River. Shaded area indicates 1989 SAV distribution in the river.
      0.8-


      0.6-


      0.4J
                   Median Secchi Depth
                             1983
174   166   160    151
GP   RB    HP    MH
                                    139    126    117    99
                                     IH     Q    DP    MP
                    Water Quality Station/River Kilometer
 Figure V-32.  April-October 1983 median Secchi depth by station in the
 Potomac River. Shaded area indicates 1983 SAV distribution in the river.
 Dashed line Indicates period with no SAV distribution data.
                                                           1-


                                                         0.8-

                                                      1
                                                      £ 0.6-
                                                      o.
                                                      s
                                                      •g 0.4 -\
                                                      
-------
                                                                                   Regional SAV Study Area Findings
           Secchi Depth - Douglas Point
   0.8-
   0.6-
   0.4-
   0.2-
        1980  1981  1983  1984  1985  1986 1987  1988  1989

Figure V-37. Median Secchi depth at Douglas Point (transition zone of
Potomac Estuary River), 1980-1989. Shaded area indicates annual SAV
presence at Douglas Point. Dashed line indicates period with no SAV
distribution data at Douglas Point.
    0.8_
    0.6-
•£  0.4-

$
    0.2-
           Comparison of USGS and MDE
            Median Secchi Depths -1983
        174
         GP
166   160
 RB   HP
151
MH
139
 IH
126   117
 Q   DP
                                             MP
               Water Quality Station/River Kilometer
Figure V-38. April-October 1983 median Secchi depths for MDE and USGS
stations in the Potomac River. Shaded area indicates 1983 SAV distribution
in the river.
of data). These data, and the data presented in Figures V-
31 through V-38, suggest that plant survival in the tidal
river is unlikely at median or mean (April-October) Secchi
depths <0.5 m; whereas growing season median or mean
seasonal Secchi depths >0.7 m result in revegetation and
expansion in coverage. When growing season median or
mean Secchi depths lie between 0.5 and 0.7 m, other factors
(such as available sunshine, water temperature, or even
reproductive success in the previous year) probably play
a major role in determining SAV increase or decrease. It
appears that Secchi depth limits may be lower  in  the
transition zone; that is, SAV survives at lower mean Secchi
depths in the transition zone than in the tidal river, possibly
because the tidal range is  less.

Light Attenuation  Coefficient
Light attenuation was not measured routinely in any of the
tidal Potomac River and  Estuary data sets.  The only
measurements directly available were from various special
                                             studies conducted by USGS over the past ten years. Based
                                             on simultaneous measurements in 1985-1986, Secchi depth
                                             can be related to light attenuation in the tidal Potomac
                                             River and transition zone using the equation: light attenu-
                                             ation coefficient = 1.38/ Secchi depth (Carter and Rybicki
                                             1990).

                                             Transplant studies in 1980-1981  showed that SAV sur-
                                             vived and grew when light attenuation was <2.7 m'1,
                                             whereas SAV was not established when light attenuation
                                             was >2.7 nrl (Carter and Rybicki 1985). During the 1987
                                             growth experiments, light attenuation coefficient values in
                                             Pohick Bay (no SAV) ranged from 2.4-8.8 m'1 with virtu-
                                             ally no SAV survival in unlit cages (Carter and Rybicki,
                                             unpublished data).  The 1985-1986 light attenuation stud-
                                             ies showed that mean monthly light attenuation coeffi-
                                             cients were significantly greater in the lower tidal river than
                                             in the upper tidal river (Figures V-39 and V-40) (Carter and
                                             Rybicki 1990), and SAV was significantly less abundant

                                                          Light Attenuation Studies
                                                            May - September 1985
                                                4-,
                                                3-
                                                             1-
                                                                        June
                                                                               July    Aug.    Sept.
                                             Figure V-39.  Monthly mean light attenuation coefficients from studies
                                             performed in the upper and lowertidal Potomac Riverand the transition zone
                                             of the Potomac Estuary in 1985 (Carter and Rybicki 1990).
                                                          Light Attenuation Studies
                                                             April - August 1986
                                               4-
                                               2-
                                                   April
                                                May
                                                 June   July    Aug.
                                            Figure V-40. 'Monthly mean light attenuation coefficient from studies
                                            performed in the upper and lowertidal Potomac River and the transition zone
                                            of the Potomac Estuary in 1986 (Carter and Rybicki 1990).

                                                                                                 67
                                                                                           CSC.SAV.12B2

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SAV Technical Synthesis
Chlorophyll a
Figures V-48 through V-51 show growing season median
chlorophyll a  concentrations and SAV distribution for
1980,1983,1986, and 1989. In 1980, median chlorophyll
a concentrations ranged from 15-27 ug/1 in the upper tidal
river.  Downriver, concentrations peaked at 42 ug/1 at
Quantico and decreased to 20 ug/1 at Maryland Point where
SAV was present (Figure V-48). In 1983, median chlo-
rophyll a concentrations peaked at 16.7 ug/1 at Indian Head
because of the Microcystis phytoplankton bloom during
the summer (Figure  V-49).  In 1986 and 1989, median
chlorophyll a concentrations at all stations were <15 ug/1
(Figures V-50 and V-51, respectively).  A statistically
significant downward trend in chlorophyll a concentration
(1.7-3.1 ug/1 per year) was observed at Indian Head and
Quantico from 1979  to 1988 (Table V-9).
                                               Figures V-52 through V-54 show yearly median chloro-
                                               phyll a concentrations at Hatton Point, Indian Head, and
                                               Douglas Point.  At Hatton Point, the median chlorophyll
                                               a concentration was <10 ug/1 in all years except 1980 and
                                               1981-years when there was no SAV (Figure V-52). At
                                               Indian  Head,  chlorophyll a concentrations were >15 ug/1
                                               during 1980-1985 and declined to <15 ug/1 during 1986-
                                               1989 (Figure V-53). Between 1986 and 1989, SAV in-
                                               creased at Indian Head.  The greatest increase in cover at
                                               Indian Head occurred during 1989, a year when median
                                               chlorophyll a concentrations declined to 8.6 ug/1 and median
                                               total suspended solids concentrations were 12 mg/1 (Fig-
                                               ures V-30, V-46, and V-53, respectively).  At Douglas
                                               Point, median chlorophyll a concentrations were <10 ug/
                                               1 in all years except 1980-1981 and 1984 (Figure V-54). In
                                               1984, the median concentration was 14.8 ug/1. During 1980-
                                               1988, SAV cover was sparse or absent, increasing to a
                                               maximum in  1989 (Figure V-30).
     50-.

     40-

     30-

     20-

     10-
           Median Chlorophyll a Concentrations
                            1980
—I	1	1	1	1	1	T—
 174   166   160   151    139   126   117
 GP   RB   HP   MH     IH    Q    DP
       Water Quality Stations/River Kilometers
                                                99
                                                MP
 Rgure V-48. April-October 1980 median chlorophyll a concentrations by
 station in the Potomac River. Shaded bar indicates 1 980 distribution of SAV
 In the river.

           Median Chlorophyll a Concentrations
                           1983
    50-.

    40-
    BO-
    ZO-
    10.
        174
        GP
     166
     RB
160
HP
151
MH
139
 IH
126
 Q
117
DP
99
MP
                Water Quality Stations/River Kilometers
Rgure V-49. April-October 1983 median chlorophyll a concentrations by
station in the Potomac River. Shaded bar indicates 1983 distribution of SAV
in the river. Dashed line indicates period with no SAV distribution data.
During the light attenuation study in 1985-1986 (Carter
and Rybicki 1990), USGS collected nearshore chlorophyll
a data (water depth <3 m). Chlorophyll a concentrations
were higher in the lower tidal river than in the upper tidal
river or transition zone in both years.  Mean monthly
chlorophyll a concentrations in the tidal river generally
increased from April or May, peaked in July or August, and
then decreased.  Concentrations were low, <15 ug/1, and
relatively constant in the transition zone. In June 1985, a
phytoplankton bloom began in the lower tidal river and
spread into the upper tidal river in early July. This bloom
persisted into September at Gunston Cove (GC) and Elo-
dea Cove (EC), reaching peak concentrations of 110 and
89 ug/1, respectively. MDE and USGS May-September
medians for 1985 are compared in Figure V-55. April and
October chlorophyll a concentrations tend to be lower than
mid-summer concentrations. By removing the data from
these  two months, median values for most stations in-
creased, demonstrating the presence of the phytoplankton
bloom.  The differences between MDE and USGS data
arise partially because of differences between nearshore
and mid-channel data and partially because of the extreme
variability of phytoplankton distribution during large blooms.

High chlorophyll a concentrations (in excess of 30 ug/1),
as observed during phytoplankton blooms over short pe-
riods of time, do not seem detrimental to well-established
SAV populations. However, high chlorophyll a values can
prevent revegetation if they occur during a critical time of
reestablishment.  Growing season median chlorophyll a
concentrations of <15 ug/1 are generally associated with
SAV expansion, whereas growing season median chloro-
phyll a concentrations >15 ug/1 are usually associated with
SAV decline or absence.
70
CSOSAV.1W2

-------
     50 _
     40-
     30-
     20 _
            Median Chlorophyll a Concentrations
                               1986
174
GP
               —1—
                166
                RB
                      160
                      HP
151
MH
—T~
 139
  IH
126
 Q
—I—
 117
 DP
99
MP
                 Water Quality Stations/River Kilometers

 Figure V-50. April-October 1986 median chlorophyll a concentrations by
 station in the Potomac River. Shaded bar indicates 1986 distribution of SAV
 in the river.
                                                                    50-
                                                                    40-
                                                                    30-|
                                                                    20-
                                                                    10-
                                                                                           Regional SAV Study Area Findings

                                                                           Median Chlorophyll a - Indian  Head
  1     I	1	1	1	1	1	1	1—-
1980  1981  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989
                                                                Figure V-53. Median chlorophyll a concentrations at Indian Head in the
                                                                lower tidal Potomac River, 1980-1989. Shaded area indicates annual SAV
                                                                presence at Indian Head.
     50_


     40.


     30-
 8 20-
 &
 S
    10-1
           Median Chlorophyll a Concentrations
                              1989
                                                                          Median Chlorophyll a - Douglas Point
         174   166   160    151    139    126   117    99
         GP   RB    HP    MH     IH     Q    DP    MP

                 Water Quality Stations/River Kilometers

 Figure V-51. April-October 1989 median chlorophyll a concentrations by
 station in the Potomac River. Shaded bar indicates 1989 distribution of SAV
 in the river.
                                                                   50-
                                                                   40-
                                                                 
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SAV Technical Synthesis
Relation Between Total Suspended Solids and Chlorophyll a
Although habitat requirements for total suspended solids
and  chlorophyll a  have been developed  based on the
relationship between each parameter and SAV success, it
should be remembered that these two parameters are not
independent. At high chlorophyll a concentrations, phy-
toplankton contributes to total suspended solids concentra-
tions.  In addition, both parameters must be below the
habitat requirement.  If one parameter is below when the
other is above the habitat requirement, SAV may be absent
or decline. In 1985, there was little SAV at Quantico and
almost none at Indian Head (Figure V-30). Figure V-56
shows that total suspended solids and  chlorophyll a con-
centrations at Quantico were close to the suggested habitat
requirements, while the median chlorophyll a concentra-
tion at Indian Head  exceeded the chlorophyll a habitat
requirement.

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
Median  dissolved inorganic nitrogen  was calculated  by
adding median nitrate plus  nitrite to median dissolved
ammonia (DC data) or median total ammonia (USGS and
MDE data). Figures V-57 through V-60  show growing
season median dissolved  inorganic nitrogen concentra-
tions for 1980, 1983, 1986, and 1989. Concentrations in
all years decrease downriver. The highest  concentrations
(about 2 mg/1) were  in the upper tidal river. The lowest
concentrations (0.5 mg/1) were from Indian Head to Mary-
land Point in 1980, increasing to >1.5 mg/1 in this reach
by 1989. No trends were calculated for dissolved inorganic
nitrogen.

Median dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations at
Hatton Point were about 1.5 mg/1 in  1980-1981 and  in-
creased to about 2 mg/1 in subsequent years (Figure V-61).
Median concentrations at both Indian Head and Douglas

     Total Suspended  Solids and Chlorophyll a
                Potomac River-1980
                                                -25
                                                -15
                                                -5
      "l74   166   160   151   139   126   117   99
       GP   RB    HP    MH   IH    Q    DP   MP

Figure V-56.  Median total suspended solids (9) and chlorophyll a 
-------
                                                                                    Regional SAV Study Area Findings
     2.5-

      2-


     1.5-

      1-


     0.5-
            Median Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                    Potomac River -1989
         —i	1—
          174   166
          QP   RB
160
HP
—I—
 151
 MH
—I"
 139
 IH
—I	
 126
  Q
—\—
 117
 DP
99
MP
                Water Quality Station/River Kilometer
 Figure V-60. April-October 1989 median dissolved inorganic nitrogen
 concentrations by station in the Potomac River. Shaded area indicates 1989
 SAV distribution in the river.
                                        2.5-,

                                       !  2-

                                        1.5-

                                         1-

                                        0.5-
                                               Median Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                                                           Douglas Point
1980  1981  1983 1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989
                                     Figure V-63. Median dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations at Douglas
                                     Point in the oligohaline transition zone of the Potomac Estuary, 1980-1989.
                                     Shaded area indicates annual SAV presence at Douglas Point. Dashed line
                                     indicates period with no SAV distribution data at Douglas Point.
           Median Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                        Hatton Point
        1980 1981  1983  1984  1985  1986 1987  1988  1989
Figure V-61. Median dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations at Hatton
Point in the upper Potomac River 1980-1989. Shaded area indicates annual
SAV presence at Hatton Point.
          Median Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                        Indian Head
   2.5 -|
   1.5-j
.S

f
   0.5-
       —I	1	i	1	1	1	1	1	1—
       1980  1981  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989
Figure V-62. Median dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations at Indian
Head in the lower tidal Potomac River 1980-1989. Shaded area indicates
annual SAV presence at Indian Head.
                                     Point rose steadily from about 0.5 mg/1 in 1980 to > 1.5 mg/
                                     1 by 1989 (Figures V-62 and V-63, respectively). There
                                     does not appear to be a causal relationship between median
                                     dissolved inorganic nitrogen and SAV success or failure
                                     in the tidal Potomac River and Estuary. Nitrogen concen-
                                     trations are not limiting for phytoplankton, so a year with
                                     unusually low discharge and high water temperature could
                                     cause a bloom and affect SAV.

                                     Because  of their influence  on algal growth, ammonia
                                     concentrations may influence  SAV survival more than
                                     dissolved inorganic nitrogen (Shultz 1989).  Algae use
                                     ammonia preferentially and may  not switch to nitrate
                                     metabolism until ammonia concentrations are <0.014 mg/1
                                     (Shultz 1989).  The reduction in ammonia loadings from
                                     the Blue Plains Sewage Treatment Plant after 1980 may
                                     have caused the decline in median chlorophyll a concen-
                                     tration in the upper tidal river.

                                     Figure V-64 shows growing season median ammonia con-
                                     centrations for  1980, 1983,1986, and 1989.  Total ammo-
                                     nia was <0.2 mg/1 at Indian Head, Quantico, Douglas Point,
                                     and  Maryland  Point in all years, and  <0.4 mg/1 from
                                     Geisboro  Point to Marshall Hall for all years except 1980
                                    when it was >0.6 mg/1.  USGS data (1979-1983) (Table
                                    V-7)  show  a downward trend  in  dissolved ammonia of
                                    0.2 mg/1 per year  at Hatton  Point  but no trend in total
                                    ammonia. MDEdatafrom 1983-1989(TableV-8)indicate
                                    an upward trend of 0.01 mg/1 per year in total ammonia at
                                    Quantico. CombinedUSGS-MDE-DC data for 1979-1988
                                    (Table V-9) show no trends in dissolved ammonia and an
                                    upward trend in total ammonia of 0.01 mg/1 at Marshall
                                    Hall.  Growing season median concentrations of ammonia
                                    >0.6 mg/1 could affect SAV survival.

                                                                                       73
                                                                                  CSC.SAV.12B2

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SAV Technical Synthesis
Concentrations of nitrate plus nitrite were low (<1 mg/1)
in 1980, especially in the oligohaline transition zone
(Figure V-65). Since the Blue Plains Wastewater Treat-
ment Plant nitrification facility came on-line in 1981,
dissolved and total nitrate plus nitrite concentrations have
increased downstream as far as Maryland Point. In 1989,
they varied from a high of about 2 mg/1 at Hatton Point to
a low of about 1.7 mg/1 at  Maryland Point.  In 1989,
discharge remained high throughout August  and may
partially account for the high concentrations of nitrate plus
nitrite at Quantico  and farther down river.   USGS data
(1979-1983)  (Table V-7) show an upward trend in nitrate
plus nitrite of 0.6 mg/1 per year at Rosier Bluff  and
0.3 mg/1 per year at Hatton Point. MDE data (1983-1989)
(Table V-8)  indicate an upward trend of 0.09 mg/1 at
Quantico and Douglas Point.  Combined USGS-MDE-DC
data (1979-1988) (Table V-9) indicate an upward trend of
0.05 to 0.13 mg/1 per year at all stations except Maryland
Point. Present nitrate plus nitrite concentrations in the tidal
river and transition zone (1.7-2 mg/1) are compatible with
SAV propagation and survival.

Dissolved  Inorganic Phosphorus

Dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations were very
high in the tidal Potomac  River during the  1960s when
there was no SAV.  In August  1969,  dissolved inorganic
phosphorus ranged from 0.15 to 0.36 mg/1 between the
Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant and Indian Head
(Jaworski 1969; Jaworskief al. 1971). By 1977, dissolved
inorganic  phosphorus concentrations had decreased to
between 0.035 and 0.105 mg/1 in that reach. Figures V-
66 through V-69 show growing season median dissolved
inorganic phosphorus concentrations in 1980,1983,1986,
and 1989.  Dissolved inorganic phosphorus was measured
differently by different agencies: USGS 1980-1981  data
       Median Ammonia in the Potomac River
        174  166  160   151  139  126  117  99
        GP   RB   HP   MH   1H    Q   DP  MP
              Water Quality Station/River Kilometer

 Figure V-64. April-October median ammonia concentrations by station in
 the Potomac River for 1980,1983,1986, and 1989 (*=dissolved ammonia,
 as N (mg/l)).
   Median Nitrate Plus Nitrite in the Potomac River
    2.5-,
                              i	1	r
                              126  117   99
                              Q   DP   MP
              Water Quality Station/River Kilometer
  Figure V-65. April-October median nitrate plus nitrite concentrations by
  station in the Potomac River for 1980,1983,1986, and 1989 (* = dissolved
  nitrate plus nitrite; remainder of the datapoints are total nitrate plus nitrite).
 Table V-10.   SAV habitat requirements for tidal fresh and oligohaline habitats in the upper Potomac River applied as growing season
             medians (April-October).
             Light Attenuation Coefficient

             Total Suspendid Solids

             Chlorophyll a

             Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen

             Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
TIDAL FRESH

<2.2 m-1

<15 - 16 mg/1

<15ug/l


<0.04 mg/1
                                                                                       OLIGOHALINE
<15 - 16 mg/1

<15 ug/1


 <0.07 mg/1
 74
 CSOSAV.1282

-------
                                                                                   Regional SAV Study Area Findings
 are total soluble phosphorus; DC and MDE data are dis-
 solved inorganic phosphorus.  By 1980, continued im-
 provement in sewage  treatment had  reduced median
 dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations to about
 0.04 mg/1 (Figure V-66).  Generally, dissolved inorganic
 phosphorus concentrations have remained at <0.04 mg/1
 in the tidal river and between 0.04 and 0.07 mg/1  in
 the transition zone (Figures V-66  through V-69).
 Figures V-70 through V-72 show median dissolved inor-
 ganic phosphorus by year at Hatton Point, Indian Head, and
 Douglas Point, respectively.  Dissolved inorganic phos-
 phorus concentrations at Hatton Point  and  Indian Head
 were <0.04 mg/1 in all years. Dissolved inorganic phos-
 phorus concentrations at  Douglas Point varied between
 0.04 and 0.07 mg/1 during 1980-1989. USGS, MDE, and
 DC data show no trends in dissolved inorganic phosphorus
 for the study period (Tables V-7 through V-9).
      0.08_
      0.06-
      o.04_
  =  0.02-
            Median Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                      Concentrations 1983
                                  HB-
           "~i   :—i	1	1	1	1	1	1—
           174   166    160   151    139    126   117    99
           GP    RB   HP    MH    IH    Q   DP    MP
                   Water Quality Station/River Kilometer

 Figure V-67. April-October 1983 median dissolved inorganic phosphorus
 station in the Potomac River. Shaded bar indicates 1983 distribution of SAV
 in the river.
 Present concentrations of dissolved inorganic phosphorus
 in the tidal river and transition zone are not adversely
 affecting SAV. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus concen-
 trations in the transition zone have remained slightly higher
 than those in the tidal river throughout the 1980-1989 time
 period.  Chlorophyll  a  concentrations in the transition
 zone, however, are generally <20 (4g/l even though dis-
 solved inorganic phosphorus is not limiting.  Increasing
 salinity during the growing season may be a factor in
 preventing algal blooms  such as those found upriver from
 Quantico. However, because the primary impact of dis-
 solved inorganic phosphorus on SAV appears to be through
 its effect on algal growth, many other factors, including
 discharge, water temperature, and sunshine (Bennett et al.
 1986) must be considered when examining SAV success
 and failure.
  —  o.os _
      0.06^
     0.04-
  S 0.02 J
           Median Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                      Concentrations 1985
           —I—
           174
           GP
—I—
 166
 RB
—I—
 160
 HP
151
MH
          —1—
           139
            IH
                           —I—
                            126
                             Q
117
DP
99
MP
                  Water Quality Station/River Kilometer
Figure V-68. April-October 1986 mean dissolved inorganic phosphorus
concentrations by station in the Potomac River (* is below detection I
Shaded bar indicates 1986 distribution of SAV in the river.
     0.08-,
  s  o.oe _

  I
  o  0.04 J
  =  0.02-
           Median Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                     Concentrations 1980
           174   166   160   151   139   126   117    99
           GP    RB   HP   MH   IH    Q    DP    MP
                  Water Quality Station/River Kilometer

Figure V-66. April-October 1980 median dissolved inorganic phosphorus
concentrations by station in the Potomac River. Shaded bar indicates 1980
distribution of SAV in the river.
                                                           — o.os _
     0.06-
                                                           o  0.04-
                                                           =  0.02-
          Median Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                     Concentrations 1989
174    166
GP    RB
160
 HP
 1
151
MH
            139   126
             IH    Q
                             117
                             DP
                                                  99
                                                  MP
                  Water Quality Station/River Kilometer
Figure V-69. April-October 1989 median dissolved inorganic phosphorus
concentrations by station in the Potomac River. Shaded bar indicates 1989
distribution of SAV in the river.
                                                                                                             75
                                                                                                       CSOSAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
    0.1-,
        Median Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                       Hatton Point
        —T	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	T—
        1980 1981  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989
Rgure V-70. Median dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations at
Hatton Point in the upper tidal Potomac River, 1980-1989: Shaded area
indicates SAV distribution.
         Median Dissolved inorganic Phosphorus
    01                  Indian Head
   0.03-


   0.06-

   0.04-

   0.02-
        —I	1	(	1	1	1	1	1    I
        1980  1981  1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988  1989
 Rgure V-71. Median dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations at
 Indian Head in the lower tidal Potomac River, 1980-1989. Shaded area
 indicates SAV distribution.
         Median Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
     01                 Douglas Point
   ' 0.08-


    0.06-


   ' 0.04-


    0.02-
         —I	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
         1980  1981  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989
 Figure V-72. Median dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations at
 Douglas Point, 1980-1989. Shaded area indicates SAV distribution. Dashed
 lines indicates period with no SAV distribution data.

 76
 CSOSAV.12S2
Local Climate Variation and Seasonal Considerations

In 1989, the weather was unusually cold, wet, and cloudy.
The water clarity was poor in the upper tidal river, resulting
in a loss of H. verticillata that decreased the SAV popu-
lation by 70%. Freshwater discharge was high in April and
May and remained high through August.  Water tempera-
tures were <15 °C until the end of May except for a brief
rise to 18 °C in early April. These below average tempera-
tures probably delayed  H.  verticillata tuber germination
until early June, or if the tubers sprouted in May, the low
temperatures severely retarded plant growth. Secchi depths
immediately following germination were low in the upper
tidal river (<0.5 m) and fairly high in the lower tidal river
around Indian Head and Quantico (>0.9 m)-a reversal of
the situation found during 1985-1986.  Also,  during the
summer, percent available sunshine was only 46%, signifi-
cantly below the twenty-year mean. In 1989, tf. verticillata
was limited to shallow water (water less than 1 m in depth)
in the upper tidal river. Apparently, adaptation to a tropical
climate made it impossible for this plant to cope with a late
growth start that was compounded by rapidly rising water
temperatures and extremely limited light in June through
August. Local  climatic variation may be an important
consideration in parts of Chesapeake Bay, especially if
exotic species comprise a significant proportion  of the
SAV population.

Seasonal variation in Secchi depth, total suspended solids,
and chlorophyll a concentrations may be important con-
siderations for SAV  growth and survival.  Low  spring
Secchi depths, caused by high total suspended solids, may
prevent the regrowth of species such as V. americana and
H.  verticillata, which either do not form a surface canopy
or form a surface canopy only during the summer. Species
such as M. spicatum, which form a surface canopy in early
spring, may not be adversely affected by low spring Secchi
depths if the water clarity improves later in the growing
season. Dense beds make their own environment (i.e., they
cause sediment deposition and improve water clarity within
the bed) (Carter et al. 1988).  Thus, high total suspended
solids and chlorophyll a concentrations in the summer and
fall do not affect well-established populations but could
easily prevent revegetation of downstream  reaches by
plant fragments.

Summary and Conclusions

 SAV  distribution has  been analyzed with reference to
 Secchi depth, light attenuation coefficient, and concentra-
 tions of total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, dissolved
 inorganic nitrogen (total ammonia, nitrate plus nitrite), and
 dissolved inorganic phosphorus to determine requirements

-------
for maintenance of viable SAV populations and revegeta-
tion and expansion of SAV in the tidal Potomac River and
Estuary (Table V-10). These analyses showed that:

   1) Revegetation and expansion of SAV in the tidal river
      occurs when growing season median Secchi depths
      are >0.7 m.  Revegetation does not  occur when
      growing season median Secchi depths are <0.5 m.
      Between these limits, survival may depend on amount
      of available sunshine, epiphyte loading, etc.  Once
      plants are established in the tidal river, Secchi depths
      <0.7  m cause plants to be restricted to  shallower
      depths depending on species tolerances.   In the
      transition zone, established SAV populations can
      survive from year to year at growing season median
      Secchi depths as low as 0.5 m.

   2)  Revegetation and expansion of SAV in the tidal river
      occurs when the growing season median light at-
      tenuation coefficient is  <2.2  nv1.  When growing
      season median seasonal light attenuation  coeffi-
      cients are >2.4 m'1,  revegetation does not  occur.
      Established populations in the transition zone can
      survive when growing season median light attenu-
      ation  coefficients are as high  as 2.7 m'1.

   3)  Revegetation and expansion of SAV in the tidal river
      and maintenance of SAV  populations in the tidal
     river and transition zone occur when growing season
     medians for total suspended solids concentrations
     are <15-16 mg/1.

  4) Revegetation and expansion of SAV in the tidal river
     and transition  zone occur when growing  season
     median chlorophyll a concentrations are <15 ug/1.
     Over  the growing  and reproductive period, high
     chlorophyll a concentrations can prevent revegeta-
     tion if they occur at critical times during reestablish-
     ment.  High chlorophyll a concentrations (>30 ug/1),
     as seen in phytoplankton blooms over short periods
     of time, do not seem to be detrimental to well-
     established SAV populations. Transition zone SAV
     populations are seldom exposed to growing season
     median chlorophyll a concentrations >20 ug/1.

  5)  Dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations cannot
     be conclusively associated with SAV success or
     failure in the tidal river or transition zone.  Concen-
     trations >1.5 mg/1  are common in both reaches.
     Growing season median concentrations of ammonia
     >0.6 mg/1 were recorded in the upper tidal river in
     1980 when SAV was not present. Such high con-
     centrations of ammonia could affect SAV survival
                         Regional SAV Study Area Findings

       by increasing the likelihood of algae blooms. Reveg-
       etation occurred in the upper tidal river when grow-
       ing season median ammonia concentrations decreased
       to <0.4  mg/1; however, growing season median
       ammonia concentrations in the lower tidal river were
       <0.4 mg/1 in 1980 and revegetation did not occur.
       Established beds  of  SAV in  the transition zone
       survived under growing season median ammonia
       concentrations of 0.4-0.7 mg/1.  Revegetation and
       increased SAV abundance occurred throughout the
       tidal river despite continually increasing concentra-
       tions of nitrate plus nitrite. Growing season median
       nitrate plus nitrite concentrations,  which ranged
       from 1.7-2 mg/1 in 1989, are compatible with SAV
       propagation and survival.

    6)  Dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations have
       decreased significantly in the tidal river since the
       1960s. Present growing season median concentra-
       tions, which are <0.04 mg/1 in the tidal river and
       range from 0.04-0.07 mg/1 in  the transition zone,
       support revegetation and expansion of SAV.

    7)  Local climatic conditions including water tempera-
       ture, amount of available sunshine, discharge, and
       wind speed and direction are  very important in
       determining the distribution and abundance of SAV,
       especially in the tidal river.  A marked decline in
       H. verticillata coverage in the  upper tidal river in
       1989 was the result of low spring water tempera-
       tures, high discharge and turbidity, and low avail-
       able sunshine in conjunction with poor water clarity.

Choptank River	

During the mid-1980s, a series of studies was undertaken
to enhance the  understanding of SAV response to water
quality in the Choptank River.  In these studies, scientists
transplanted SAV to areas where it historically grew and
monitored the water quality at each transplant site through-
out the growing season. Key variables-light attenuation,
total suspended solids, chlorophyll a,  nitrogen, and phos-
phorus-were identified in both mesocosm experiments and
system models as important factors affecting SAV survival
in the  mid-Chesapeake Bay. The Choptank River has a
pronounced water quality gradient as  well as a detailed
record of historical SAV beds which makes itan ideal study
system for associating SAV survival with key environmen-
tal parameters.  In addition, SAV rapidly recolonized the
lower Choptank River during an extended drought from
1986 to 1988.  In the studies,  approximately  20 water
quality parameters were measured and five were found to
                                                                                                       77
                                                                                                  CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
Tuckahoe Creek
      Easton
Secretary

Cambridge
Tred Avon 10t/r*i
                          Choptank River 1986-1990
                                   Water Temperature
                                                                              70   SAV Absent
                                                                                   (Above 40 Km)
                                                                              40  S
                                                                                 2 Fluctuating SAV
                                                                              30    (20-40 Km)
             A MJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJ

             1986           1987           1988            1989            1990


Rgure V-76. Water temperature (°C) in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
                                                                                   Persistent SAV
                                                                                   (Up to 20 Km)
Tuckahoe Creek
      Easton
    Secretary

   Cambridge
        90

        80

        70

        60

        50

        40
           30

           20

   Tred Avon 10

            0
                          Choptank  River 1986-1990
                                          Salinity
90

80

70

60

50

40 '

30 '

20

10

 0
SAV Absent
(Above 40 Km)
                                                                               Fluctuating SAV
                                                                               (20-40 Km)
                                                                               Persistent SAV
                                                                               (Up to 20 Km)
             AMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJ

             1986            1987            1988            1989           1990


Figure V-77. Salinity (ppt) in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
82
CSOSAV.12&

-------
                                                                      Regional SAV Study Area Findings
           80
Tuckahoe Creek
           70

      Easton
   Cambridge
                          Choptank River 1986-1990
                                    Light Attenuation
j UZ&X^^MTSff;..*, sit '.frttflM
 AMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJ ASONDJ

1986            1987
                                                                        SAV Absent
                                                                        (Above 40 Km)
                                                                   60
                                                                   40  S

                                                                   ... 2 Fluctuating SAV
                                                                   du    (20-40 Km)

                                                                   20
                                                                               1f)   Persistent SAV
                                                                                    (Up to 20 Km)
                                        gi^j,..Mri^Mri\Ai..iJ.j...!fe^^ri.\r."r:^^yit.i..-tf-j?i^Mr:t'..MJ»j  0
                                         FMAMJJ AS ONDJFMAMJ JASON DJFMAMJJ

                                           1988           1989            1990
Figure V-79. Light attenuation coefficient values (rrr1) in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
Tuckahoe Creek
      Easton
                          Choptank River 1986-1990
                                 Total Suspended Solids
                                                                        SAV Absent
                                                                        (Above 40 Km)
                                                                                    Fluctuating SAV
                                                                                    (20-40 Km)
                                                                                    Persistent SAV
                                                                                    (Up to 20 Km)
             AMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJ ASONDJ FMA MJ J

             1986            1987           1988           1989           1990


Figure V-80. Total suspended solid concentrations (mg/l) in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
                                                                                            83
                                                                                       CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
Increases in total suspended solids coincided with periods
of high freshwater discharge, dramatizing the marked
difference that runoff can make in this estuary.  Elevated
total suspended  solids peaks during wet  years caused
severe limitation of the light available for primary produc-
tion in both the water and at the benthic boundary layer.
Contrary to the conclusions of Yarbro et al.  (1983), the
multi-year data set for the Choptank River suggests that
tidal resuspension of sediments is less a factor in influenc-
ing average total suspended solids than overall runoff. The
difference in perspective between the two studies may be
due to the fact that results reported here went on for several
years and included major runoff events.

Chlorophyll a

Downriver (river km 0-20), growing season median chlo-
rophyll  a concentrations were low during the years of
lowest precipitation from 1986 to 1988 and increased in
1989, the wettest year of the study period (Figure V-81).
Where SAV growth was persistently weak,  late winter
plankton blooms occurred (> 5 ug/1); however, the highest
chlorophyll a value of 10 ug/1 occurred in August (Figure
V-82). Average downriver growing season concentrations
(up to river km 40) ranged from 6 ug/1 in  1988 to  11 ug/1 in
1989. Upriver (river km > 40), growing season median
chlorophyll a concentrations were higher than downriver
concentrations.  Further upstream, chlorophyll a concen-
trations increased substantially past Hog Island (river
km 63). Growing season medians in the upper Choptank
(where SAV was absent) ranged from 17 to 20 ug/1 with
individual values running as high as  32 ug/1. Peak concen-
trations of 50 ug/1 occurred late in the growing  season
(Figure V-82). Based on these ranges, 15 ug/1  appeared
to be the critical chlorophyll a concentration below which
SAV survived and propagated.

               Salinity Distributions in  the
                     Choptank River
          10   20   30   40    50    60
                     Distance from Mouth (km)
                                         70    80
Figure V-78. Salinity distributions in the Choptank River during
7/20/88 and 6/27/89 cruises.
Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen comprises the largest pool of
nitrogen in the water column and was used to characterize
the habitat requirements of SAV. In the Choptank River,
this form of nitrogen varies significantly with the freshwa-
ter discharge entering the river. Peak concentrations occur
during high runoff periods; therefore, high dissolved inor-
ganic nitrogen concentrations usually occur in winter and
spring when both runoff peaks and uptake in the estuary
are lowest. High precipitation during the growing season
can also produce elevated concentrations and may be the
cause of annual variations in SAV distributions.

Above river km 40, where SAV had not grown during the
study period, growing season median dissolved inorganic
nitrogen concentrations ranged  from 0.15 to 0.26 mg/1
during the dry years of 1986 to 1988 (Figure V-83). With
the increase in  freshwater discharge in 1989, dissolved
inorganic  nitrogen concentrations averaged 1.12 mg/1 in
this section of the river. During these same time periods,
growing season median concentrations below river km 40
were 0.06 to 0.07 mg/1 and 0.23 mg/1, respectively. Based
on these data, growing season median dissolved inorganic
nitrogen  concentrations <0.15 mg/1 ensured continued
survival and propagation of SAV in the Choptank River.
In 1989, when growing season median dissolved inorganic
nitrogen concentrations in the lower Choptank exceeded
0.15 mg/1, SAV populations were dramatically reduced
from levels observed in the previous three years.

The predominant component of dissolved inorganic nitro-
gen in the Choptank is nitrate which is typically flushed
during the winter from surrounding agricultural fields in
the watershed (Lomax and Stevenson 1982; Stevenson et
al. In Press). By summer, nitrate concentrations  fall two
orders of magnitude (Figure V-84). This decline reflects
both lower nonpoint source inputs as well as losses through
denitrification as the temperature of shallow water sedi-
ments increases (Shenton-Leonard 1982). For much of the
growing season, nitrate levels were well below 0.21 mg/1
throughout the estuary.

Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus

During the SAV growing season, dissolved inorganic phos-
phorus concentrations ranged from 0.03-0.04 mg/1 above
the upriver extent of SAV growth (Figure V-85).  Below
river km 40 where SAV growth was fluctuating to persis-
tent, average dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentra-
tions were 0.005 to 0.009 mg/1, indicating 0.01 mg/1 as the
critical concentration for SAV growth.
84
CSOSAV.IZ'W

-------
                                                                               Regional SAV Study Area Findings
During the summer, distinct dissolved inorganic phospho-
rus peaks (Figure V-85) occurred from river km 54 to km
62. The Easton Wastewater Treatment Plant appears to be
the primary source of dissolved inorganic phosphorus in
this region of the river, although this area could also be a
focal point for phosphorus recycling from the sediments.
Ward and Twilley (1986) did not detect any distinct dis-
solved inorganic phosphorus pattern, but their study was
conducted in a year which included a high rainfall spring
with a large freshet. The three dry years of this study
showed theimpact of the wastewatertreatmentplant outfalls
on water column concentrations without being obscured by
strong nonpoint source background noise (Figure V-86).
The total phosphorus loads from the Easton Plant have
remained relatively constant through the summer of 1988
(Figure V-87). Subsequent data  suggests large reductions
of phosphorus in the river in 1989 and 1990 (Stevenson et
al. in prep).

Nitrogen:Phosphorus Ratios

Nitrogen to phosphorus ratios reflect the pronounced gra-
dients in the two major nutrients  and indicate a wide range
of variability.  Peak total nitrogen  to total phosphorus
(Figure  V-88) and dissolved inorganic nitrogen, to dis-
solved inorganic phosphorus ratios (Figure V-89) occur
when freshwater inputs are high. The ratios decline mark-
edly during the summer. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen
to dissolved inorganic phosphorus ratios clearly show the
influence of the Easton Wastewater Treatment Plant dis-
charge especially during the growing season (Figure V-
89). Higher ratios of the most available forms of nitrogen
and phosphorus occur both above and below the outfall at
river km 63. A dissolved inorganic nitrogen to dissolved
inorganic phosphorus ratio over 100, measured near the
mouth of the  Choptank River in August  1988, reflects a
high ammonia concentration resulting from an intrusion of
      Choptank River Chlorophyll a Medians
    2 2q
H LOWER
0
UPPER
 O.
 g
 S
 O
          1986
                      1987
                                 1988
                                            1989
Figure V-81. Lower (river km 0-20) and upper (river km >40) Choptank
River chlorophyll a May - October medians for 1986-1989. The zone
with fluctuating SAV (river km 23-40) was excluded.
ammonia-rich bottom water from the mainstem of the Bay
(Sanford and Boicourt 1990).

The low total nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (Figure V-88)
suggests that enough phosphorus enters the water column
(possibly through sedimentary regeneration pathways) to
cause nitrogen limitation throughout the estuarine gradient
in dry years when SAV is abundant. In average precipi-
tation years, when SAV is less abundant, higher nitrogen
to phosphorus ratios suggest that phosphorus is limiting
especially in the lower river.

Summary and Conclusions

SAV habitat requirements were established based on cor-
respondences between existing distributions of SAV, re-
growth during the study period, SAV transplant success,
and growing season water quality in the mesohaline waters
of the Choptank River (Table V-12). Three-dimensional
comparisons of total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, and
light attenuation (Figure V-90) as well as dissolved inor-
ganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, and light
attenuation (Figure V-91) illustrate both the interrelation-
ships  between these parameters and the basis for the
mesohaline SAV habitat requirements.  In summary:

   1)  Growing season median  light attenuation coeffi-
      cient values <1.5 nr1 corresponded with persistent
      SAV growth.

   2)  Growing season median total suspended solid con-
      centrations  <15 mg/1 characterized habitats  with
      persistent SAV growth.

   3)  Growing season median chlorophyll a concentra-
      tions <15 ug/1 promoted SAV survival and propa-
      gation.

   4)  Growing season median dissolved inorganic nitro-
      gen concentrations <0.15 mg/1 corresponded  with
      persistent SAV growth.

   5)  Growing season median dissolved inorganic phos-
      phorus concentrations <0.01 mg/1 corresponded with
      persistent SAV growth.


York River	

Habitat quality requirements for SAV in the polyhaline
regions of the Chesapeake Bay were developed by relating
the results of a series of studies of the growth and survival
of Z. marina transplants to water quality parameters at a
range of sites in the lower Chesapeake Bay. The sedimen-
tary environment can have an effect on Z. marina growth

                                                  85
                                            CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
and production; however, because this plant declined from
areas with such a wide range of sediment types in the Bay,
it was judged not to have been a major factor limiting
survival and the studies of its effects are not included. The
study objectives  of the work reported here were to:
   1) monitor the water quality characteristics along a
      gradient of sites thatpresently or formerly supported
      SAV;
   2) determine the potential for plant production at these
      sites through transplanting; and,
   3) determine the seasonal levels of water quality vari-
      ables which characterize viable SAV habitat in this
      region based upon these two sets of information.

Study Area
Station locations selected for this study extend from the
mouth of the York River to the former upriver limits of
SAV growth (Figure V-92 and Table V-13).   Seven
stations were  sampled over the study period.  Guinea
Marsh, located at the mouth of the  estuary, supports Z.
marina beds that have decreased only moderately in area
since 1971 (Orthera/. 1979). Aliens Island, 4 km upriver,
experienced greater dieback but still supports some veg-
etation.  Gloucester Point, 6 km further upriver, is  at the
limit of the current distribution of Z. marina.  There was
an almost complete decline of plants  in this area by 1974.
Since that time, though, they have regrown somewhat from
a few remnant patches as well as successful  transplant
experiments and seed recruitments from downriver veg-
etated areas.  Yorktown, located along the western shore
less than 1 km upriver from Gloucester Point, experienced
a dieback in several, small Z. marina beds, but has had
some recruitment ofRuppia maritima as well as successful
transplants of Z. marina. Mumfort Island, Catlett Island,
and Claybank are located successively upriver to 27 km
from the river's mouth. Extensive beds dominated by Z.
marina disappeared completely from these sites by 1972
with no regrowth evident since that time despite repeated
transplant experiments between 1978 and 1990. All sites
are characterized by relatively broad, shallow flats (<2 m
mean low water) extending landward from a narrow but
much deeper (>10 m mean low water) mid-channel region.
Sediments in the shoal areas are principally fine sands.

Methods

Transplant Experiments

Transplants of whole Z. marina shoots were used to deter-
mine the capacity of sites to support vegetation. Beginning
in 1979, transplanting was  undertaken in September or
October of each year up to  the present.   Plants  were
collected from the established bed at  Guinea Marsh and
transplanted to a range of study sites  in the York River.
Planting units consisted  of 20 cm x 20 cm sods with or
without intact sediments or 10 cm diameter plugs or shoots
which were washed free of sediments and bundled together
in groups of 10 to 15 with a metal twist tie (Fonseca et al.
1982,1985). Vegetation was generally transplanted within
24 hours of removal from the donor site.  From 1984 to
present, planting units were spaced at 2 m or 0.5 m centers
in 5 x 5 arrays replicated 2 to 4 times per site. Survivorship
was  monitored at monthly  to bimonthly intervals  until
either no plants remained at a site or the planting units had
grown together.
Table V-12.  SAV habitat requirements for mesohaline habitats in the Choptank River.
                                 Parameter
        Habitat Requirement
                           Light Attenuation Coefficient
                           Total Suspended Solids
                           Chlorophyll a
                           Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                           Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
             <15 mg/1


             <15 ug/1


             <0.15 mg/1


             <0.01 mg/1
86
CSC.SAV.iaW!

-------
                                                                    Regional SAV Study Area Findings
                         Choptank River 1986-1990
                                     Chlorophyll a
Tuckahoe Creek
Easton
                                                                                  SAV Absent
                                                                                  (Above 40 Km)
                                                                                  Fluctuating SAV
                                                                                  (20-40 Km)
                                                                                  Persistent SAV
                                                                                  (Up to 20 Km)
             AMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJ

             1986           1987           1988           1989            1990


Figure V-82. Chlorophyll a concentrations (\igfi) in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
                         Choptank River 1986-1990
                              Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
Tuckahoe Creek
      Easton
                                                                        90

                                                                        80

                                                                        70    SAV Absent
                                                                             (Above 40 Km)
                                                                        60 «
   Secretary
                                                                              50
                                                                             40
                                                                          .2
                                                                          id

                                                                          1
                                                                                  Fluctuating SAV
                                                                              30   (20-40 Km)
                                                                      ri 20
                                                                        10
                                                                                  Persistent SAV
                                                                                  (Up to 20 Km)
             AMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJFMAMJJ

             1986            1987           1988           1989           1990



Figure V-83. Dissolved Inorganic nitrogen (mg/l) concentrations in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
                                                                                          87
                                                                                      CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
          90

          80
Tuckahoe Creek
          70
     Easton
                         Choptank River 1986-1990
                                        Nitrate
                                                                          90

                                                                          80

                                                                          70
                                                                               SAV Absent
                                                                               (Above 40 Km)
                                                                          60 £
                                                                          50

                                                                          40
                                                                          40  S
                                                                          „  E Fluctuating SAV
                                                                          30    (20-40 Km)

                                                                          20
                                                                          1Q   Persistent SAV

            DR MMI iViTi riWIWi-i^ito.y^:HTWriYlTfTi-1^--^      (Upt°2°Km)
             A MJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ I
             1986           1987           1988           1989           1990
                                                                  ..t...i...I....l...j?o n

                                                                  FMAMJJ
 Figure V-84. Nitrate concentrations (mg/l) in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
 Tuckahoe Creek
      Easton
    Secretary

    Cambridge
          90

          80

          70

          60

          50

          40
       30

       20

TredAvon 10

        0
                         Choptank River 1986-1990
                            Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                i r H 11 i'i i M 11 ift'lnirlMffifflH
                                                                       90

                                                                       80

                                                                       70   SAV Absent
                                                                           (Above 40 Km)
                                                                             f
                                                                       60

                                                                       50

                                                                       40
                                                                          ,„ ^ Fluctuating SAV
                                                                          30   (20-40 Km)
                                                                           20
                                                                           10
                                                                              Persistent SAV
                                                                              (Up to 20 Km)
             A MJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ J

             1986           1987           1988          1989           1990
 Figure V-85. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations (mg/l) in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
88
CSOSAV,tZ*K

-------
                                                                           Regional SAV Study Area Findings
                         Choptank  River  1986-1990
                                     Total Phosphorus
           90
Tuckahoe
            0 j^^i^^>feTt5»m"»i^t»^^»>1gyr\»l^til^gll^iy-^i^i^H».ie« vK:i »itMSi' Ki-vU-i.-^l*IVI
              A MJJ ASONDJ FMAMJ JASONDJFMAMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ J

             1986            1987            1988            1989            1990
                                 70   SAV Absent
                                    m (Above 40 Km)
                                 60 %
                                    <3
                                 50 I
                                    •2
                                 40 |
                                 3Q   Fluctuating SAV
                                      (20-40 Km)
                                 20
                                  10   Persistent SAV
                                      (Up to 20 Km)
                                  0
   Figure V-86. Total phosphorus concentrations (mg/l) in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
                                Easton Treatment Plant Nutrient Loadings
      350-
   a1 BOO,
   ja


   •If Z00~.

   I 15°-

   £ 100-
   z

   §  50-

       0
            I   i   I   i  I   I   I   I   I   l   i
          1  2  3  4  5   6  7  8  9  10 11 12
                        Month
140-
120,



 80,

 60-

 40-

 20-

  0
                                                     12  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11  12
                                                                   Month
   Figure V-87. Total nitrogen (A) and total phosphorus (B) loads from the Easton, Maryland Wastewater Treatment Plant (Data from MDE
   courtesy of EPA-CBPO).
                                                                                                   89
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis
                         Choptank River 1986-1990
                           Total Phosphorus:Total Nitrogen
          90

          80
Tuckahoe Creek
          70

     Easton
    Secretary

    Cambridge
                                                                           90
                                                                           70
                                                                                SAV Absent
                                                                                (Above 40 Km)
                                                                           60 co
                                                                          50 £
                                                                             2
                                                                          40 fe
            o 1 i  i. HI ,i \A (.ItiVjVjWf r.i rrw^rYT^.^^-^u^'m^^^^mm
             AMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ FMAMJ J ASONDJ FMAMJ J

             1986           1987          1988           1989           1990
                                                                            .>
                                                                          on K Fluctuating SAV
                                                                          30   (20-40 Km)

                                                                          20
                                                                               Persistent SAV
                                                                          10   (Up to 20 Km)
 Figure V-88. Total phosphorus to total nitrogen ratios in the Choptank River displayed by river kilometer over time.
                          Choptank River 1986-1990
              Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus:Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
           80
 Tuckahoe Creek
           70

      Easton
   Cambridge
            3 m.vh .I/.JTI in/i  m m-Kivf i
             AMJJ ASONDJ FMAMJJASONDJ

            1986
                                                                              SAV Absent
                                                                              (Above 40 Km)
                                                                          60 
-------
                                                                                 Regional SAV Study Area Findings
                               Total Suspended Solids, Chlorophyll a,
                               and  Light Attenuation: Choptank River
               Light
            Attenuation
            Coefficient
               (m-i)

                5
                                                0   o
Figure V-90. Three-dimensional comparisons of May-October median light attenuation coefficient, total suspended solids, and chlorophyll
a concentrations at the Choptank River stations from 1986-1989. Stations and years are plotted separately with SAV status indicated. Plus
= persistent SAV; flag = fluctuating SAV; circle = SAV absent.

                Dissolved Inorganic  Nitrogen, Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus,
                               and Light Attenuation:  Choptank River
                    Light
                  Attenuation
                  Coefficient
                    (m-1)
                      5
 Figure V-91.  Three-dimensional comparisons of May-October median light attenuation coefficient, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and
 dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations at the Choptank River stations from 1986-1989.  Stations and years are plotted separately
 with SAV status indicated. Plus = persistent SAV; flag = fluctuating SAV; circle = SAV absent.
                                                                                                            91
                                                                                                       CSC.SAV.12/92

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 SAV Technical Synthesis
 Growth Experiments

 Macrophyte growth was studied in situ from April 1985
 to July 1986, using a modified leaf marking technique
 (Sand-Jensen 1975). Whole turfs of Z. marina (including
 roots, rhizomes, and undisturbed sediments to a depth of
 20 cm) were obtained from a stable grass bed at Guinea
 Marsh, placed in polyethylene boxes (40 x 60 x 20 cm),
 and submerged at the upri ver Gloucester Point and Claybank
 sites.  After a two-week acclimation period, three 15 cm
 diameter quadrats were randomly located within each box.
 Each shoot within each quadrat was tagged with a num-
 bered, monel metal band placed around its  base.  The
 youngest leaf was marked with a small notch and the leaf
 lengths and widths were recorded.  The boxes were re-
 trieved at approximately weekly intervals and placed in a
 seawater bath. The length and width of all leaves on tagged
 shoots were recorded. The number of new leaves on each
 shoot was recorded, any new shoots within the quadrats
 were tagged, and the youngest  leaf on all shoots was
 marked. Thus, individual leaves could be uniquely iden-
 tified  and measured from formation
 through loss. Dry weight and ash-free
 weight were estimated from previously
 derived linear regressions of leaf weight
 on area. Growth rates and leaf losses
 were calculated for each marking inter-
 val. Using a two-way analysis of vari-
 ance, the effect of site on various shoot
 parameters was tested. Residual analy-
 sis was used to check the aptness of all
 models and Bonferroni multiple com-
 parisons were used to locate site differ-
 ences within sample intervals using a
 family confidence coefficient of 0.95
 (Neter and Wasserman 1974).
Boxes at the sites were disturbed peri-
odically, generally through the burrow-
ing of crabs or fish.  Therefore, when
excavations occurred in a box at either
site, boxes at both sites were replaced
with others that had been acclimating at
the respective sites for identical periods
of time.  Using information from the
marked plants, rhizome production rates
of the Gloucester Point and Claybank
transplants were determined between
initial transplanting in the fall of 1985
and the summer of 1986. Assuming that
average formation of the individual rhi-
zome segments occurred at the same
rate as that calculated for leaf produc-

92
               tion (Sand-Jensen 1975; Jacobs 1979; Aioietal. 1981), the
               age of each individual rhizome segment was determined
               for each of the transplant samples obtained in March, May,
               June, and July 1986. Rhizome production for the intervals
               between each sampling was then calculated by summing
               the biomass of rhizome segments produced during that
               period.

               Water Quality Monitoring

               Triplicate subsurface (0.25 m) water column samples were
               taken every two weeks at the shoal sampling sites along
               the York River.  Long-term data are available for  the
               Guinea Marsh, Gloucester Point, Mumfort Island, and
               Claybank sites. The Aliens Island station was dropped in
               September 1985, as  its water quality parameters  were
               similar to Guinea Marsh and Gloucester Point (both char-
               acterized by suitable SAV conditions). The Yorktown and
               Catlett Island stations were added in December 1987 and
      York River SAV Habitat Monitoring Stations
                                                           Guinea
                                                           Marsh
Figure V-92. The seven water quality sampling sites located in the nearshore and potential
SAV habitats in the lower York River region.

-------
                                                                               Regional SAV Study Area Findings
Table V-13. York River SAV Habitat Monitoring Stations.
STATION NAME
Guinea Marsh
Aliens Island
Gloucester Point
Yorktown
Mumfort Island
Catlett Island
Claybank
LATITUDE
37°15'04"
37°15'11"
37°14'47"
37°14'25"
37°15'41"
37°18'55"
37°20'53"
LONGITUDE
76°22'59"
76°25'34"
76°30'09"
76°30'45"
76°30'42"
76°34'05"
76°36'33"
October 1985, respectively, to provide a better measure of
the variability associated with the transition from accept-
able to unacceptable water quality.

Water quality samples were collected sequentially on the
same day, beginning with the most downriver, and stored
on ice in the dark for up to four hours. Nitrite, nitrate, and
ammonium were determined spectrophotometrically fol-
lowing the methods of Parsons et al. (1984); inorganic
phosphorus was determined  using EPA (1979) methods.
Suspended matter was collected onprecombusted, Gelman
Type A/E glass fiber filters,  dried at 55 °C, and ashed at
550  °C for 5 hours.  Chlorophyll  a was collected on
Whatman GF/F glass fiber filters, extracted in a solution
of acetone, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 1% diethylamine
(DBA) (45:45:10) following the methods of Shoaf and
Lium (1976) as modified by Hay ward and Webb (unpub-
lished), and determined fluorometrically.  Chlorophyll a
concentrations were uncorrected for phaeopigments. Sa-
linity was measured with a refractometer or conductivity
meter, and temperature was measured by bulb thermom-
eter or thermistor.

Diffuse downwelling attenuation of photosynthetically
active radiation (PAR) was determined  through  water
column profiles of photosynthetic photon flux density
(PPFD) with a LI-COR, LI-192 underwater cosine cor-
rected sensor. The data were collected concurrently with
the water samples.  Additionally, underwater PPFD was
measured continuously from August 1986 to September
1987 at the Gloucester Point and Claybank stations using
arrays of two underwater sensors placed vertically at fixed
distances.  The sensors were cleaned frequently, and the
measured PPFD was corrected for fouling by assuming a
linear rate of light reduction due to fouling between cleanings.

The biweekly samples of the  water column parameters,
obtained during the period of August 1984 to October
1989, were compared using two-way analysis of variance
as the main effects were date and site. Bonferroni multiple
comparisons were used to test for site differences within
sample dates using a family confidence coefficient of 0.95
(Neter and Wasserman 1974).

Results
Transplant Experiments

There have been no successful long-term transplants of Z.
marina  at the Mumfort Island station or upriver sites since
1979.    In contrast, the transplants  have always been
successful at the  Gloucester Point station.   Transplant
survival was reported for Z. marina, transplanted in the fall
of 1979, after one year at the Guinea Marsh, Aliens Island,
Gloucester Point, and Mumfort Island stations as 98%,
93%, 82%, and 11%, respectively (Orth and Moore 1982).
By the following spring, no shoots remained at Mumfort
Island.  A similar lack of success occurred with transplant
attempts at sites upriver of the Gloucester Point station
between 1980 and 1984.

Survival of Z. marina, transplanted each fall from 1985 to
1987 at the  Gloucester Point and Claybank sites,  are
presented in Figures V-93 and V- 94. Again, as with earlier
attempts, plants transplanted at all the sites did well after
initial losses due to wave scouring or burrowing of fish and
crustaceans. Beginning in the late spring, however, trans-
                                                                                                         93
                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis
 plants at the stations upriver of Mumfort Island died back
 with no survival by mid-to-late summer. Although prob-
 lems associated with high turbidity and other unfavorable
 conditions resulted in irregular sampling of the transplants
 during the summer period, the data suggest that the dieback
 occurred earlier than the more upriver sites.  Dead trans-
 plants were characterized by masses of blackened rhi-
 zomes with no above ground material.   In some cases,
 when  transplants were observed immediately  prior to
 complete loss, remaining shoots consisted of only one or
 two short leaves.

 There have been some inter-annual differences observed
 in the length of survival of transplants immediately up-
 stream of the Gloucester Point station. Prior to 1984, there
 was limited success in transplanting at the Mumfort Island
 station with transplants dying out during the summer after
 fall transplanting (Orthe/ al. 1979). During the 1987-1988
 period, however, the transplants survived throughout the
summer and into the fall, but by the next summer they
disappeared. Although no quantitative data were available
for 1986-1987, some living shoots transplanted in the fall
of 1986 were observed in the fall of 1987.

In the beginning of 1986, Z. marina plants were trans-
planted at the Yorktown station. Survival at this site (which
is along the western shore just downriver from Mumfort
Island) has been comparable to Gloucester Point with
transplanted beds now established. Since 1986,/?. maritima
recruitment has also been observed.

These data suggest that the relatively short region of the
York River in the vicinity of Gloucester Point is a transition
zone between acceptable and unacceptable environmental
conditions for SAV growth. It  is  likely, therefore, that
differences in these environmental conditions are small
and that SAV is growing close to their limits of tolerance,
even where it continues to flourish. Very small decreases
                    Zostera marina Transplant Survival  - Gloucester Point
                 100-

                  90-

                  80-

                  70-

                  60-

                  50-

                  4O-

                  3O-

                  20-

                  1O-

                  O
                      Dot  Nov  Dec  Jan Feb  Mar  Apr  May Jun  Jul  Aug  Sep  Oot  Nov

Figure V-93. Zostera marina transplant survival at Gloucester Point.

                        Zostera marina Transplant Survival - Claybank

                100 -,
                 90-
                 80-

             •a  70~
             '1  60-
             €  50-
                 30-

                 20-

                 10-

                  0
                     Oct  Nov  Dec  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  Jun  Jul   Aug  Sep  Oct  Nov
Figure V-94. Zostera marina transplant survival at Claybank.
94
CSOSAV.12&

-------
                                                                               Regional SAV Study Area Findings
in environmental quality can potentially harm the vegeta-
tion. Conversely, small improvements in environmental
conditions may likely result in significant increases in SAV
populations.

Growth Experiments

A bimodal pattern of above ground growth was observed
at the Gloucester Point and Claybank sites, where highest
Z. marina growth rates occurred each spring and a second
period of increased growth occurred in the fall (Figure V-
95). Significant differences in growth rates between the
sites were observed only during the spring and fall periods
(p<0.05).

From November until March, production of below ground
rhizomes of transplants at the Gloucester Point and Clay-
bank sites was low and comparable (p<0.05). Maximum
production occurred at both sites between March and May.
Production was greatest, however, from March until July
(when the Claybank vegetation died back) at Gloucester
Point (p<0.05).

Determination of Seasons

Characterization of seasonal Z. marina growth was deter-
mined by relating plant growth to water temperature, thus
allowing relationships to be developed between plant re-
sponse and environmental conditions based upon seasonal
growth patterns. To accomplish this, the 0 °C-30 °C and
30 °C-0 °C periods in the annual temperature cycle were
treated independently. For each temperature period, unique
regressions were fit to both  the increasing and decreasing
portions  of the growth curve using log rate vs. inverse
temperature transformations. The two resultant equations
for each temperature period were solved for the maximum
growth rate and inflection temperature. The temperature
cutoffs (at which growth equals 50% of this maximum rate)
were determined as follows:

For the 0 °C-30 °C temperature period, the calculated
regression equations for the increasing and decreasing
portions  of the growth curve were:
    1) G=-0.95 + (16.88 • (1/T)) and
   2) G=0.49 - (6.42 • (1/T))
      where G is the log growth rate,  and T is the water
      temperature.

Therefore, solving simultaneously for G produces
   3) 6.42 • G = (6.42 • (-0.95) + (6.42 • 16.88 • (1/T)) and
   4) 16.88 • G = (16.88 • (0.49)) - (16.88 • 6.42 • (1/T))
      and finally,
        G = 0.09.
Substituting G = 0.09 in either (1) or (2) yields an inflection
temperature of:
      T = 16.2 °C.

Substituting the value of -0.21 (which is the log of 1/2 the
maximum growth rate, G1/2max) in equations (1) and (2)
produces:
      Tj=9.2°C and
      T2=22.7°C
      which are the temperature cutoffs between the high
      growth and low growth seasons for this period.

In a similar manner for the 30 °C-0 °C temperature period,
the calculated regression equations for the increasing and
decreasing portions of the growth curve were:
   5) G = 0.49 - (9.95 • (1/T)) and
   6) G = -2.32 + (50.96 (1/T))
      where G is the log growth rate, and T is the water
      temperature.

Solving simultaneously for G produces:

   7) 50.96 • G = 50.96 - 0.49 - (50.96 • 9.95 • (1/T)) and
   8) 9.95 • G = 9.95 • (-2.32) + (9.95 • 50.96 • (1/T))
   therefore,
      G = 0.31
   for the second temperature period.

Again, substituting the quantity G = 0.31  into either (5 )
or (6) yields an inflection temperature of:

   T = 21.7 °C.
         Growth patterns of Zostera marina
   Miy   Jul   S«p    Nov   Jtn   Mir   M«y   Jul   Stp   Nov
 Figure V-95.  Above ground shoot growth of Zostera marina for the
 Gloucester Point and Claybank sites for 1985-1986 data.
                                                                                                          95
                                                                                                    csc.SAV.ia/9a

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
Substituting the quantity -0.27 (which is the log of 1/2 the
maximum growth rate) for G into (5) and (6) produces the
seasonal temperature cutoffs for this second period of:

      T3=25.0°C and
      T4=13.2°C,
      respectively.

In summary, the annual temperature cycle was divided into
four distinct, biologically determined seasons (Figure V-
96) that reflect the bimodal pattern of Z. marina growth
characteristic of the polyhaline region of the Bay. These
temperature-derived seasons  are used to compare water
quality parameters for the individual stations.

Wnter Quality Parameters

Habitat requirements for SAV in the polyhaline region of
Chesapeake Bay were determined from combined growing
season medians observed at those stations characterized by
persistent stands of natural or transplanted vegetation in the
York River.  These seasons were either the spring or fall
periods when significant differences in Z. marina growth
were observed among the stations (described above). Water
quality parameters selected for this model are those dem-
onstrated to have the potential to influence plant survival:
light attenuation coefficient, total suspended solids, chlo-
rophyll  a,  dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and  dissolved
inorganic phosphorus.

Temperature

The subsurface (0.25 m) annual water temperature regime
for the lower York River was characterized by rapid warm-
ing during the April-June period and cooling off during the
October-December period as illustrated in Figure V-97.
      Growing Season Based on Temperature
           Winter
Spring
                               Summer
Figure V-96. Zostera marina based seasonal growth periods. The "winter"
ranges from 13°- 0°- 9 °C, the "spring" from 9°- 23 °C, the "summer" from
23° • 30° • 25 °C and the "fair from 25° -13 °C.
Water temperature maxima approached 30 °C, minima was
less than 5 °C with differences between stations not sig-
nificant (p<.05).

Salinity

Salinity decreased with distance upriver (Figure V-98).
Annual minimums  were reported during the period of
December -April. Although values to 6 ppt were occasion-
ally recorded, levels at the most upstream station were
generally greater than 10 (ppt). Maximums at this site in
the August-October period regularly approached 20 ppt.
Therefore, the entirereach can be characterized as mesohaline
to polyhaline and generally suitable for only those two
species of SAV tolerant of relatively high salinity levels-
Z. marina and R. maritima.

Light Attenuation Coefficient

Light attenuation coefficient in the York River increases
with distance upriver (Figure V-99), paralleling patterns
observed for total suspended solids. Figure V-100 presents
the least squares regression of light attenuation on total
suspended solids. Although a large amount of variability
results in a coefficient of determination (r2) of only 0.56,
the relationship  suggests that particulates are the main
factor affecting light attenuation in this region.  Of this
particulate load, the inorganic particles (e.g., suspended
silts and clays) appear to be  the principal component;
whereas phytoplankton or phytoplankton-derived material
in the water column probably play a smaller role in block-
ing sunlight from the SAV.

The percent of total light attenuation due to the chlorophyll
a determined phytoplankton and phytoplankton derived
components of the suspended load was estimated as:
        ((l-e-c'Chl)/(l-e-K<1))»  100
where,
        C is .016 m2 • mg-1 Chi a (after Bannister, 1974);
        Chi is mg Chi a • m"3; and,
        Kd is total light attenuation • m'1.

The values were low at the Guinea Marsh  and Claybank
sites (Figure V-101) (less than 20% for the  1985-1987
period) but increased substantially from 1988-1989.  This
increase parallels the rise in chlorophyll a reported for the
nearshore stations. Since few differences were observed
among stations for seasonal means of chlorophyll a con-
centrations for the 1984-1987 period, phytoplankton most
likely was not the sole factor limiting SAV growth, but was
a significant, additional stress.

The highest seasonal levels of light attenuation observed
in this study at vegetated sites were 2.0 m'1. The combined
96

-------
                                                                               Regional SAV Study Area Findings
growing season median light attenuation coefficient values
were <1.5 nr1 at vegetated sites (see Figures V-l 15 and V-
116).

Total Suspended Solids

Total suspended solids were markedly higher with distance
upriver (Figure V-102). As illustrated in the Claybank site,
concentrations were quite variable because the shallows
were strongly  influenced by resuspension due to wind.
Seasonal means (plant-derived seasons) for total suspended
solids were compared for the vegetated Gloucester Point
station and the currently unvegetated Claybank station by
two-way ANOVA (Figure V-103).  Means were used
because two-way ANOVA tests for differences among
means. Levels were generally significantly greater (p<0.05)
at the Claybank site each spring when compared to the
downriver Gloucester Point station. Total suspended solid
levels were generally highest during the spring period. The
suspended load was composed principally of inorganic
particles as the organic content was  generally less than
30%.  This percentage decreased with distance upriver,
suggesting that the riverine input was enriched with inor-
ganic silts and clays relative to the estuary.

The combined growing season median concentrations of
total suspended solids observed in the downriver sites
where SAV have maintained viable populations was ap-
proximately 15 mg/1 at the Gloucester Point site.  Since
levels at the upriver Claybank site, where SAV currently
will not grow,  are significantly higher (particularly during
the spring when differences in growth of transplants are
most marked), <15 mg/1 combined seasonal median con-
centration of total suspended solids was determined to be
an important threshold for the plants  (see Figure V-l 15).

Chlorophyll a

When compared seasonally,  there were few significant
differences in chlorophyll a concentrations between the
Claybank and Gloucester Point stations (p<0.05) (Figure
V-104).  Marked increases in chlorophyll a levels were
observed in both stations beginning in the fall of 1987 when
levels rose from <10 |Jg/l to between 10-20 ug/1 (Figure V-
105).

Although chlorophyll a may be an imperfect measure of
true phytoplankton biomass, it is a widely measured pa-
rameter and as yet, there is  no evidence of significant
phytoplankton populations such as found in  Long Island
embayments (Cosper et al. 1987; Dennison et al.  1989),
which may bias its  use  as a measure  of phytoplankton
biomass in the Chesapeake Bay region. Highest seasonal
levels observed in this study were 15 ug/1 at the downriver
vegetated sites. Combined growing season median con-
centrations of chlorophyll a at these same  sites were <15
ug/1 (see Figure V-l 15).

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen

Increases in dissolved inorganic nitrogen  levels to 0.35
mg/1 were observed annually in the lower York River
nearshore areas from October-February (Figure V-106).
With  distance upriver, concentrations  rose  earlier and
maintained higher levels longer. Differences among sta-
tion seasonal means were apparent only during the fall and
winter as demonstratedfortheGloucesterPointand Claybank
sites (Figure V-107). Dissolved inorganic nitrogen species
consisted principally of ammonium and nitrite with lower
levels of nitrate.

Highest seasonal levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen at
vegetated sites were observed to be approximately 0.28
mg'1 during the fall period. The combined growing season
median concentrations were <0.15 mg/1 (see Figure V-
116).  Since little difference in SAV growth was observed
among sites during the winter, when dissolved inorganic
nitrogen levels could be higher than these concentrations,
the combined growing season median was chosen as the
dissolved inorganic nitrogen  habitat requirement.  It is
most likely that low water temperatures, as well as low light
levels, are limiting SAV growth in this region during the
winter.  Both epiphytic algae and phytoplankton are also
limited by these two factors, allowing dissolved inorganic
nitrogen to reach high levels.

Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
Dissolved inorganic phosphorus levels demonstrated less
annual variability than nitrogen, with the highest levels
occurring in the late summer and  fall (Figure V-108).
Comparison of seasonal means between Gloucester Point
and Claybank stations revealed significantly increasing
levels with distance upriver during most seasons  (Figure
V-l09).  Highest seasonal levels were approximately 0.03
mg/1  during the spring or fall  at vegetated sites. The
combined growing season median  concentrations were
<0.02 mg/1 at vegetated sites and therefore was chosen to
characterize the SAV habitat requirement for dissolved
inorganic phosphorus (see Figure V-l 16).

Nitrogen:Phosphorus Ratios

Atomic ratios of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to dissolved
inorganic phosphorus demonstrated seasonal variation which
was largely a function of seasonal nitrogen input (Figure
V-l 10). Generally the nitrogen:phosphorus ratios suggest
that nitrogen should be limiting for phytoplankton growth
during much of the  year, except during the  late fall and
                                                                                                          97
                                                                                                    CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis
                      York River Nearshore 1984-1989
                                    Water Temperature
    Claybank
 Catlett Island
28


24


20


16
Mumfort Island 12
    Yorktown
Gloucester PL  „
            o

  Aliens Island 4 $

  Guinea Marsh
28


24
20    SAV Absent
      (Above 12 km)

   I
16 »
                                                                       12  s  Fluctuating SAV
                                                                             (10-12 km)
                                                                             Persistent SAV
                                                                             (Up to 10 km)
            Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec
          1984        1985         1986         1987         1988         1989
Rgure V-97. Water temperature (°C) in the York River displayed by river kilometer over time.
    Claybank
 Catlett Island
28


24


20
           16 -
                      York River Nearshore 1984-1989
                                           Salinity
Mumfort Island 12
    Yorktown
Gloucester Pt
            8 -
  Aliens Island 4

 Guinea Marsh „
      SAV Absent
      (Above 12 km)
                                                                       12  s  Fluctuating SAV
                                                                         •|  (10-12 km)

                                                                       8
            Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug   Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec
          1984       1985         1986         1987        1988         1989
                                                                             Persistent SAV
                                                                             (Up to 10 km)
Rgure V-98. Salinity (ppt) in the York River displayed by river kilometer over time.

98
CSC.SAV.12A2

-------
                                                                    Regional SAV Study Area Findings
                    York River Nearshore 1984-1989
                                   Light Attenuation
          28
    Claybank
 Catlett Island
Mumfort Island 12
   Yorktown
Gloucester Pt.


  Aliens Island 4

 Guinea Marsh .
                                                                              SAV Absent
                                                                              (Above 12 km)
                                                                        12 fe  Fluctuating SAV
                                                                           i  (10-12 km)
                                                                              Persistent SAV
                                                                              (Up to 10 km)
           VI           I            I            |            \	1  |
           Aug  Dec Apr  Aug Dec Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec Apr Aug  Dec  Apr Aug  Dec

          1984       1985        1986        1987        1988         1989
Figure V-99. Light attenuation (rrr1) in the York River displayed by river kilometer over time.



                         York River Nearshore 1984-1989
                                       Ail Stations


    6-
  O)
2-


1-


0
              10     20     30     40     50     60     70
                                Total Suspended Solids (mg/l)
                                                              80
Figure V-100. Light attenuation as a function of total suspended solids for all York River stations, 1984-1989.
90
100    110
                                                                                          99
                                                                                     CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
                       York  River  Nearshore 1984-1989
                                           Chlorophyll a
'/     ---     I        -V
ffvi/iVV/n \ } /lyr^l]
     Claybank
 CatleK Island
 Mumfort Island 12
    Yorktown
 Gloucester Pt

   Aliens Island 4

  Guinea Marsh
             w	^             I             |             I             i             i
              Aug   Dec Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec
            1984         1985          1986          1987         1988          1989

Figure V-105. Chlorophyll a (ug/l) in the York River displayed by river kilometer over time.
                                                                                              SAV Absent
                                                                                              (Above 12 km)
                                                        12 5  Fluctuating SAV
                                                           •   (10 - 12 km)
                                                              Persistent SAV
                                                              (Up to 10 km)
Microcosm Experiments

To test the single and interactive effects of nitrogen-
phosphorus inputs and submarine photosynthetically ac-
tive radiation on SAV growth and epiphytic fouling, a
series of seasonal, four to six-week, microcosm experi-
ments were conducted utilizing Z. marina. High, medium,
and low light treatments were chosen to simulate turbidity
levels that: 1) exceeded normal light availability in the
York River (Kd=0.84 nr1); 2) were characteristic of where
stable Z, marina beds were found (Kd = 1.23 nr1);  and,
3) were characteristic of areas where no SAV was present
(Kd = 2.32 m"1).  The microcosms were flow-through
systems fed with York River water from the Gloucester
Point site. Nutrient treatments were ambient and enriched
with 10 ug-at/1 inorganic nitrogen and 1  ug-at/1 inorganic
phosphorus. Temperature and salinity varied with source
water, and invertebrate grazers (Diastoma varium) were
at densities of 5000 organisms per square meter.

Nutrients had no measurable effect on microepiphyte ac-
cumulation when expressed on a whole shoot gram-spe-
cific basis for the three seasonal  experiments  (Figure
V-lll).  Plant response to nutrient enrichment likewise
demonstrated no effect during the fall and spring.  Gram-
specific production,  however, was reduced during the
summer under enriched conditions (Figure V-l 12). These
seasonal differences  may have been related to increased
macrophyte sensitivity created by higher water tempera-
                       tures. As respiratory demands increase with temperature,
                       the inhibitory effects of epiphytes on net plant growth
                       should increase.  Macrophytes demonstrated marked re-
                       ductions in growth with decreasing levels of irradiance
                       during all seasons (Figure V-l 13).   Plant growth was
                       reduced at both medium and low light treatments during
                       the fall (when solar irradiance was lowest). During spring
                       and summer, plant growth was reduced only at the lowest
                       light levels. Grazers maintained consistent  enrichment
                       effects at all the light levels since there were no interactive
                       effects of light and nutrients. Epiphytic growth also dem-
                       onstrated marked light limitation, particularly at  levels
                       characteristic of upriver, denuded sites (Figure V-l 14).

                       In a companion study, Neckles (1990) found comparable
                       results when testing the effects of nutrient enrichment and
                       epiphytic grazers on Z. marina growth. She concluded that
                       nutrient enrichment and epiphytic grazer activity interact
                       to regulate epiphyte loadings on the macrophytes, with
                       strong indirect effects on macrophyte production and sur-
                       vival. At levels of moderate nutrient enrichment (such as
                       that observed in  the Claybank region), grazer activity
                       should negate the effects of enrichment on epiphyte load-
                       ings.  Enrichment alone, therefore, should not limit sur-
                       vival, although it may depress annual macrophyte standing
                       stocks. Enrichment may increase the plants' sensitivity to
                       other potentially limiting factors, such as reduced levels of
                       irradiance.
102
CSC.SAV.1ZW

-------
                                                                       Regional SAV Study Area Findings
                      York River Nearshore 1984-1989
                               Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
     Claybank
  Catlett Island
   28


   24


   20


   16
 Mumfort Island 12
    Yorktown
 Gloucester PL „
            o

   Aliens Island 4

  Guinea Marsh „
                              28


                              24


                              20


                            d 16
                                                                        SAV Absent
                                                                        (Above 12 km)
                                                                       12  & Fluctuating SAV
                                                                          H (10-12 km)

                                                                       8

                                                                            Persistent SAV
                                                                       4    (Up to 10 km)
             Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec
           1984        1985        1986         1987         1988         1989
 Figure V-106. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (mg/l) in the York River displayed by river kilometer over time.
          Seasonal Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen — York River
    0.4.
    0.3-
•1 0.2-
 «
O
                                                                            Gloucester Pt.

                                                                            Clay Bank
m  in  in  m   co   co   co
oo  co  oo  oo   oo   oo   oo
2  1   <
                 o>
                                                              oo
                                                              oo
    •s  E.
        co
                     g  i2
                     CO
                    1   I   2
                    ^  I
                         CO

                     oo   oo  Oi  o»
                     oo   oo  oo  oo

                                                                                  O)
                                                                                  oo
                                                                                       CD
fl2l¥|2i€t
&   i      5  ft  E       :&  fr   E
                                                                                    -
                                                                                   CO
                                                      CO
                                                                                       CO
Figure V-107. Seasonal dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the York River at Gloucester Point and Claybank. Asterisks show significant differences
(p<0.05).
                                                                                            103
                                                                                        CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
Regional SAV Study Area Findings
    Claybank
 Callett Island
 Mumfort Island 12
    Yorktown
 Gloucester PL


  Aliens Island  4

  Guinea Marsh  „
                 York River Nearshore 1984-1989
                         Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                                                                                    SAV Absent
                                                                                    (Above 20 Km)
                                                                              Fluctuating
                                                                              SAV
                                                                              (10-12 Km)

                                                                              Persistent
                                                                              SAV
                                                                              (Up to 10 Km)
            Aug Dec Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec  Apr  Aug  Dec

          1984        1985        1986        1987        1988        1989
Figure V-108. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus in the York River displayed by river kilometer over time.
                Seasonal Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                                       - York River
 I
 M
 a.
 t
 i
 a
     0.06
0.04-
      0.02-
                 Gloucester Pt.

                 Claybank
if}  L£"5  Lfy  CO  fQ  ff>
CO  GO  OO  GO  GO  GO
S*  <5  =5§  o5  c1  o
•E  e  u-  c  •=  s
r->  «—;      s^  ^2_  cz
co  §      ^  co  i
    co              co
CD  J--
OO  CO
                                                            f~-   £S
                                                            GO   °O
                                                    CO
OO  OO
OO  OO
                                                                        co
OO  O>
OO  CO
                                                                                      O5
                                                                                      SO
                                                                                    Q-
                                                                                   (S)
                                                                                       CO
 Figure V-109. Seasonal dissolved inorganic phosphorus means in the York River at Gloucester Point and Claybank. Asterisks show significant

 differences (p<0.05).
 104
 CSCIRU1/92

-------
                                                            Regional SAV Study Area Findings

                  York River Nearshore 1984-1989

           Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus:Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
    Claybank
 Catlett Island
Mumfort Island 12
   Yorktown
Gloucester Pt.



  Aliens Island 4


 Guinea Marsh _
                                                    28


                                                    24
                                                    on    SAV Absent
                                                         (Above 12 km)
                                                      »
                                                    16 I
                                                    12 s  Fluctuating SAV
                                                      i!  (10-12 km)
                                                         Persistent SAV
                                                         (Up to 10 km)
          Aug  Dec Apr Aug  Dec Apr  Aug Dec Apr  Aug  Dec Apr  Aug  Dec Apr Aug  Dec

         1984      1985       1986        1987       1988       1989
Figure V-110. Dissolved inorganic phosphorus/dissolved inorganic nitrogen ratios in the York River displayed by river kilometer over time.



                 York River Microcosm Experiment

                      Microepiphyte Accumulation
   2.5-
Ambient

Enriched
             Summer 1988
                        Fall 1988
Spring 1989
Figure V-111. Microcosm microepiphyte responses to enrichment treatments. Different lowercase letters denote significant differences between treatments
at p <0.05.
                                                                              105
                                                                          CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
Table V-14. SAV Habitat Requirements for polyhaline habits in the York River applied as combined growing season medians.

                                 Parameter	     Habitat Requirement
                           Light Attenuation

                           Total Suspended Solids

                           Chlorophyll a

                           Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen

                           Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                           <1.5 nr1

                           <15 mg/1

                           <15ug/l

                           <0.15 mg/1

                           <0.02 mg/1
Summary and Conclusions
These studies and experiments suggest that light availabil-
ity is the principal mechanism controlling plant survival in
polyhaline regions of the Bay.  However, a variety of
factors including seasonal solar irradiance, temperature,
plant-sediment interactions, water column  light attenua-
tion, nutrient enrichment, and epiphytic grazer activity
form a complex web of conditions that constrain produc-
tivity and ultimately survival.  Attempts to characterize
suitable habitat should not focus on a single limiting factor
but on the range of variables influencing net growth.

The habitat requirements of SAV in the polyhaline regions
of the Bay are presented in Table V-14.   Three-dimen-
sional comparisons of total suspended solids, chlorophyll
a,  and light attenuation coefficient (Figure V-115) and
dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phos-
phorus, and light attenuation coefficient (Figure V-116)
illustrate both the basis for the polyhaline SAV habitat
requirements and the interrelationships between these
parameters.   It is predicted, therefore, that Z. marina
dominated beds in these areas will survive at sites where

           York River Microcosm Experiment
           Plant Growth Nutrient Enrichment
          Summer 1988
                           Fall 1388
Spring 1989
 FigureV-112. Microcosm macrophyte responses to enrichmenttreatments.
 Dilfefenttowercaselettersdenotesignificantdifferences between treatments
 at p <0.05.
 106
 CSOSAV.Il'W
               levels of the water quality variables are at or below the
               values in Table V-14. Given the complex interaction of
               potentially important factors, goals to improve water qual-
               ity should focus on all factors rather than any single factor.
                        York River Microcosm Experiment
                            Plant Growth/Light Levels
                 40.
                 35-=
                 30J
                  15-i
                  10-;
                  5-=
                       a     a
                                                                I
                        Summer 1988
                                          Fall 1988
Spring 1989
                FigureV-113. Microcosm macrophyte responsestolightreductiontreatments.
                Different lowercase letters denote significant differences between treatments
                at p <0.05.

                        York River Microcosm Experiment
                                 Epiphyte Growth
                                                                    Summer 1988
                                                                                     Fall 1988
                                                          Spring 1989
                Figure V-114.  Microcosm microepiphyte responses to light reduction
                treatments. Different lowercase letters denote significant differences between
                treatments at pz<0.05.

-------
                                                                                    Regional SAV Study Area Findings
                   Light
                 Attenuation
                 Coefficient
                   (m-i)

                    5
                                 Total Suspended Solids,  Chlorophyll a,
                                    and Light Attenuation: York River
 Figure V-115. Three-dimensional comparisons of combined March - May and September - November median light attenuation coefficient,
 total suspended solids, and chlorophyll a concentrations at the York River stations from 1986-1989. Stations and years are plotted separately
 with SAV status indicated.  Plus = persistent SAV; flag = fluctuating SAV; circle = absent SAV.
                 Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen, Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus,
                                    and Light Attenuation: York River
                      Light
                   Attenuation
                   Coefficient
                      (m-i)
                       5
Figure V-116. Three-dimensional comparisons of combined March - May and September - November median light attenuation coefficient,
dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations at the York River stations from 1986-1989. Stations and
years are plotted separately with SAV status indicated. Plus = persistent SAV; flag = fluctuating SAV; circle = absent SAV.
                                                                                                            107
                                                                                                       CSC.SAV.t2/92

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-------
 Chapter  VI
 Chesapeake  Bay  SAV Restoration Targets
        he Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Policy
        for the Chesapeake Bay and Tidal Tributaries
        (Chesapeake Executive Council 1989) established
 the goal to achieve a net gain in SAV distribution and
 abundance by "setting of regional SAV restoration goals
 considering historical distribution records and estimates of
 potential habitat." The baywide and regional SAV distri-
 bution, density, and species distribution/diversity targets,
 presented  here, are critical in assessing the success of
 efforts to restore SAV in Chesapeake Bay.

 Chesapeake Bay  SAV Distribution
 Restoration Targets	

 Distribution Target Development Approach

 Chesapeake Bay SAV distribution restoration targets were
 developed by:  mapping potential  SAV habitat on U.S.
 Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangles; removing shal-
 low water habitat areas where SAV were not expected to
 revegetate; and, comparing these areas with historical
 survey data and the most  current distribution data (Figure
 VI-1).  Composite SAV maps were plotted by USGS
 quadrangles from all available computerized digital SAV
 bed data from Chesapeake Bay aerial surveys (Orth un-
 published 1971, 1974, 1980, and 1981 data; Orth et al.
 1979, 1985,  1986, 1987, 1989, 1991; Orth and Nowak
 1990; Anderson and Macomber 1980; Maryland Depart-
 ment of Natural Resources unpublished 1979 data). The
 1 and 2 m depth contours at mean low water (MLW) were
 digitized from National Oceanic Atmospheric Adminis-
 tration (NOAA) bathymetry maps. Because the NOAA
 bathymetry maps are relatively inaccurate in small tidal
 creeks and rivers where depth contours were generally not
 present, an overestimate of an area within a certain depth
 contour can  occur.  These maps  were overlaid at the
 1:24,000 scale to produce composite maps of known and
 documented SAV  distribution over time since the early
 1970s, with the outline of potential SAV habitat initially
defined by the 1 and 2 m depth contours. All digital data
 (stored on the  Chesapeake Bay Program's ARC/INFO
Geographic Information System) was  digitized and docu-
mented following  the quality assurance/quality control
guidelines of Orth and Nowak (1990).
 Potential habitat was initially defined as all shoal areas of
 Chesapeake Bay and tributaries less than 2 m. Although
 historical SAV in Chesapeake Bay probably grew to 3 m
 or more, the 2 m depth contour was chosen because it was
 the best compromise  of the anticipated maximum depth
 penetration of most SAV species when both the 1 and 2
 m habitat requirements for one and two meter restoration
 are achieved baywide. For several SAV species (notably
 Myriophyllum  spicatum and Hydrilla verticillata) maxi-
 mum depth penetration might be greater than 2 m, but it
 was felt that this would be an exception.  The 1 m depth
 contour was selected because this is the limit of SAV depth
 penetration given achievement of the SAV habitat require-
 ments for 1 m restoration.

 Areas that were highly unlikely to support SAV were
 annotated on the composite maps by the principal inves-
 tigators (Table VI-1).  Criteria for excluding certain areas
 from the maps was based primarily on the principal inves-
 tigators' application of information  from  early historical
 surveys, documented personal observations, and anecdotal
 information on the absence of SAV from a particular area
 since the last century.  In addition, a  detailed examination
 of data from the last two decades of SAV monitoring using
 aerial photography, ground survey  documentation from
 the last 20 years,  and historical  photography was  also
 included.  Specific criteria using substrate and exposure
 were not used because of the complexities in SAV growth
 patterns in the Bay and tributaries that make the use of such
 criteria exceedingly difficult.

 There was limited information that could be used to delin-
 eate  and designate  shallow water areas (less than 2 m
 MLW) as highly unlikely to support future SAV growth.
 The composite  SAV maps included distribution data only
 covering the time period after significant SAV declines
 started in the 1960s and early 1970s. There was no baywide
 mapping of SAV until 1978, with a 5-year break before the
 next  baywide survey in 1984. Historical aerial photogra-
phy for shallow water areas was not available for many
years and not on a baywide basis for any single year. The
utility of the available historical photography was question-
able at best since the photographs were not collected under
                                                                                                  109
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
                    Process For Setting Chesapeake Bay
                     SAV Distribution  Restoration Targets
                 SAV beds

           Adjacent land
           1. 1971, 1974, 1978,
           1979, 1980, 1981, 1984-
           1987, 1989, and 1990
           regional and baywide SAV
           aerial survey digital data
           overlaid to develop
           composite maps of SAV
           distribution plotted by
           USGS quadrangle.
                                                                  2.  The one and two meter
                                                                  depth contours digitized
                                                                  from NOAA bathymetry
                                                                  maps and plotted by USGS
                                                                  quadrangle.
                          3.  SAV composite map and
                          the one and two meter depth
                          contours overlaid.
     5.  Areas
     delineated as
     unlikely to
     support SAV
     deleted from
     the map.
Area unlikely to
support SAV
                 Chesapeake Bay SAV Distribution
                         Restoration Targets

  Figure Vl-1. Process for setting Chesapeake Bay SAV distribution restoration targets.
                                                                  4. Composite map
                                                                  reviewed by SAV principal
                                                                  investigators; areas unlikely
                                                                  to support SAV delineated
                                                                  and annotated.
6. Three-tiered SAV
distribution restoration targets
delineated and maps of SAV
distribution restoration targets
by USGS quadrangle
produced along with tables of
acreages by USGS
quadrangle, Chesapeake Bay
SAV Aerial Survey Segment,
and Chesapeake Bay
Program segment.
 110
 CSOSAV.1W2

-------
                                                                            Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets
 Table VI-1.   Chesapeake Bay principal investigators responsible for reviewing the SAV composite maps to delineate the SAV distribution
             restoration targets.
             Principal
             Investigator
Affiliation
Shoreline regions of the
Chesapeake Bay reviewed
             Robert Orth       Virginia Institute of Marine
                              Science
             Lorie Staver       University of Maryland-Horn
                              Point Environmental Laboratory
             Stan Kollar        Harford Community College
                                 Virginia western shore from Cape Charles to Point
                                 Lookout (including the James, Rappahannock, and
                                 York rivers); upper Maryland western shore from
                                 North Beach to Spesutie Island; upper Maryland
                                 Eastern Shore from Betterton south to Eastern Neck
                                 Island; lower Maryland and the entire Virginia
                                 Eastern Shore from Taylors Island to Cape Henry.

                                 Maryland western shore from Point Lookout (at the
                                 mouth of the Potomac River) north to North Beach
                                 (including the Patuxent River); Maryland Eastern
                                 Shore from Taylors Island to Eastern Neck Island
                                 (including the Choptank River, Eastern Bay, and
                                 Chester River).

                                 Spesutie Island north to the Susquehanna Flats and
                                 down to  Betterton at the mouth of the Sassafras
                                 River (including the Northeast and Elk rivers).
            Virginia Carter    U.S. Geological Survey-Reston      Potomac River and its tributaries.
 conditions required for photo-interpretation and mapping
 of SAV.

 All available information was utilized during the process
 of defining the distribution restoration targets. Habitat
 areas exposed to high wave energy and which have under-
 gone physical modifications to the point they  could not
 support SAV growth were excluded based on a review of
 the information. The absence of documentation on the
 historical presence of SAV in a certain region of a tributary,
 embayment, or the mainstem was not used as a reason to
 delineate and exclude the shallow  water habitats in these
 regions as unlikely to support future SAV  growth.  This
 type of information was  used in establishing the tiered
 approach to target setting. For example, some areas that
 have not supported SAV in the recent past (such as the tidal
 fresh and oligohaline areas of the James,  York, and Rap-
 pahannock) were included in the distribution restoration
 targets. This distinction  was based on the  following as-
 sumption: since the upper Potomac River near Washing-
 ton, DC, supported dense stands of SAV in the early 1900s
 (Gumming et al. 1916), there should be no reason to assume
 that SAV was not present in similar areas in  the tidal fresh
 and oligohaline reaches of other river systems in Chesa-
peake Bay. The anecdotal evidence from disparate regions
of the B ay as well as aerial photographic evidence for some
areas in the 1930s indicates the major areas where SAV
                           grew in the early part of the 20th century. In addition, many
                           small  tidal creeks  in tidal fresh  and oligohaline areas
                           throughout the Bay today contain small pockets of a variety
                           of SAV species.  It is assumed  that these  are the last
                           remnants of what were once large expansive stands in
                           earlier periods in the upper sections of these tributaries.
                           The seed and pollen record (Brush and Hilgartner 1989)
                           support this line of evidence that SAV was once signifi-
                           cantly more abundant than it is today.

                           The areas annotated as highly unlikely to support SAV
                           were digitized and deleted from the ARC/INFO files of
                           potential SAV habitat delineated by the 2 m depth contour.
                           A second level of habitat restriction  was considered in
                           those areas where SAV was presently found or had the
                           potential to grow in the 2 m contour. This habitat restric-
                           tion was considered in areas where wave exposure is highly
                          likely to prevent SAV from growing down 2 m in depth
                          but would be dampened enough to allow SAV to grow
                          closer inshore (less  than 1 m). Assessment of areas that
                          would fall into this category was based on the same criteria
                          used to generate the composite maps for the 2 m restricted
                          areas.

                          SAV Distribution Restoration Targets

                          To provide stepwise measures of progress, a tiered set of
                          SAV distribution restoration targets have been established

                                                                            111
                                                                      csc.Sfty.ta92

-------
SAV Technical Synthes
Table VI-2. Chesapeake Bay Program segment descriptions.

    Segment             Description
  Segment
Description
     CB1          Northern Chesapeake Bay
     CB2          Upper Chesapeake Bay
     CB3          Upper Central Chesapeake Bay
     CB4          Middle Central Chesapeake Bay
     CB5          Lower Chesapeake Bay
     CB6          Western Lower Chesapeake Bay
     CB7          Eastern Lower Chesapeake Bay
     CB8          Mouth of the Chesapeake Bay

     \VT1         Bush River
     WT2         Gunpowder River
     \VT3         Middle River
     WT4         Back River
     WT5         Patapsco River
     WT6         Magothy River
     WT7         Severn River
     WT8         South/Rhode/West Rivers

     TF1          Upper Patuxent River
     RET1        Middle Patuxent River
     LEI          Lower Patuxent River

      TF2          Upper Potomac River
      RET2        Middle Potomac River
      LE2          Lower Potomac River
    TF3          Upper Rappahannock River
    RETS        Middle Rappahannock River
    LE3          Lower Rappahannock River

    TF4          Upper York River
    RET4        Middle York River
    LE4          Lower York River
    WE4         Mobjack Bay

    TF5          Upper James River
    RETS        Middle James River
    LE5          Lower James River

    ET1          Northeast River
    ET2         Elk/Bohemia Rivers
    ET3          Sassafras River
    ET4         Chester River
    ET5          Choptank River
    ET6         Nanticoke River
    ET7         Wicomico River
    ET8         Manokin River
    ET9         Big Annemessex River
    ET10        Pocomoke River

    EE1         Eastern Bay
    EE2         Lower Choptank River
    EE3         Tangier  Sound
 for Chesapeake Bay. Each target represents expansions in
 SAV distribution that are anticipated in response to im-
 provements in water quality. These water quality improve-
 ments will be measured as achievement of the SAV habitat
 requirements for one and two meter restoration. The SAV
 distribution restoration targets are presented by Chesa-
 peake Bay Program Segment (Tables VI-2 and VI-3 and
 Figure VI-2), Chesapeake Bay SAV Aerial Survey Seg-
 ment (AppendixD), and USGS quadrangle (Appendix D).
 Baywide maps of the Tier I and III  SAV distribution
 restoration targets are presented in Figures VI-3 and VI-4.

 Tier I Target: Restoration of SAV to areas currently or
 previously inhabitedby SAV as mapped through regional
 and baywide aerial surveys from 1971 through 1990.

 Achievement of this SAV  distribution restoration target
 depends on achievement of the SAV habitat requirements
 for one meter restoration (Table IV-1) in areas delineated
 as current or previous SAV habitat based on all aerial
surveys conducted from 1971 through 1990, and on the
presence of sufficient propagules and other environmental
factors that limit growth (e.g., salinity, temperature, sedi-
ment substrate, herbicides) remaining within the tolerance
limits of the SAV species.

Tier H Target: Restoration of SAV to all shallow water
areas delineated as existing or potential SAV habitat
down to the one meter depth contour.

Achievement of this SAV distribution target also depends
on achievement of the SAV habitat requirements for one
meter restoration (Table IV-1)  and aims for SAV growth
down to one meter  in depth. Tier II includes all areas in
Tier I as well as all areas delineated within the one meter
depth contour in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
Tier II excludes  a  number of  areas that are considered
highly unlikely to  support SAV.  These areas occur in
regions where the physical exposure to intense wave and
current energy would prevent the  establishment of any
  112
  CSOSAV.1292

-------
                                                           Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets
                     Chesapeake  Bay Program Segments
                                                  CB1
                                         WT1
                                                          ET1
                                      WT2
            RET2
                      TF5
                                                                CBS
                                     LE5
Figure VI-2. Chesapeake Bay Program segmentation scheme used to report the SAV distribution restoration targets.
                                                                                    113
                                                                                CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
Table Vl-3.
Chesapeake Bay SAV Distribution Restoration Tier I and Tier III Targets by Chesapeake Bay Program Segment.
Tier I 1990 SAV Distribution as Tier in 1990 SAV Distribution as
1990 SAV SAV Restoration
CBP
Segment
CB1
CB2
CBS
CB4
CBS
CB6
CB7
CBS
WT1
WT2
WT3
WT4
WT5
WT6
WT7
WT8
TF1
RET1
LEI
TF2
RET2
LE2
TF3
RETS
LE3
TF4
RET4
LE4
WE4
TF5
RETS
LE5
ET1
ET2
ET3
ET4
ET5
ET6
ET7
ET8
ET9
ET10
EE1
EE2
EE3
TOTALS
114
CSC.SAV.12/S2
Distribution
(Hectares)
1780
19
36
5
4981
511
3112
29
0
87
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1642
1367
51
0
0
401
0
0
79
4192
0
0
3
0
364
39
33
0
0
0
103
128
0
391
188
4849
24393


Target
(Hectares)
3101
139
817
103
6309
783
4624
86
24
353
349
0
53
240
189
78
6
16
132
3098
1847
282
0
0
1714
0
0
309
5902
0
13
16
7
467
167
1506
191
0
0
271
363
0
2474
3646
6350
46025


a Percentage of the
Tier I SAV
Restoration Target
57%
14%
4%
5%
79%
65%
67%
34%
0%
25%
<1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
53%
74%
18%
0%
-
23%
-
-
26%
71%
-
0%
19%
0%
78%
24%
2%
0%
-
-
38%
35%
-
16%
5%
76%
53%


SAV Restoration
Target
(Hectares)
6975
3086
3426
3496
15083
2923
11803
1928
1836
3056
839
1061
1452
838
883
1970
890
959
2653
8304
7443
18012
3293
5928
9342
1614
2915
4822
12529
5780
4987
13841
1207
2967
1515
5812
3009
4082
2648
3763
2044
495
8815
11648
35686
247658


a Percentage of the
Tier ffl SAV
Restoration Target
26%
<1%
1%
<1%
33%
17%
26%
2%
0%
3%
<1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
20%
18%
<1%
0%
0%
4%
0%
0%
2%
33%
0%
0%
<1%
0%
12%
3%
<1%
0%
0%
0%
3%
6%
0%
4%
2%
14%
10%



-------
Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets

-------

-------
                                                                       Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets
SAV propagules.  These areas are predominantly in the
mainstem of Chesapeake Bay (e.g., the shoreline between
the mouth of the Potomac and Patuxent rivers). Tier II also
excludes areas where extensive physical disruption of the
shoreline and nearshore habitat would prevent SAV from
reestablishing (e.g., certain areas in the Hampton Roads
and Baltimore Harbor regions). Achievement of this SAV
distribution restoration target will also depend on  the
presence of sufficient propagules.  In addition, other en-
vironmental factors limiting growth and reproduction (e.g.,
salinity, temperature, sediment substrate, and herbicides)
must be within the general tolerance limits of the SAV
species.

Tier HI Goal: Restoration of SAV to all shallow water
areas delineated as existing or potential SAV habitat
down to the two meter depth contour.

Achievement of this SAV distribution target depends on
achievement of the  SAV habitat requirements for two
meter restoration for light penetration (Table IV-1) and
aims for SAV growth down to two meters in depth. Tier
III includes all areas in Tiers I and II as well as all areas
delineated within the two meter depth contour in Chesa-
peake Bay and its tributaries. Tier III excludes the same
areas as Tier II as well as some selected areas within the
one-two meter depth contour where primarily wave expo-
sure will limit SAV growth to the one meter depth contour.
Achievement of this SAV distribution restoration target
will also depend on the presence of sufficient propagules.
In addition, other environmental factors limiting growth
and reproduction (e.g., salinity, temperature, sediment
substrate, and herbicides) must be within the general tol-
erance  limits of the SAV species.

A total of 46,025 hectares of SAV has been mapped as
comprising the Tier I target.  The  1990 estimate of SAV
abundance indicates that the current levels of SAV are 53%
of Tier I.  Areas with greater than 50% of the target are
CB1-57% (Northern Chesapeake Bay), CB5-79% (Lower
Chesapeake Bay), CB6-65% (Western Lower Chesapeake
Bay), CB7-67% (Eastern Lower Chesapeake Bay), TE2-53%
(Upper Potomac River), RET2-74% (Middle Potomac
River), ET2-78%  (Elk/Bohemia rivers), WE4-71%
(MobjackBay), andEE3-76% (TangierSound). Although
the two upper Bay segments that include the Susquehanna
Flats region have high percentages, 95% of the vegetation
area is very sparse and has remained sparse during the
aerial surveys.  These segments  historically supported
some of the densest stands of SAV  in the Bay. Today, the
large area of the Flats supports only sporadic patches of
one species (M. Spicatum);  whereas in the past, dense,
continuous, multi-species beds were present (Bayley et al.
1978). Thus, the density and species diversity targets for
this region are below the expected targets. Surprisingly,
a large number of species are found in the many fringing
beds in this region but most are dominated by one or a few
species (Orth and Nowak 1990; Orth et al. 1991).

Interestingly, the rapid expansion of H. verticillata in the
upper Potomac River and the upper portion of the middle
Potomac River in the 1980s has contributed to the vegeta-
tion of a  relatively large area of the potential habitat.
Although H. verticillata is the numerically dominant spe-
cies in the Potomac, many of the areas inshore of the
H.  verticillata beds are vegetated with numerous other
SAV species (Orth and Nowak 1990; Orth et al. 1991).

Based on Tier I targets, SAV is doing best in the lower
mainstemBay segments (CBS, CB6, CB7, andEEl) where
water quality conditions are better than upper Bay or upper
tributary areas. In particular, SAV is notably absent, or in
very reduced abundance, in many of the upper western
shore tributaries (WTl-Bush River,  WT2-Gunpowder
River, WT3-Middle River, and WT8-South/West/Rhodes
rivers), many of the eastern shore tributaries (ETl-North-
eastRiver, ET4-Chester River, ET5-Choptank River, ET6-
Nanticoke   River,   ET7-Wicomico  River,  and
ETIO-Pocomoke River), the Patuxent River (TF1, RET1,
and LEI), the lower Potomac River (LE2), the middle and
upper York River (RET4, TF4), and the James River (LE5,
RETS, and TF5).  Of the five major western shore tribu-
taries, the James and Patuxent rivers have the least amount
of SAV.

Delineation of the Bay bottom for the Tier III target showed
247,659 hectares of potential habitat within the two meter
depth contour. The 1990 SAV distribution indicates that
the current levels are only 10% of the target for Tier III.
Areas with greater than 10% of the target are CBl-25%
(Northern  Chesapeake Bay), CB5-33% (Lower Chesa-
peakeBay), CB6-18% (Western Lower Chesapeake Bay),
CB7-26% (Eastern Lower Chesapeake Bay), TF2-20%
(Upper Potomac  River), RET2-18%  (Middle  Potomac
River), ET2-12% (Elk/Bohemia rivers), WE4-34%
(Mobjack Bay), and EE3-14% (Tangier Sound). As with
Tier I, the greatest proportion of Tier III target achievement
was in the lower Bay segments where water quality con-
ditions are better.

There are two additional considerations for the applica-
tion of the tiered distribution restoration  targets.
First, the tiers, as presented, do not take into account the
density of SAV in a segment. For example, a large bed
                                                                                                    117
                                                                                                CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
Table VI-4. Chesapeake Bay SAV Density
1990 SAV
CBP Distribution
Segment
CB1
CB2
CBS
CB4
CBS
CB6
CB7
CBS
WT1
WT2
WT3
WT4
WT5
WT6
WT7
WT8
TF1
RET!
LEI
TF2
RET2
LE2
TF3
RETS
LE3
TF4
RET4
LE4
WE4
TF5
RETS
LE5
ET1
ET2
ET3
ET4
ET5
ET6
ET7
ET8
ET9
ET10
EE1
EE2
EE3
TOTALS
118
CSOSAV.1M2
(Hectares)
1780
19
36
5
4981
511
3112
29
• 0
87
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1642
1367
51
0
0
401
0
0
79
4192
0
0
3
0
364
39
33
0
0
0
103
128
0
391
188
4849
24393


Restoration Targets Status by Chesapeake Bay Program Segments.
1990 SAV Distribution
1990 SAV Distribution Tier I within 70-100% Density
(and%) within 70-100% SAV Restoration Category as Percentage
Density Category Target of Tier I SAV
(Hectares)
84
0
<1
0
1512
303
1412
<1
0
27
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1187
824
5
0
0
50
0
0
60
2635
0
0
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
53
0
5
33
3047
11243


, (5%)
(0)%
(1%)
(0%)
(30%)
(59%)
(45%)
(1%)
(-)
(31%)
(0%)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(72%)
(60%)
(10%)
(-)
(-)
(13%)
(-)
(-)
(76%)
(63%)
(-)
(-)
(100%)
(-)
(0%)
(0%)
(3%)
(-)
(-)
(-)
(0%)
(41%)
(-)
(1%)
(18%)
(63%)
(46%)


(Hectares)
3101
139
817
103
6309
783
4624
86
24
353
349
0
53
240
189
78
6
16
132
3098
1847
282
0
0
1714
0
0
309
5902
0
13
16
7
467
167
1506
191
0
0
271
363
0
2474
3646
6350
46025


Restoration Target
3%
0%
1%
0%
24%
39%
31%
1%
0%
'8%
0%
0%
. 0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
38%
45%
2%
-
-
3%
, -
, ,
19%
45%
-
0%
19%
0%
0%
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%
, 15%
0%
1%
1%
48%
. 24% . . . . .



-------
                                                                              Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets
in tine Susqueharma Flats which has SAV but at a very low
density (<10 % or a density class of 1) (see Orth etal. 1991
for a description of density classes) would carry the same
weight as a very dense bed (>70 % coverage or a density
class of 4) (see density restoration section).  Second, the
tiered  approach does not  incorporate aspects of species
diversity (see species restoration section).  For example,
a part of a segment that historically contained two or more
species would be valued the same today if only one species
currently existed there. As progress toward SAV restora-
tion is reviewed, progress  toward all three sets of restora-
tion targets for distribution,  density, and species distribution/
diversity should be examined concurrently.
                   Chesapeake Bay SAV Density

                   Restoration Targets

                   For all habitat areas delineated within the SAV distribution
                   restoration targets, the SAV density restoration target is to
                   maximize the amount of SAV coverage present within the
                   70-100% density category of the crown density scale used
                   in the Chesapeake Bay SAV Aerial Survey (Orth et al.
                   1991).  Table VI-4 presents a comparison  of the  1990
                   baywide  aerial survey depth with the Chesapeake Bay
                   SAV density restoration target.

                   The 1990 SAV distributional survey  delineated  11,243
                   hectares of bottom that were classified as dense (70-100%
                   coverage based on Orth et al. 1991), or 46% of the total
                   SAV mapped for the Bay  and tributaries in 1990.  This
Table VI-5.   Species of SAV found in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries.
            Family
            Characeae
            Potamogetonaceae
            Ruppiaceae

            Zannichelliaceae

            Najadaceae
            Hydrocharitaceae
Species
Chora braunii Gm.
Cham zeylanica  Klein ex Willd., em.
Nitellaflexilis (L). Ag., em

Potamogeton perfoliatus, L. var. bupleuroides
(Femald) Farwell
Potamogeton pectinatus L.
Potamogeton crispus  L.
Potamogeton pusillus L.
Potamogeton amplifolius
Potamogeton diversifolius
Potamogeton epihydrus
Potamogeton gramineus
Potamogeton nodosus

Ruppia maritima L.

Zannichellia palustris L.

Najas guadalupensis  (Sprengel) Magnus
Najas gracillima (A. Braun) Magnus
Najas minor Allioni
Najas muenscheri
Najas flexilis

Vallisneria americana Michaux
Elodea canadensis  (Michaux)
Egeria  densa Planchon
Hydrilla vertidllata (L.f.) Boyle
Common Name
Muskgrass



Redhead grass

Sago pondweed
Curly pondweed
Slender pondweed
Widgeongrass

Horned pondweed

Southern naiad
Naiad
Wild celery
Common elodea
Water-weed
Hydrilla
            Pontedariaceae               Heteranthera dubia (Jacquin) MacMillian     Water stargrass

            Ceratophyllaceae              Ceratophyllum demersum L.                Coontail

            Trapaceae                   Trapa natans  L.                           Water chestnut

            Haloragaceae                 Myriophyllum spicatum L.                  Eruasian water milfoil

            Zosteraceae                  Zostera marina L.                         Eelgrass
Classification and nomenclature derived from: Godfrey and Woolen, 1979,1981; Harvill et al. 1977,1981; Kartesz and Kartesz, 1980; Radford et al. 1968;
Wood and Imahori, 1965.
Sources: Brush 1987; Brush and Hilgartner 1989; Carter et al. 1985a; Davis 1985; Hurley 1990; Maryland DNR unpublished data; Orth and Nowak 1990;
Orth etal. 1979; Chesapeake Bay Program, unpublished data; Paschal et al. 1982; R. Younger Personal Communication; Rybicki etal. 1988,1987,1986;
Stevenson and Confer 1978.
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SAV Technical Synthesis
represents 24% of the SAV Density Restoration Target for
the SAV I SAV Distribution Restoration Target. Areas
with significant coverage in this density class are CB5-24%
(Lower Chesapeake Bay), CB6-39% (Western Lower
Chesapeake Bay), WE4-45% (Mobjack Bay), EE3-48%
(Tangier Sound), TF2-38% (Upper Potomac River), and
RET2-44% (Middle Potomac River). These data for the
density restoration targets contrast with the Tier I target
percentages since several of the segments,  despite high
percentages towards achievement of Tier I, had sparse
coverage and thus much lower estimates for the density
restoration target-notably the upper Chesapeake Bay area
for the Susquehanna Hats and the Elk and Bohemia rivers.
All the segments with the highest percentages in the density
restoration targets were along both the eastern and western
shores of the lower Chesapeake Bay, reflecting the better
water quality in  the mainstem of the Bay, and in the
Potomac River, where H. verticillata and  other native
species have rapidly recolonized the shoals  over the last
seven years.

Chesapeake Bay SAV Species
Distribution/Diversity Restoration
Targets	

Species Distribution/Diversity  Restoration
Targets Development Approach

Targets for Chesapeake  Bay SAV species  distribution/
diversity restoration were developed based on both present
and historical SAV distribution patterns. Species distribu-
tion information included in this analysis was synthesized
from surveys of present SAV distribution, surveys from
past pollen and seed records, and the literature (listed in
Appendix C) which is summarized below.

   •  SAV aerial survey database made by ground survey
      andhabitatmonitoringprogramsconductedbyUSGS,
      Harford Community College, Maryland's Charterboat
      Captain survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Citizen
      Hunt program, University of Maryland Horn Point
      Environmental Laboratory (HPEL) surveys, and Vir-
      ginia Institute of Marine Science  (VIMS) ground
      surveys (as reported in Orthef al. 1985,1986,1987,
      1989, 1991; Orth and  Nowak 1990).

   •  Maryland Department of Natural Resources SAV
      Ground Survey of 644 stations including physical
      characteristics of the water column, bed biomass,
      and density.
   •  U.S.  Geological Survey Potomac  River Estuary
      Program Data Reports.

   •  Pollen and seed record of the upper Bay including
      the Choptank River and Furnace Bay (Davis 1985;
      Brush 1987; Brush and Hilgartner 1989).

   •  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service summary of all
      available SAV information from 1877 to 1978 de-
      tailing findings from research, surveys, and histori-
      cal trend analyses  (Stevenson and Confer 1978).

A comprehensive, cumulative listing of all SAV species
by Chesapeake Bay segment, documented in the available
literature and in the Chesapeake Bay Program Computer
Center database, was then compiled and documented by
information source (Appendix C, Table C-1). SAV species
were recorded for each Chesapeake Bay Program segment
based on estimates from maps and site descriptions. Where
survey regions overlapped more than one segment, SAV
species were assigned to all affected segments.

The Chesapeake Bay species distribution/diversity targets
presented by Chesapeake B ay Program segment in Appen-
dix C (Table C-2) were developed based on information
compiled in Appendix C, Table C-l  and the potential
species distribution maps for the most common Chesa-
peake Bay SAV species (Figures VI-5 through VI-16).

A total of  28 SAV species are presently found in the
Chesapeake Bay and tributaries (Table VI-5), including
three  species of Characeae  which are not true  rooted
species. Twelve species are found most commonly; their
distributional limits ultimately determined by salinity.
Zostera marina is dominant in the more saline, lower
reaches of the Bay. Myriophyllum sp icatum, Potamogeton
pectinatus, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Zannichellia palus-
tris, Vallisneria americana, Elodea canadensis, Cerato-
phyllum demersum, H. verticillata, Najas guadalupensis,
and Heteranthera dubia are less tolerant of high salinities
and are found in the middle and upper reaches  of the
Chesapeake Bay. Ruppia maritima is tolerant of a wide
range of salinities and is found from the Bay's mouth to the
Susquehanna Flats. The other species listed in Table VI-
5 are found only occasionally, and if present, occur prima-
rily in the middle and upper reaches of the Chesapeake Bay
and its tidal tributaries.

The SAV community associations of the Chesapeake Bay
are an important factor in setting SAV species distribution/
diversity restoration targets. These associations are based
on a variety of parameters to which members of a particular
community are equally tolerant. In an extensive survey of
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                                                                         Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets
SAV in the lower Chesapeake Bay,  Orth et al. (1979)
distinguished three plant associations based on the co-
occurrence of species in particular habitats. These asso-
ciations are best explained by their location and salinity.
Z. marina and R. maritima compose the primary associa-
tion in the lower, higher salinity portions of the Chesapeake
Bay. M. spicatum, P. pectinatus, P. perfoliatus, Z. palustrls,
and V. americana form the second association and are
common in areas where salinities are  generally less than
15 parts per thousand (ppt), while E. canadensis, C. dem-
ersum, and N. guadalupensis form the association that is
found primarily in freshwater. H. verticillata was not in
the Bay in 1978 nor is it found in the lower Bay tributaries
today, but it would most likely be a member of the fresh-
water association. Thus, the process of setting SAV spe-
cies distribution/diversity targets must incorporate the
relationship of  the different species in the formation  of
community types.

Species Distribution/Diversity Restoration
Targets

Recent (Orth et al. 1989;  Orth and  Nowak 1990) and
potential distributional limits for the twelve most common
species  recorded in the SAV aerial and ground survey
programs are presented as individual species distribution
restoration targets in Figures VI-5 through VI-16. Achieve-
ment of these SAV species specific distribution restoration
targets through  repropagation to their distributional limits
(salinity tolerances) are based on meeting the SAV habitat
requirements for one and two meter restoration on a bay-
wide basis and  the presence of sufficient propagules.

Below is a brief discussion for each  of the twelve most
common Bay SAV species including a map of overlaying
recent species distribution  with the species distribution
restoration target.  The scale of the individual species
distribution restoration target maps is such that the exact
species distribution has not been delineated and appears to
include waters deeper than 2 m.  The maps included here
are only intended to outline approximate species distribu-
tions and should be overlaid onto the  smaller scale tiered
SAV distribution restoration  goal maps for purposes  of
delineating a more detailed extent of the species distribu-
tion /diversity targets. When all these maps are combined,
they provide additional documentation for the SAV spe-
cies distribution/diversity  targets for Chesapeake Bay
(presented by Chesapeake Bay Program segment in Ap-
pendix C, Table C-2).
Zostera marina

Z. marina (eelgrass) is the only true seagrass found in
Chesapeake Bay.  It has a salinity tolerance of 10-35 ppt,
limiting it to the more saline portions of the Chesapeake
Bay.  Historically,  Z. marina has grown in the lower
sections of the major tributaries on the Bay' s lower western
shore,  including  the  James,  York,   Piankatank,
Rappahannock, Potomac, and Patuxent rivers. It had been
found along the Virginia and Maryland Eastern Shore up
to the Eastern Bay area just south of the Chesapeake Bay
Bridge.  Seed records for this species in the upper Bay are
rare, occurring primarily in the lower Patuxent River (Brush
and Hilgartner 1989). Seeds occurred sporadically for 200
years in pre-colonial times and did not show appreciable
changes in numbers from 1720 until 1880.  Between 1930
and 1980, seeds occurred in small numbers, attributable in
part to sampling artifacts; however, personal records have
indicated the presence of Z. marina adjacent to Solomons
Island through 1970. Since the 1970s, it has been absent
in the entire Patuxent River (Boynton, UMCBL, personal
communication). Z. manna was last reported in the Patuxent
River in 1971 through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife survey
(Stevenson and Confer 1978).

Presently, Z. marina is abundant along the Eastern Shore
from Cape Charles to Smith Island with the largest beds
concentrated between Tangier and Smith islands,  Great
Fox Islands, Big  Marsh at the mouth of Chesconessex
Creek, and along the major creeks entering the Bay from
Chesconessex Creek to Cape Charles.  It  is abundant on
the western shore in Back and Poquoson rivers, off Plum
Tree Island, the lower York River on the north shore,
Mobjack Bay, and in the Fleets Bay area just above the
mouth of the Rappahannock River. It is completely absent
from the Potomac and Patuxent rivers, occurs in only one
small area in the lower James River, is substantially re-
duced in the Piankatank and Rappahannock rivers, and is
abundant in the lower York only from Gloucester Point to
the mouth along the north shore (Orth and Nowak 1990,
Orth et  al. 1991).

Z. marina has increased in abundance in some areas  that
were either close to beds that never declined (e.g., the lower
York River) or in areas where successful transplanting has
occurred (e.g.,  the lower Piankatank and  Rappahannock
rivers) (Orth and Nowak 1990). Figure VI-5 is a map of
the recent distribution overlaid with the Z. marina distri-
bution restoration target for Chesapeake Bay.
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SAV Technical Synthesis

Hydrilla vertidllata

H, vertidllata (hydrilla) did not occur in the Chesapeake
Bay ortributaries until 1982 when it was first recorded near
Dyke Marsh in the upper Potomac River (Stewart et al.
1984). Beginning in 1983, H. vertidllata spread rapidly
in the Potomac River and is now found in dense stands on
both sides of the river down to Aquia Creek. Approxi-
mately 2000 hectares of the river bottom contain H. vertidllata
(Orth and Nowak 1990, Orth et al.  1991). Interestingly,
H. vertidllata declined in some areas in 1989, notably in
the upper tidal river (Orth and Nowak 1990, Orth et al.
1991) presumably due to cooler than normal spring weather,
above average rainfall, and poor water clarity. Because of
its recent introduction, there is no seed record.

H. vertidllata can tolerate salinities up to 6 ppt (Carter et
al.  1987). H. vertidllata has also  been recorded in the
Susquehanna Flats (Kollar, HCC, personal communica-
tion) where it grows mixed with other SAV species in small
patches. There is no information on when and how it had
become established nor is there any indication that it has
been spreading at the rates documented for the Potomac
River. H. vertidllata's salinity tolerance would limit its
distribution to the upper portions of all tributaries and the
upper Bay above the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Figure VI-
6).  Because H. vertidllata is an exotic and recent intro-
duction to Chesapeake Bay (and in some  situations
considered a nuisance), a restoration target was not estab-
lished for this species.

Myriophyllum spicatum

M.  spicatum (Eurasian  watermilfoil) is another exotic
species that  was introduced into the United States from
Asia or Europe in the early 1900s. It is tolerant of slightly
brackish waters up to approximately 10 ppt with optimal
growth occurring between 0 and 5 ppt (Stevenson and
Confer 1978).  During the 1950s and early  1960s, this
species underwent a still unexplained rapid expansion in
the upper Bay and tributaries, including the Potomac and
Patuxent rivers. It was considered a major nuisance as it
partially obstructed waterways (similar to the hydrilla
situation occurring today in the Potomac River). It was
estimated that M. spicatum covered more than 100,000
acres during this period. As rapidly as it expanded, M.
spicatum also declined in the mid-1960s.  Scientists attrib-
uted the decline to a viral-like disease, although the proof
was never conclusive.  A seed record for this species was
available only from the Susquehanna Flats  (Brush and
Hilgartner 1989). Seeds were present from 1930 to 1970,
mirroring the changes recorded in distribution surveys.
Today, M. spicatum is present primarily in large stands in
the upper Potomac River, including the Port Tobacco River
and Nanjemoy Creek, and is found interspersed with H.
vertidllata above Aquia Creek (Carter et al 1983, 1985).
It is also found in much smaller areas^in the Susquehanna
Flats, the Sassafras River, and the Saltpeter and Seneca
Creek region on the western shore. M. spicatum has been
commonly reported from many other areas by the Citizens
and Charterboat Captains surveys throughout its upper Bay
distributional range (Orth and Nowak 1990, Orth et al.
1991).  Given its growth  potential, M. spicatum has the
ability to occupy much more available habitat in the upper
Bay as well as the upper sections of all the tributaries and
creeks (Figure VI-7).

Ruppia maritima

R. maritima (widgeongrass) has the widest salinity toler-
ance of all SAV species in the Bay and is able to survive
equally well in hypersaline lagoons as well as low salinity
brackish bays and  estuaries. Although this species can
survive in freshwater, it has not been reported to inhabit
tidal fresh sections of the  Bay.  Given this salinity range
tolerance, R. maritima  has one of the  greatest potential
distribution limits of  all Bay SAV.

The seed record for R. maritima has showed a continuous
record from pre-colonial times  with abundance of seeds
declining in the 20th century (Brush and Hilgartner 1989).
Seed distribution has been restricted to the downstream,
mesohaline portions of the tributaries, similar to current
distributional patterns.  The period of 1720-1820 had the
greatest number of seeds while 1970-1987 was the period
of least seed abundance.

Presently, & maritima is normally found in close associa-
tion  with Z. marina  in the lower Bay.  Generally, R.
maritima is found in the  shallow portions of a bed and
intertidally while Z. marina dominates the deeper sections,
with both species found at intermediate depths (Orth and
Moore 1988).

Shown by the seed record, R. maritima declined in the
1960s and  1970s along with many of the other species.
Beginning around  1985, R. maritima began to recover
naturally in manjr sections of the Bay. By 1989, the species
had shown  major increases in the lower Rappahannock,
Piankatank, and Potomac  rivers, and in the mid-sections
of the Bay along the Eastern Shore including Eastern Bay,
the Choptank River, and the Barren Island-Honga River
area (Carter etal  1983,1985; Orth and Nowak 1990). This
species was the most often  cited species in many of the late
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CSXSAV.12&

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1980s surveys.  Presently, this species may occupy more
bottom area than any other species.
R. maritima is considered an opportunistic species with an
extremely rapid growth  rate  and large seed production.
The lack of any other competitor SAV species may have
allowed this species to spread rapidly. Its wide salinity
range and past historical record indicate that R. maritima
could grow in shallow water areas throughout the Bay
(Figure VI-8).

Heteranthera dubia

Surprisingly, H. dubia (water stargrass) was not reported
in Chesapeake Bay or its tidal tributaries until the 1980s.
Seeds have not been reported in the historical record (Brush
and Hilgartner 1989). A freshwater species, it has been
reported  as a commonly occurring species only  in the
Susquehanna Flats and tidal fresh portions of the Potomac
Riverinthe 1980s (Orihet al. 1989; Orth and Nowak 1990;
Kollar, HCC, personal communication; Carter and Rybicki
1986). The ability to tolerate only slightly brackish waters
restricts its distributional limits to the tidal fresh or very
low salinity areas of the Bay and tributaries .(Figure VI-9).

Vallisneria americana

V. americana (wild celery) is one of the more valuable
freshwater species in the Bay and tributaries.  It is tolerant
of water up to 11-13 ppt (Carter and Rybicki, USGS,
personal  communication; Barko, USCOE, personal com-
munication).  The seed record for this species showed it
to be abundant in pre-colonial times through 1880 in the
upper Bay and tributaries, principally from Furnace Bay,
the Back, Middle, Severn, Patuxent, and Chester rivers
(Brush and Hilgartner 1989). There was a large increase
in seeds from 1880 through 1930 and sporadic occurrences
through 1970. From 1970 through 1987, the seed record
showed a dramatic decline and was recorded from only one
core in the Middle River.

Recent surveys have shown V. americana to  be most
abundant in the Susquehanna River and Flats region and
in the tidal fresh, oligohaline, and mesohaline section of
the Potomac River (Carter et al. 1983, 1985). It has also
been reported less frequently from the  Elk, Sassafras,
Middle,  and Gunpowder rivers and many small  creeks
(Orth and Nowak 1990, Orth et al.  1991).

Past distribution of this  species indicates that it was one
of the more common species in the Bay region, indicating
that  y.  americana can  potentially occupy  much more
habitat than it presently occupies (Figure VI-10).
                  Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets

Zannichellia palustris

Z. palustris (horned pondweed) is an annual that, like &
maritima, is one of the most widely distributed species,in
Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Based on its present
distribution, this species can apparently tolerate salinities
up to 20 ppt.  The seed record has shown Z. palustris to
be one of the most persistent species in the oligohaline and
mesohaline areas of the upper Bay for the last 2000 years
(Brush and Hilgartner 1989). The period of 1720-1880
showed the greatest abundance of seeds, especially in the
Severn and Back rivers and Langford and Rock creeks.
Between 1880 and 1980, seed abundances fluctuated but
the species was consistently present.

Recent  distribution studies reported Z. palustris to be
abundantin the Choptank, Patuxent, Potomac, Back, Middle,
Gunpowder, andRappahannockrivers and the Eastern Bay
area (Carter etal. 1983,1985; Orth and Nowak 1990, Orth
et al 1991). It is likely that this species is present today
in many other areas  in much greater abundance than a
decade ago. Since this species has been a consistent part
of the historical record and has a large seed output with high
annual variation, Z. palustris will most likely  continue
growing in the Bay but show a high degree of variability.
Figure VI-11 is a map of the recent distribution overlaid
with the Z. palustris distribution restoration target for
Chesapeake Bay.

Najas guadalupensis

N. guadalupensis (southern naiad or bushy pondweed) is
the more common of four naiad species found in the Bay.
It is tolerant of slightly brackish waters up to 10 ppt. This
species was common in the seed record of pre-colonial
times but was most abundant from 1720-1880, especially
in Langford and Rock creeks and the Chester, Patuxent,
Middle, and Back rivers (Brush and Hilgartner 1989).
Although seeds were still abundant in the  Middle and
Patuxent rivers and Langford Creek, a decline in the seed
record began in 1880 and continued until 1980. During
1970-1987, seeds were found in some areas such as the
Middle and Back  rivers but were generally much less
abundant, continuing the overall decline that started in the
1880s.

Present surveys have found A'! guadalupensis primarily in
the Susquehanna River and Flats region and in the transi-
tion and tidal fresh water zones of the Potomac River
(Carter et al.  1983, 1985; Orth and Nowak 1990, Orth et
al.  1991).  Ground surveys in the 1980s reported this
species in the Choptank and Middle rivers, Rock Creek,
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SAV Technical Synthesis
and several smaller creeks throughout the Bay. The po-
tential distributional limits are in the upper Bay and upper
portions of the major tributaries (Figure VI-12).
Potamogeton perfoliatus

P. perfoliatus (redhead grass) has been another of the more
common species previously found in the upper Bay and
tributaries.  It is a freshwater species that can tolerate
salinities up to 20 ppt. The seed record for P. perfoliatus
shows that this species was common in pre-colonial times,
with sporadic occurrences from 1720-1930 (Brush and
Hilgartner 1989). Theperiodfrom 1930-1970wasaperiod
of proliferation after which there was an overall decline,
with seeds found only in the Middle and Severn rivers and
Langford and Rock creeks.

The most recent ground surveys have reported sporadic
occurrences of P. perfoliatus throughout the northern Bay
and upper portions of tributaries in the northern Bay-in
particular the Chester River, Susquehanna River and Flats,
and the mid-section of the Potomac River around Mathais
Point, Port Tobacco River, and Nanjemoy Creek (Carter
etal. 1983,1985; Orth and Nowak 1990, Ortlma;. 1991).
Its high salinity tolerance, compared to several of the other
freshwater species, along with its past historical distribu-
tionindicateabroaderpotential distribution forthis species
(Figure VI-13).

Potamogeton pectinatus

P. pectinatus (sago pondweed) is the second species of this
genus found in the Bay and tributaries  and has been
reported frequently in  the past.  It is a freshwater species
that can tolerate salinities up to 9 ppt. Brush and Hilgartner
(1989) do not report on any seed record for this species.

Present distributional surveys have reported this species to
be most common in several sections of the Bay-notably
the Potomac River from Washington, DC to the Port
Tobacco River and Nanjemoy Creek area,  the Middle,
Chester and Choptank rivers, and the Susquehanna River
and Flats area (Carter et al.  1983, 1985; Orth and Nowak
1990, Orth etal 1991). P. pectinatus has been one of the
more frequently reported species in the upper Bay in recent
years but  is still far below population densities reported
earlier. Its presence in many different sections of the upper
Bay and its potential distribution limits indicate that this
species can occupy a much wider area than many of the
other species (Figure VI-14).
Ceratophyllum demersum

C. demersum (coontail or hornwort) is a freshwater species
that is capable of tolerating salinities up to 6 ppt. Inter-
estingly, this species grows independently of a particular
substrate and can subsist by floating in  the water.  It
normally produces asexually, with fragments easily able
to develop into viable shoots.  Brush and Hilgartner (1989)
do not report on a seed record for this species. The poor
record may result from this plant's infrequent production
of seeds.

Present distribution of this  species is  primarily in the
Susquehanna River and Flats area, the upper Patuxent
River, and the Potomac River transition and tidal freshwa-
ter zone (Carter et al. 1983, 1985; Orth and Nowak 1990,
Orth etal. 1991).  Since this species is not rooted and can
tolerate some brackish water, it could likely have a much
wider distribution than present (Figure VI-15). However,
the lack of rooting may restrict it to areas with little current
movement or to co-occur with other species that are rooted.

Elodea canadensis

E. canadensis (common elodea) is a freshwater species
with a salinity tolerance of approximately 10 ppt.  This
species is a common home aquarium plant and closely
resembles hydrilla.  It is commonly reported in the Bay
region.

E. canadensis had a fairly continuous seed distribution
record until colonial settlement (Brush and Hilgartner
1989). There appeared to be an increase in populations
from  1720-1880;  but between 1880 and 1930, it disap-
peared from the Severn River and Rock Creek. Between
1930 and 1970 it  disappeared from most of Back Creek
while at  the same time appearing in Langford Creek.
Between 1970 and 1987, seeds were found only in the
upper Middle River.

Recent distributional surveys have found E. canadensis in
the Susquehanna River and Flats area, the  Chester River
region, and the  tidal fresh and oligohaline zones of the
Potomac River (Carters al. 1983,1985;  Orth and Nowak
1990, Orth etal.  1991). Earlier survey sin the  1970s found
a more broad distribution than present (Stevenson and
Confer 1978), indicating the potential of this species to
expand to many other new areas (Figure VI-16).
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                                                                        Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets

      Chesapeake Bay Distribution Restoration Target for Zostera marina
                                      Susquehanna
                           Patapsco
   Potomac
      James
                                                                  Sassafras
                                                                       Nanticoke
                                                                        Pocomoke
                                                                                   = Potential distribution

                                                                                   = Recent distribution
Figure VI-5. Distribution restoration target for Zostera marina in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species distribution.
Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more accurate
distribution depth limits.
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 SAV Technical Synthesis

     Chesapeake Bay Recent  and Potential Distribution  for Hydrilla verticillata
                                         Susquehanna
                                                                      Sassafras
                              Patapsco
              Potomac
        James
                                                                            Nanticokei
                                                                             Pocomoke
            Rappahannock
                                                                                    | = Potential distribution
                                                                                    I = Recent distribution
Figure Vl-6. Recent and potential distribution of Hydrilla verticillata in Chesapeake Bay is shown. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth
of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more accurate distribution depth limits. The open box Q and
open circle (Q) are used to delineate potential and recent distribution, respectively, in sections of the tributaries where the shading patterns are
not visible due to the scale of the figure.

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CSOSW.1292

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                                                                        Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets
 Chesapeake  Bay Distribution Restoration Target for Myriophyllum spicatum
                                     Susquehanna
                            Patapsco
       Rappahannock
    James
                                                               Sassafras
                                                                        Nanticoke
                                                         y. v (^"i-fw  Pocomoke
                                                                                  = Potential distribution

                                                                                  = Recent distribution
Figure VI-7. Distribution restoration target for Myriophyllum spicatum in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more
accurate distribution depth limits.
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 SAV Technical Synthesis

        Chesapeake Bay Distribution Restoration Target for  Ruppia maritima
                                     Susquehanna
                           Patapsco
    Potomac
      James
                                                                  Sassafras
                                                                       Nanticoke
                                                                        Pocomoke
                                                                                   = Potential distribution

                                                                                   = Recent distribution
Figure Vl-8. Distribution restoration target for Ruppia maritima in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species distribution.
Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more accurate
distribution depth limits.
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                                                                            Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets

     Chesapeake Bay  Distribution Restoration Target for Heteranthera  dubia
                                         Susquehanna
                             Patapsco
                                                                   Sassafras
    Potomac
        James
                                                                           Nanticoke
                                                                            Pocomoke
                                                                                       = Potential distribution

                                                                                       = Recent distribution
Figure VI-9. Distribution restoration target for Heteranthera dubia in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more
accurate distribution depth limits. The open box Q is used to delineate potential distribution in sections of the tributaries where the shading pattern
is not visible due to the scale of the drawing.
                                                                                                             129
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 SAV Technical Synthesis

    Chesapeake Bay  Distribution Restoration Target for  Vallisneria americana
                                        Susquehanna
                                                                   Sassafras
                             Patapsco
     Potomac
       James
                                                                         Nanticoke
                                                                         Pocomoke
                                                                                     = Potential distribution

                                                                                     = Recent distribution
Rgure VI-10. Distribution restoration target for Vallisneria americana in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more
accurate distribution depth limits. The open circle (Q) is used to delineate recent distribution in sections of the tributaries where the shading pattern
Is not visible due to the scale of the figure.
130
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                                                                         Chesapeake Bay:SAV Restoration Targets


   Chesapeake Bay Distribution  Restoration Target for Zannichellia palustris

                                    Susquehanna
                                                               Sassafras
                         Patapsco
  Potomac
    James
                                                                     Nanticoke
                                                                      Pocomoke
                                                                                ^ = Potential distribution

                                                                                 I = Recent distribution
Figure VI-11. Distribution restoration target for Zannichellia palustris in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more

accurate distribution depth limits.                                                                   .           •


                                                                                                          131
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 SAV Technical Synthesis
     Chesapeake Bay  Distribution  Restoration  Target for Najas guadalupensis
                                        Susquehanna
                             Patapsco
   Potomac
      James
                                                                   Sassafras
                                                                         Nanticoke
                                                                          Pocomoke
                                                                                   j  = Potential distribution

                                                                                   •  = Recent distribution
Figure VM2.  Distribution restoration target for Najas guadalupensis in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more
accurate distribution depth limits. The open circle (Q) is used to delineate recent distribution in sections of the tributaries where the shading pattern
is not visible due to the scale of the figure.
132
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                                                                         Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets
 Chesapeake Bay Distribution Restoration Target for  Potamogeton perfoliatus
                                     Susquehanna
                         Patapsco
 Potomac
    James
                                                              Sassafras
                                                                    Nanticoke
                                                                      Pocomoke
                                                                                  = Potential distribution
                                                                                  = Recent distribution
Figure VI-13. Distribution restoration target for Potamogeton perfoliatus in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution.  Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more
accurate distribution depth limits.
                                                                                                        133
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 SAV Technical Synthesis

  Chesapeake Bay Distribution Restoration Target for Potamogeton pectinatus
                                         Susquehanna
                             Patapsco
     Potomac
       James
                                                                  Sassafras
                                                                       Nanticoke
                                                                        Pocomoke
                                                                                  = Potential distribution

                                                                                  = Recent distribution
Figure VI-14. Distribution restoration target for Potamogeton pectinatus in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more
accurate distribution depth limits.
134
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                                                                           Chesapeake Bay SAV Restoration Targets

Chesapeake Bay  Distribution Restoration Target for  Ceratophyllum demersum
                                           Susquehanna
                               Patapsco
       Potomac
          James
                                                                           Nanticoke
                                                                            Pocomoke
                                                                                     = Potential distribution

                                                                                     = Recent distribution
Figure VI-15. Distribution restoration target for Ceratophyllum demersum in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more
accurate distribution depth limits. The open box (Q) and open circle (Q) are used to delineate potential and recent distribution, respectively, in
sections of the tributaries where the shading patterns are not visible due to the scale of the figure.
                                                                                                           135
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SAV Technical Synthesis

      Chesapeake Bay Distribution  Restoration Target for  Elodea canadensis
                                               Susquehanna
                                    Patapsco
           Potomac
                                                                                Nanticoke
              James
                                                                                 Pocomoke
                                                                                      = Potential distribution
                                                                                      = Recent distribution
Figure VM6. Distribution restoration target for Elodia canadensis in Chesapeake Bay is shown as the combined potential and recent species
distribution. Some areas deeper than the anticipated depth of SAV growth (2m) are shaded due to the scale of the map; see Figure VI-4 for more
accurate distribution depth limits. The open box (Q) and open circle (Q) are used to delineate potential and recent distribution, respectively, in
sections of the tributaries where the shading patterns are not visible due to the scale of the figure.
136
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Chapter VH
Nearshore & Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
        n the preceding chapters, levels of selected water
        quality parameters characteristic of viable sub-
        merged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat in the
Chesapeake Bay were defined. The objective of this study
is to determine if existing mid-channel water quality data
is appropriate for characterizing seasonal water quality
conditions in adjacent nearshore areas. If the water quality
is comparable, then data from existing mid-channel moni-
toring programs might be used to determine if water quality
conditions are meeting habitat requirements for SAV.  In
addition, the results will provide guidance for modifying
mid-channel monitoring programs or assisting in the de-
velopment of additional nearshore monitoring programs in
areas where nearshore and mid-channel data have proven
incomparable.

Study Areas and Sampling Programs

York River

Six stations within the lower 30 kilometers of the York
River, three mid-channel and three nearshore, were se-
lected for comparison in this study (Figure VII-1). These
areas are representative of polyhaline and mesohaline
regions of Virginia's tributaries that currently or histori-
cally have supported SAV. The nearshore stations were
sampled by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
as part of the Virginia Nearshore Submerged Aquatic
Vegetation Monitoring Program.  Mid-channel stations
LE4.2 and LE4.3 are sampled as part of the Virginia
Chesapeake Bay Tributary Water Quality Monitoring
Program, and mid-channel station WE4.2 was sampled as
part of the  Chesapeake Bay Mainstem Water Quality
Monitoring Program. Both of the mid-channel station
monitoring programs were coordinated by the Virginia
State Water Control Board (VSWCB).

Mid-channel data included only those samples obtained at
one meter depth or, in some cases, at the surface. Nearshore
samples were obtained in triplicate at a depth of 0.25 m.
Water column depths in the nearshore at mean low water
(MLW) were approximately one meter. The Guinea Marsh
and Gloucester Point stations were located in areas veg-
etated with SAV. The Claybank station was located in a
shoal area which formerly supported SAV but is now
devoid of vegetation. Characteristics of the York River
stations are presented in Table VII-1.
Table VII-1.  Characteristics of York River nearshore and mid-channel water quality monitoring stations.

                Station                     Years         Vegetated         Salinity
Guinea Marsh
VIMS nearshore site
WE4.2
VSWCB mid-channel site
Gloucester Point
VIMS nearshore site
LE4.3
VSWCB mid-channel site
Claybank
VIMS nearshore site
LE4.2
1985-1988
1985-1988
1985-1988
1985-1988
1985-1988
1985-1988
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
Polyhaline
Polyhaline
Polyhaline
Polyhaline
Mesohaline
Mesohaline
                VSWCB mid-channel site
                                                                                                137
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SAV Technical Synthesis
   York River Nearshore and Mid-channel
      Water Quality Monitoring Stations
Choptank River Nearshore and Mid-channel
      Water Quality Monitoring Stations
                                         '»
                                       WE4.2   Guinea
                                              Marsh
Figure VIM. York River nearshore (D) and mid-channel ((
water quality monitoring stations used in the data analysis.
                                                                                MET5.2
Figure VII-3.  Choptank River nearshore (D) and mid-channel
(•) water quality monitoring stations used in the data analysis.
 Potomac River Nearshore and Mid-channel
      Water Quality Monitoring Stations
            Blossom
            Point
FigureVII-2. UpperPotomacRivernearshore(D) and mid-channel
(•) water quality monitoring stations used in the data analysis.
   Upper Bay Nearshore and Mid-channel
     Water Quality Monitoring Stations
                                                      Susquetianna
                                                      RKrar
                                                                                           MET3.1
Figure VII-4.  Upper Chesapeake Bay nearshore (D) and mid-
channel (• ) water quality monitoring stations used in the data
analysis.
138
CSOSAV.KS2

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 Upper Potomac River

 Nine water quality monitoring stations, located in  the
 upper Potomac River between the U.S. Route 301 bridge
 at Morgantown and Piscataway  Creek, were chosen to
 compare nearshore and mid-channel water quality (Figure
 VII-2).  Four of these stations were mid-channel stations
 monitored by the Maryland Department of the Environ-
 ment (MDE) as part of the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality
 Monitoring Program.  The other five stations, located in
 the nearshore, were monitored by the U.S.  Geological
 Survey  (USGS) in 1985 and 1986 as part of the USGS
 Wetland Studies Project.

 The nearshore samples collected by USGS were taken at
 0.33 m below the surface in less than 3 m of water depth
 outside S AV beds. MDE mid-channel samples were taken
 at 0.5 m depth from a boat in unvegetated areas of greater
 than 3 m depth.  Table VII-2 presents the characteristics
 of each station. Salinities in this arearangedfrom oligohaline
 to tidal fresh and decreased with distance upstream. The
 sediments are silt-clay in the mid-channel, becoming sand-
 rich in shallow water.

 Choptank River

 Fourteen water quality monitoring stations, located be-
 tween river kilometer 6  and river kilometer 82, were
 chosen for analysis in the Choptank River (Figure VII-3).
 Three mid-channel stations were monitored by MDE  as
 part of the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Monitoring
 Program. The remaining eleven stations, two mid-channel
 and nine nearshore, were monitored by the University of
 Maryland Horn Point Environmental Laboratory (HPEL)
 as part of their SAV transplanting research program.

The nearshore sites in the  Choptank River were located
 along the margins of the river at water depths of 3 m or less
 and were sampled at a depth of 0.33 m. Nearshore stations
in the lower part of the Choptank were in protected coves
while those in the upper river were located in shallow areas
adjacent to the mainstem of the river.  The mid-channel
stations  were located along the axis of the river in water
depths greater than 3 m and were sampled at a depth of 0.5
m.  The HPEL stations were sampled monthly while the
MDE stations were sampled twice a month.

Table VII-3 presents the characteristics of the water quality
monitoring stations in the Choptank River. Due to the wide
salinity and water quality gradients over which the Choptank
River was sampled, stations were grouped into three gen-
eral geographic areas for analysis-the Choptank embayment,
the Cambridge area, and the Tuckahoe confluence area.
        Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons

 Upper Chesapeake Bay

 Thirteen water quality monitoring stations, located in the
 Sassafras River, Elk River and Susquehanna Flats, were
 chosen for comparison in the upper portion of Chesapeake
 Bay (Figure VII-4). Nine of these stations, four mid-
 channel and five nearshore, were monitored monthly by
 Harfbrd Community College (HCC) from April through
 October in 1988 and 1989 as part of an SAV transplanting
 program. The remaining three mid-channel stations were
 monitored by MDE as part of the Chesapeake Bay Water
 Quality Monitoring Program. Two of these stations, lo-
 cated in the Elk and Sassafras rivers,  were monitored
 monthly. The other MDE mid-channel station, located in
 the mainstem of the Bay near the Susquehanna River, was
 monitored twice a  month.

 The nearshore stations in the upper Bay region were lo-
 cated along the margins of the Susquehanna Flats and the
 Sassafras and Elk rivers  at water depths  of less than 3 m.
 All of the nearshore samples were collected at a depth of
 0.5 m adjacent to beds of SAV.  All of the mid-channel
 samples were collected in water greater than 3 m deep at
 a depth of 0.5 m and away from any vegetation.

 Salinities in this upper Bay region ranged from oligohaline
 to tidal fresh with most of the sampling stations located in
 tidal fresh areas. Sediments along the eastern shore of the
 Susquehanna Flats  consisted of sand and pebbles in near-
 shore areas. These  sediments became finer textured (i.e.,
 silt and clay) moving toward the central area of the Sus-
 quehanna Flats.  Station characteristics  are presented in
 Table VII-4.

 Methods	

 The following parameters were  chosen for  comparison
 between the nearshore and mid-channel stations:   light
 attenuation coefficient, total suspended solids, chlorophyll
a, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and dissolved inorganic
 phosphorus.  These parameters are consistent with those
 listed as SAV habitat requirements for one meter restora-
 tion. In the York River region, lack of adequate data for
chlorophyll a prevented comparisons of that parameter.

Analytical methods for each parameter varied with the data
 sets measured. Summaries of the methods used by VIMS,
HPEL, and HCC to collect and analyze data have been
previously described in the case study sections.  Method
summaries for the data collected by the MDE, VWCB, and
the USGS are provided in Appendix B.
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SAV Technical Synthesis
Table VII-2.  Characteristics of the upper Potomac River water quality monitoring stations.

             Station                            Years          Vegetated           Salinity
             Blossom Point                      1985
             USGS nearshore; site location
             variable; mostly in vicinity of
             Maryland Point

             XDA1177 (RET 2.2)               1984-1989
             MDE mid-channel site off
             Maryland Point

             XDA 4238 (RET 2.1)              1984-1989
             Mid-channel site off Smith Point

             Wades Bay                       1985-1986
             USGS nearshore site; shoreline
             low profile and forested

             XEA1840 (TF2.4)                 1984-1989
             MDE mid-channel site off mouth
             of Mattawoman Creek

             Mouth Mattawoman              1985-1986
             USGS nearshore site in mouth of
             Mattawoman Creek just outside
             first point (inside if very windy)

             Gunston Cove                    1985-1986
             USGS nearshore site in mouth of
             Gunston Cove; well offshore
             near channel marker #64

             XFB1433 (TF2.2)                 1984-1989
             MDE mid-channel site off mouth
             of Dogue Creek

             Elodea Cove                      1985-1986
             USGS nearshore site; low profile
             shoreline; forested
          Yes
          No
          No
          Yes
          No
          No
          Yes
          No
          Yes
Oligohaline




Oligohaline



Oligohaline


Oligohaline



Tidal Fresh



Tidal Fresh




Tidal Fresh




Tidal Fresh



Tidal Fresh
Secchi depths were converted to light attenuation coeffi-
cients (Kd) based upon linear relationships derived be-
tween Secchi depth and attenuation of photosynthetically
active radiation. A relationship of Kd=1.38/Secchi depth
was used for the Potomac River stations (Carter and Rybicki
1990) while Kd=1.45/Secchi depth was used for all other
Secchi data (Moore, unpublished data).

Comparisons were made for a growing season of April to
October in the Choptank and upper Bay areas. In the upper
Chesapeake Bay,  comparisons for  all of the  variables
except light attenuation coefficient were restricted to 1989
due to analytical problems with the nearshore data.  For the
nearshore Potomac stations, data were available only from
May through September of 1985 and April through August
of 1986.  Therefore, comparisons for the Potomac were
confined to this time frame.  A bi-modal growing season
based upon ambient water temperature was used for com-
parisons in the York River. The seasons for this analysis
were chosen to be consistent with the criteria used for
application of the SAV habitat requirements.

Comparisons were made between pairs or groupings of
nearshore and mid-channel stations which were considered
to be in the same general region of the systems examined
(Table VII-5).   Data  comparisons between the paired
 140
 CSC.SAV.1M2

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                                                                Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
Table Vll-3. Characteristics of Choptank River nearshore and mid-channel water quality monitoring stations.

                Station                          Years                Vegetated      Salinity
                MEE2.1                          1984-1990
                MDE mid-channel
                site in the Choptank
                River Embayment

                Buoy 12A                        1987-1989
                HPEL mid-channel site
                in the Choptank River
                Embayment

                Cook's Cove                     1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site within
                Cook's Cove in the
                Choptank Embayment

                Chapel Creek                    1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site
                within a cove in the
                Choptank Embayment

                Irish Creek                       1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site
                within a cove in the
                Choptank Embayment

                Foxhole Creek                    1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site
                within a cove in the
                Choptank Embayment

                Horn Point                       1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site near
                Cambridge along the shore
                of the Choptank River

                Dickinson Bay                    1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site near
                Cambridge within a cove

                Buoy 25                          1987-1989
                HPEL mid-channel site
                near Cambridge

                MET5.2                          1984-1989
                MDE mid-channel site
                near Cambridge

                Bolingbroke                       1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site near
                Cambridge within a cove

                METS.l                          1984-1989
                MDE mid-channel site near
                the confluence of Tuckahoe
                Creek

                Gilpin Point                       1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site along
                the shore near the Tuckahoe
                Creek confluence

                Tuckahoe Creek                   1986-1989
                HPEL nearshore site along
                the shore of Tuckahoe Creek
                near the confluence
 No
 No
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
 Mesohaline
 Mesohaline
 Mesohaline
 Mesohaline
 Mesohaline
 Mesohaline
Mesohaline
Mesohaline
Mesohaline
Mesohaline
Mesohaline
Tidal Fresh
Tidal Fresh
Tidal Fresh
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SAV Technical Synthesis
Table Vll-4.  Characteristics of the upper Chesapeake Bay water quality monitoring stations.
            Station
                                              Years
                     Vegetated
                 Salinity
            Log Pond
            HCC mid-channel site
            in the mouth of the
            Susquehanna River

            Outfall
            HCC nearshore site in
            the mouth of the
            Susquehanna River

            Fishing Battery (in)
            HCC nearshore site in
            the Susquehanna Flats of
            upper Chesapeake Bay

            Fishing Battery (out)
            HCC mid-channel site
            in the Susquehanna Flats
            of upper Chesapeake Bay

            Central Bay
            HCC mid-channel site
            in the central Susquehanna
            Flats

            MCB1.1
            MDE mid-channel site
            near the outfall of the
            Susquehanna River

            Piney Creek (in)
            HCC nearshore site in
            Piney Creek along
            the Elk River

            Piney Creek (out)
            HCC mid-channel site in
            Piney Creek along the Elk
            River

            Elk Neck (in)
            HCC nearshore site in
            cove along  the shore
            of the Elk River

            Elk Neck (out)
            HCC mid-channel site
            adjacent to  Elk Neck (in)

            MET2.3
            MDE mid-channel site
            adjacent to  Elk Neck

            Georgetown
            HCC nearshore site along
            the shore of the Sassafras
            River near  Georgetown

            MET3.1
            MDE mid-channel site
            adjacent to HCC nearshore
            site Georgetown
                                            1988-1989
  1988-1989
  1988-1989
  1988-1989
  1988-1989
  1984-1989
  1988-1989
'  1988-1989
  1988-1989
  1988-1989
  1984-1989
  1988-1989
  1984-1989
                         No
No
Yes
No
No
 No
 No
 No
Yes
 No
 No
 No
 No
                                                                                    Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
                                          Tidal Fresh
 142
 CSOSAV.IZte

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                                                              Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
Table VII-5.  Groupings of stations for nearshore/mid-channel comparison analysis with the mid-channel stations underlined.
           Stations
Groups
           York Stations
           Guinea Marsh	Group 1

           Gloucester Point	Group 2
           LE4.3
           Claybank	Group 3
           LE4.2

           Potomac Stations
           Blossom Point	Group 1
           XDA1177
           Wades Bay	Group 2
           XDA4238
           Mouth Mattawoman	Group 3
           XEA184Q
           Gunston Cove	Group 4
           XFB1433
           Elodea Cove	Group 4—both nearshore sites
           XFB1433                         compared to XFB1433.

           Choptank Stations
           MEE2.1	Group 1—Choptank embayment/pairwise
           Buoy 12A                         comparisons made between all stations.
           Irish Creek
           Chapel Creek
           Cook's Cove
           Foxhole Creek
           MET5.2	Group 2—Cambridge area/pairwise comparisons
           Buoy 25                           made between all stations.
           Horn Point
           Dickinson Bay
           Bolingbroke Creek
           MET5.1	Group 3—Tuckahoe confluence.
           Gilpin Point
           Tuckahoe Creek

           Upper Bay Stations
           Log Pond	Group 1—Susquehanna Flats/pairwise
           Outfall                            comparisons made between all stations.
           Fishing Battery (in)
           Fishing Battery (out)
           Central Bay
           MCB1.1
           Piney Creek (in)	Group 2—Elk River.
           Piney Creek (out')
           Elk Neck (in)	Group 3—Lower Elk River/comparisons
           Elk Neck (out)                     between all stations.
           MET2.3
           Georgetown	Group 4—Sassafras River.
           MET3.1
                                                                                                       143
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SAV Technical Synthesis
      Surface Temperatures in the York River
           - Guinea Marsh and WE4.2 -
  «

   Jin  Dec Jun  Dec  Jun Deo Jun  Deo  Jun  Dec Jun  Dec
    1984     1985     1986    1987     1988    1989
Figure VII-5. Comparison of nearshore (Guinea Marsh »*»») and mid-
channel (WE4.2—) water column surface temperatures in the York
River from 1984-1989.
                                             stations were explored using descriptive statistics, histo-
                                             grams, and time series plots of all available data. Formal
                                             statistical comparisons between paired stations for each of
                                             the investigated variables were made using SPSSX (SPSS,
                                             Inc.) statistical software with the York River data and S AS
                                             (SAS Institute, 1985) for all other areas.  In each case, a
                                             distribution free rank sum test (Wilcoxon/Mann-Whitney
                                             U) was used to test if the distributions of the two-paired
                                             sample populations for each variable were the same (Daniel
                                             1987, Hipel and McLeod 1990, SAS 1985). All compari-
                                             sons were made  on a year-by-year basis to factor out
                                             interannual changes in  water quality. In the York River,
                                             an annual period consisting of the spring, summer, and fall
                                             (roughly April to  October) was chosen to provide a com-
                                             parable time frame to  the year-by-year analyses of the
                                             lower salinity regions.  In addition, for this region indi-
                                             vidual seasons were also analyzed using 1985-1988 data.
      Surface Temperatures in the York River
          - Gloucester Point and LE4.3 -
  30-i
   Jun  D«o
     1984
Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
 1985     1986
Jun  Dec
   1987
Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
   1988     1989
Figure Vll-6.  Comparison of nearshore (Gloucester Point mm) and
mW-channe! (LE4.3 —) water column surface temperatures in the York
River from 1984-1989.
   Surface Temperatures in the York River
            - Claybank and LE4.2 -
   Jun  Dec  Jon  Doc Jun  Deo Jun  Dec
     1984    1985     1986    1987
                     Jun  Dec Jun  Dec
                        1988    1989
 Figure VH-7.  Comparison of nearshore (Claybank mm ) and mid-
 channel (LE4.2 —) water column surface temperatures in the York
 River from 1984-1989.
Different methods and sampling schedules employed by
the various monitoring agencies were identified as factors
with the potential to have an effect on the results of this
study.  Extensive data comparisons, method evaluations,
and quality assurance checks were employed to minimize
the effects of differing methods. One consequence of using
different analytical methods was widely differing detec-
tion  limits for some  of the investigated water quality
variables.  In cases where >50% of the measurements for
a variable at a station were below the detection limit for
that  variable, no comparison was  made. The  effect of
different sampling schedules on the outcomes of the sta-
tistical tests was unknown but likely to increase variability.
It is important to note that many of the nearshore sites were
located within coves or somewhat up or down the estuary
from neighboring mid-channel sites. These spatial factors
contributed to the observed variability due to localized
nearshore influences  or  longitudinal  gradients in some
water quality variables.

Results	

York River

Water Temperature

Water temperatures were quite similar between stations
(Figures VII-5,  VII-6, and VII-7) with no evidence of
significant differences between nearshore and mid-chan-
nel stations (one exception was Claybank/LE4.2 for sum-
mer). No significant  differences were observed at other
sites when stations were compared on a seasonal (Table
VII-6) or  annual (Table VII-7)  basis.
 144
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Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
Table VII-6. Statistical comparison of nearshore/mid-channel station data for
Stations
Guinea Marsh/
WE4.2


Gloucester Point/
LE4.3


Claybank/
LE4.2


NS = not significant (p>.05)
ND = no available data
Season
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall


Temp.
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
p=.04
NS


Sal.
NS
NS
NS
NS
p=.0001
NS
p=.008
p=.001
p=.0001
p=.01
p=.001
p=.001


individual seasons in the York River
Kd
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
p=.0001
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS


TSS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
p=,008
NS
ND
ND
ND
ND


DIN
NS
**
**
p=.02
**
**
**
**
*#
**
**
NS


1985-1988.
DIP
**
**
**
NS
**
**
p=.001
NS
**
**
p=.0001
NS


** = not comparable due to detection limit
Table VII-7. Statistical comparisons
Stations
Guinea Marsh/
WE4.2


Gloucester Point/
LE4.3


Claybank/
LE4.2


of nearshore/mid-channel
Year
1985
1986
1987
1988
1985
1986
1987
1988
1985
1986
1987
1988
Temp.
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
station data by years for the
Sal.
NS
NS
NS
NS
p=.0001
NS
NS
NS
p=.0001
p=.02
NS
NS
Kd
NS
NS
NS
NS
p=.002
NS
NS
NS
p=.002
NS
NS
NS
York River
TSS
NS
NS
p=.02
p=.05
p=.002
p=.02
**
NS
ND
ND
ND
NS
1985-1988.
DIN
**
**
p=.048
p=.009
**
##
**
**
**
**
#*
**

DIP
**
**
**
p=.0001
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
**
NS = not significant (p>.05)
ND = no available data
** = not comparable due to detection limit
                                                                                                                               145
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SAV Technical Synthesis
        Surface Salinities in the York River
            - Guinea Marsh and WE4.2 -
  25-:
 MO:

   5-
        I  •  I  • I  •  I  '  I  '  I
   Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun
     1984
             1985
                      1986
  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
1987      1988     1989
Figure VIl-8. Comparison of nearshore (Guinea Marsh ****) and mid-
channel (WE4.2 —) water column surface salinities in the York River
from 1984-1989.
        Surface Salinities in the York River
           - Gloucester Point and LE4.3 -
  30-,
  25

  ,20
       • • I '  l—•  I  '—r—'—I  '  i  •—I  '  I—'  i '  I  '—i
    Jun Dec  Jun  Dec Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec Jun  Dec
     1984     1985     1986     1987      1988    1989
 Rgure VII-9. Comparison of nearshore (Gloucester Point »*«) and
 mid-channel (LE4.3—) water column surface salinities in the York
 River from 1984-1989.
Salinities at the Guinea Marsh and WE4.2 stations dis-
played similar variability (Figure VII-8) when compared
on a seasonal or annual basis (Tables VII-6 and VII-7). At
the upriver Gloucester Point and LE4.3 stations, salinities
were  slightly lower at the nearshore station during the
winter, summer, and fall (Figure VII-9). When compared
by year,  significant differences were evident only during
1985  (Tables VII-6 and VII-7).  This may be due to the
slightly upriver location of the nearshore stations.  At
Claybank (Figure VII-10), salinities were significantly
lower than LE4.2 during  all seasons and during  1985
through  1986 (Tables VII-6 and VII-7). This difference
in salinity may affect the comparison of other water quality
variables between these two sites.

Light Attenuation Coefficient

Increasing light attenuation coefficient levels  were ob-
served during spring and summer (Figure VII-11) at both
Guinea Marsh  and WE4.2. Although more variable and
occasionally higher  levels were found in the nearshore,
when compared over seasonal and annual periods (Tables
VII-6 and VII-7), no significant differences were found. At
Gloucester Point and LE4.3, significantly higher levels
occurred at the nearshore site during the summer (Figure
VII-12 and Table VII-6), but only 1985 was significantly
different when compared over the annual growing season
(Table VII-7).  Seasonally, light attenuation coefficients
were highest during the spring and early summer at Claybank
and LE4.2, with lowest levels during the winter (Figure
VII-13). One significant difference was detected between
the locations in 1985 (Tables VII-6 and VII-7).
  30n

  2Si
  j-15-

  MO-

   5-
         Surface Salinities in the York River
               - Claybank and LE4.2 -
    Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun   Dec Jun  Dec
      1984     1985     1986     1987      1988    1989

 Figure VII-10. Comparison of nearshore (Claybank «*»«) and mid-
 channel (LE4.2 —) water column surface salinities in the York River
 from 1984-1989.
Total Suspended Solids

Total suspended solids at WE4.2 showed greater variabil-
ity over time when compared to Guinea Marsh (Figure VII-
14). Although levels might be expected to be higher in the
nearshore due to local resuspension by wave action, no
significant differences were observed between sites when
compared on a seasonal basis (Table VII-6).  However,
differences were significant for 1987 and 1988 when com-
pared annually (Table VII-7).

At Gloucester Point and LE4.3 (Figure VII-15), seasonally
determined medians were significantly different only dur-
ing the summer. Limited data during the summer of 1987
at LE4.3 prevented comparison during that period. On an
annual basis, the nearshore site was significantly higher
during 1985 and  1986 (Table VII-7).  During 1988, three
very high values at LE4.3 were in contrast to the pattern
 146
 CS&SAV.IZflZ

-------
 of higher levels of total suspended solids in the nearshore.
 A detection limit, which varied from 3 to 6 mg/1 for the
 LE4.3 site, also biased the data toward higher levels in the
 mid-channel. During the period between September 1984
 and June 1987, approximately 12 of the 32 records at LE4.3
 were at the detection limit.

 Total suspended solid concentrations were higher at the
 Claybank site (Figure VII-16) compared to the downriver
 nearshore stations. Seasonal concentrations were highest
 during the summer period. A lack of total suspended solids
 data at LE4.2 prior to June 1987 prevented comparison
 with Claybank, except during 1988 when no statistically
 significant difference between the stations was observed.

 Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
         Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons

         Light Attenuation in the York River
             - Guinea Marsh and WE4.2 -
 Figure VIM 1. Comparison of nearshore (Guinea Marsh s™*) and mid-
 channel (WE4.2 —) light attenuation coefficients in the York River from
 1984-1989.
 Significantly higher levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen
 were observed during the fall at WE4.2 compared to the
 nearshore Guinea Marsh site (Table VII-6). Although in
 many years dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels in the mid-
 channel were higher than nearshore during the winter, the
 differences were not significant when data were compared
 over the four years. Detection limits were too high during
 much of the  1984-1986 period at the mid-channel station
 WE4.2 (Figure VII-17) to compare with the adjacent near-
 shore station. However, during 1987 and 1988, growing
 seasons levels were significantly greater at the mid-chan-
 nel station than the nearshore station (Table VII-7).

 At LE4.3, the high detection limits for the Virginia tribu-
 tary monitoring data made this data set a poor record of
 nitrogen concentrations in this region of the York River
 (Figure VII-18).  Except during a short period in the fall
 and winter, levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen were at
 or below detection. Therefore, no comparisons could be
 made between Gloucester Point and LE4.3 (Tables VII-6
 and VII-7). Maximum levels of dissolved inorganic nitro-
 gen were reported lower at the mid-channel station LE4.3
 than downriver at WE4.2.  This was in contrast to the
 nearshore stations GuineaMarsh (Figure VII-17) and Glouc-
 ester Point (Figure VII-18) where the pattern was one of
 increasing concentrations with distance upriver.

 At Claybank and LE4.2, a  high number of data at the
 detection limit for dissolved inorganic nitrogen were evi-
 dent at the mid-channel site (Figure VII-19). Therefore,
 only one  direct statistical comparisons could be made
 between the two sites in the fall.

 Comparisons for the York River region demonstrated
problems associated with detection limits in the polyhaline
and mesohaline portions of the western tributaries.  Dis-
         Light Attenuation in the York River
           - Gloucester Point and LE4.3 -
 s
  2-

 1.5-

!  1-

iO.5-
         I   '  I  '	1	>	1	1	1	1	1—i—71	'	1	'—1	1	1	1	1	r-
     Jun  Deo Jun Deo Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
      1984      1985    1986      1987     1988    1989

 Figure VII-12. Comparison of nearshore (Gloucester Point's--*.) and
 mid-channel (LE4.3 —) light attenuation coefficients in the York River
 from 1984-1989.
   5-q
  4.5-:
^2.5-j
1 a-i
I 1.5-:
-* 1-1
1-0.5-i
        Light Attenuation  in the York River
               - Claybank and LE4.2 -
    Jun
     1984
        1—'—I ' '  I—'—I—
        Deo  Jun  Dec Jun
                      —i—>
                      Dec
              1985
                      1986
—i—i—i—i—i—"—I—<—'I—i—I—i-
 Jun  Deo  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
   1987      1988     1989
Figure VII-13. Comparison of nearshore (Ciaybank -«) and mid-
channel (LE4.2 —) light attenuation coefficients in the York River from
1984-1989 (*June 1987 Claybank light attenuation  coefficient
measurement was 7.0 nr1).
                                                                                                          147
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SAV Technical Synthesis
     Total Suspended Solids in the York River
             - Guinea Marsh and WE4.2 -
Jun  D«c  Jon   Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec   Jun   Dec  Jun  Dec
  1984     1985     1986       1987     1988     1989
  Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in the York River
            - Guinea Marsh and WE4.2 -
                                                               0.6-,
                                                                Jun
                                                                  1984
                                                                           1985
                                     Jun  Dec  Jun   Dec
                                        1988    1989
Figure VIH4. Comparison of nearshore (Guinea Marsh «««,) and mid-
channel (WE4.2 —) surface total suspended solids concentrations in
the York River from 1984-1989.
Figure VII-17. Comparison of nearshore (Guinea Marsh ^m,) and mid-
channel (WE4.2 —) surface dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations
in the York River from 1984-1989.
     Total Suspended Solids in the York River
            - Gloucester Point and LE4.3 -
                          I	1	1—1	1	i	1	1	T
    Jun  Dec  Jun   Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
      1984     198S     1986      1987      1988     1989
 Figure VIM 5. Comparison of nearshore (Gloucester Point B^) and
 mid-channel (LE4.3 —) surface total suspended solids concentrations
 in the York River from 1984-1989.
  Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in the York River
           - Gloucester Point and LE4.3 -
                                                               0.6-,
         i—'—i—'—i—'—i—'—r   ......
    Jun   Dec  Jun Dec Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
                                                                  1984
                                                                           1985
                                                                                  1986
                                                                                            1987
                                                                                                    1988
                                               1989
Figure VIM 8. Comparison of nearshore (Gloucester Point«..«) and
mid-channel (LE4.3 —) surface dissolved inorganic nitrogen
concentrations in the York  River from 1984-1989.
      Total Suspended Solids in the York River
                - Claybank and LE4.2 -
          i  i  i  »  i—<—i—'  i  •—r—'—i—•  i  '—i—'—i  •  i  '
     Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec Jun   Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
       1984    1985      1986       1987     1988     1989
  Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogren in the York River
                - Claybank and  LE4.2 -
                                                               0.6-,
             I  '   I '   I  '  I  '  I
    Jun   Dec  Jun  Deo  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec   Jun  Dec Jun  Dec
      1984     1985    1986      1987      1988     1989
 Figure V1M6. Comparison of nearshore (Claybank 
-------
                                                                 Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
solved inorganic nitrogen levels characteristic of these
regions during the warmer months were often below the
detection limits of the mid-channel monitoring program in
the York River.  Therefore, the mid-channel data was
unsuitable for comparison to nearshore water quality.

Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus

Dissolved inorganic phoshorus comparisons generally show
increasing divergence between mid-channel and nearshore
measurements with distance upriver as the absolute levels
of dissolved inorganic phosphorus increase (Figures VII-
20, VII-21, and VII-22). High detection limits at the mid-
channel monitoring stations, however, relative to theabsolute
concentrations present in the river, obscured the statistical
quantification of this trend. For examle, mid-channel data
for the Guinea Marsh and WE4.2 comparison were at the
detection limit for much of the time between 1984 and 1987
(Figure VII-20) and no direct growing season comparisons
could be made. Changes in analytical methodology at the
end of 1987 for this mid-channel station (WE4.2) resulted
in lower detection limits. These lower limits resulted in
significantly smaller reported mid-channel levels of dis-
solved inorganic phosphorus compared to the nearshore
site for the 1988 growing season (Table VII-7). During the
fall of each year, the levels at this mid-channel  station were
above the detection limit (Figure Vii-20), permitting sta-
tistical analysis;  no significant difference between the
midchannel and nearshore stations were found.

At the two upriver mid-channel stations (LE4.3 andLE4.2),
high  detection limits  obscured comparisons with the
nearshore data (Figures VII-21  and VII-22), except from
June through  December each  year. Similar  patterns of
increasing levels during the fall and early winter are evi-
dent at both nearshore and mid-channel sites, as are gen-
erally increasing levels at each site with distance upriver.
The levels were not significantly different between the
respective nearshore and mid-channel stations during the
fall, but  were significantly different during the summer
(Table VII-6). Because of the high detection limits at these
two mid-channel stations, growing season means could not
be statistically compared (Table VII-7), however concen-
trations appear higher at the nearshore stations, especially
from December through June (Figures VII-21 and VII-22).

Upper Potomac River

Water Temperature

Surface water  temperatures  were not available for the
nearshore areas of the Potomac, therefore, no comparisons
could be made.
Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus in the York River
            - Guinea Marsh and WE4.2 -
    Jun  Dec
      1984
Jun  Dec Jun  Dec
  1985    1986
Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
  1987    1988    1989
Figure VII-20. Comparisons of nearshore (Guinea Marsh ^^ and mid-
channel  (WE4.2 —) surface dissolved inorganic  phosphorus
concentrations in the York River from 1984-1989.
Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus in the York River
          - Gloucester Point and LE4.3 -

f 0.09 3
 10.08-j
 (m-.
 ! 0.06'
 J0.05-;
|O.U4^
]0.03-{
 > 0.02 \
j °'01 •=
5
         i  ' i  '  i  •  i  •  i  • i  '  i  '  i  '  i '  i  '  i  r
    Jun   Dec Jun  Dec Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec  Jun Dec  Jun  Dec
      1984
              1985    1986
                             1987
                                     1988
                                1989
Figure VII-21. Comparisons of nearshore (Gloucester Point mam) and
mid-channel  (LE4.3 —) surface dissolved inorganic phosphorus
concentrations in the York River from 1984-1989.
Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus in the York River
              - Claybank and LE4.2 -
  o.09-
= 0.08.
1. 0.07 -i
I 0.06 -j
o0.05-i
§0.04.!
S0.03-J
| 0.02 -j
1 0.01 -I
    Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec Jun  Dec
      1984     1985    1986
               Jun Dec Jun  Dec  Jun  Dec
                 1987    1988    1989
Figure VII-22. Comparisons of nearshore (Claybank mm,) and mid-
channel  (LE4.2 —) surface  dissolved  inorganic phosphorus
concentrations in the York River from 1984-1989.
                                                                                                           149
                                                                                                      CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
 Table VII-8. Statistical comparisons of nearshore/mid-channel stations growing season medians in the upper Potomac River.

 Stations                Year           KD            TSS            CHLA          DIN            DIP
 Blossom Point/            1985
 XDA1177                1986

 Wades Bay/               1985
 XDA4238                1986

 Mouth Mattawoman/       1985
 XEA1840                1986

 Gunston Cove/            1985
 XFB1433                 1986

 ElodcaCove/             1985
 XFB1433                 1986
                                        NS
                                        ND

                                        NS
                                        NS

                                        NS
                                        NS  •

                                        NS
                                        NS

                                        NS
                                        p<.006
NS
ND

NS
NS

NS
p=.02

NS
p<.05

NS
NS   .
NS
ND

NS
NS

NS
p<.0001

NS ,
p<006

NS
p<.0035
NS
ND

ND
ND

NS
ND

NS
ND

NS
ND
NS
ND

ND
ND

NS
ND

NS .
ND

NS
ND
 NS = not significant (p<.05)
 ND » no data available
         Light Attenuation Coefficient in the
                Upper Potomac River
   as.
                                               XDAt177(C)
                                               XEA1840(C)
                                            0 GwlonC(N)

                                            BJ XFB1433(C)

                                            Q] EbtaCo.(N)
             1965
                               1986
 Figure VII-23. Comparisons of 1985 and 1986 growing season median
 light attenuation coefficients for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C)
 monitoring stations in the upper Potomac River.

           Total Suspended Solids in the
                Upper Potomac River
   50.

I!:
             1985
                               1988
                                              XDA1177tC)

                                              XDM238(C)
                                              XEA1E40(C)
                                              GwslonC(N)

                                              XFBJ433(C)

                                              Bc*aCo.(N)
 RgureVH-24. Comparisons of 1985 and 1986 growing season median
 total suspended solids concentrations for nearshore (N) and mid-
 channel (C) monitoring stations in the upper Potomac River.

150
CSC,$AV.12S2
  Salinity

  Surface salinities were not available for the nearshore areas
  of the Potomac. Based upon existing segmentation schemes
  and the geographical proximity of the nearshore/mid-chan-
  nel station pairs, it was assumed that the salinities between
  nearshore/mid-channel station pairs were similar.

  Light Attenuation Coefficient

  In 1985, median growing season light attenuation coeffi-
  cient levels demonstrated little variability between sites.
  Mid-channel sites, however, tended to have slightly higher
  light attenuation levels than adjacent nearshore sites (Fig-
  ure VII-23). None of the observed differences was found
  to be significant (Table VII-8).

  In 1986, median growing season light attenuation coeffi-
  cient levels again exhibited only slight variability between
  sites (Figure VII-23). One mid-channel station, XFB1433,
  had statistically significant higher light attenuation coef-
  ficient levels than nearshore  station Elodea Cove (Table
  VII-8). However, this same mid-channel station was also
  compared to  a second neighboring nearshore  station,
  (Gunston Cove) and the light attenuation coefficient levels
  at these two stations did not differ significantly. This result
  was  somewhat surprising considering the extreme differ-
  ences in chlorophyll a levels between  these nearshore and
  mid-channel sites but was well supported by the total
  suspended solids values and exploratory graphical analy-
  ses for the Potomac River.

-------
                                                                  Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
Total Suspended Solids

In 1985, a majority of the nearshore sites had median total
suspended solid levels over the growing season that were
similar to adjacent mid-channel sites (Figure VII-24).
None of these comparisons were found to be statistically
significant (Table VII-8).

In 1986, the nearshore sites generally exhibited higher
median total suspended solids levels than adjacent mid-
channel sites (Figure VII-24).  Two nearshore stations,
Mouth Mattawoman Creek and Gunston Cove, were found
to have significantly greater levels of total  suspended
solids than the corresponding adjacent mid-channel sites
(Table VII-8).  In general, total suspended solids levels
were more variable in 1986 than  1985.   Some of these
differences may have been caused in part by large phyto-
plankton blooms that are characteristic of certain coves in
the Potomac River or by resuspension of sediments due to
wave action.

Chlorophyll a

The nearshore sites  (Mouth Mattawoman, Gunston Cove,
and Elodea Cove), which are known to experience severe
phytoplankton blooms,  exhibited high levels of chloro-
phyll a in  1985 when compared to all other stations in the
upper Potomac River (Figure VII-25).  However, these
differences were not found to be statistically  significant
(Table VII-8) and little variability was apparent between
the other stations.

In 1986, chlorophyll a levels were significantly higher at
the Mattawoman, Gunston Cove, and Elodea  Cove sites
compared to corresponding  adjacent mid-channel  sites
(Table VII-8 and Figure VII-25). Chlorophyll a levels at
these three nearshore sites were generally observed to be
slightly higher in 1986  than in 1985-a  year when no
significant differences were found. The other nearshore
station in the Potomac River (Wades Bay) was comparable
to adjacent mid-channel stations in  1986 (Table VII-8 and
Figure VII-25).

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen

Comparisons for dissolved inorganic nitrogen could only
be made for 1985 due to a lack of data at the nearshore sites
(Figure VII-26). In that year, no statistically  significant
differences were found for dissolved inorganic nitrogen
between the nearshore and mid-channel  areas that were
compared (Table VII-8).  Exploratory graphical analyses
supported this finding that the nearshore and mid-channel
levels of dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the Potomac were
            Chlorophyll a in the
           Upper Potomac  River
   70
   60:

]f «•=
H
I »•!
   10-1
             1985
               HossonP(N)

               XDAI177(C)

               XDA4238IC)
               XEA1S40(C)

               HouttiMal(N)

               GunstaC(N)

               XFB!«3(C) •

               BodsaCMN)
1986
Figure VII-25. Comparisons of 1985 and 1986 growing season median
chlorophyll a concentrations at nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C)
monitoring stations in the upper Potomac River.
        Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen in the
               Upper Potomac River
                          STATION
Figure VII-26. Comparison of 1985 growing season median dissolved
inorganic nitrogen concentrations at nearshore (•) and mid-channel (ty
monitoring stations in the upper Potomac River.
      Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus in the
               Upper Potomac River
                          STATION
Figure VII-27. Comparisons of 1985 growing season median dissolved
inorganic phosphorus concentrations for nearshore (•) and mid-channel
(&) monitoring stations in the upper Potomac River.

                                                   151
                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis
comparable. Some slight differences did exist in dissolved
inorganic nitrogen levels between the stations, but these
were most likely  due to  the longitudinal water quality
gradient in the upper Potomac  River (Figure VII-26).

Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus

Comparisons for dissolved inorganic phosphorus could
only be made for 1985 due to a lack of data at the nearshore
sites. Analysis of this dataindicatedthatlevels of dissolved
inorganic phosphorus were very similar in adjacent
nearshore/mid-channel areas (Figure VII-27). No statis-
tically significant  differences were found for dissolved
inorganic phosphorus between the nearshore and mid-
channel areas that  were compared (Table VII-8). Explor-
atory graphical analyses supported the finding that nearshore
and mid-channel dissolved inorganic phosphorus levels in
the upper Potomac River were  comparable. Some slight
differences did exist in dissolved inorganic phosphorus
levels, but these were most likely due to the longitudinal
water quality gradient in the upper Potomac River.

Choptank River

Water Temperature

Surface water temperatures were found to be nearly iden-
tical at adjacent nearshore and mid-channel stations, with
some variability most likely due to different sampling
times.

Salinity

Surface salinities  were found  to be nearly identical at
adjacent nearshore and mid-channel stations, with some
variability most likely due to different sampling times.

Light Attenuation Coefficient

In the Choptank River embayment, little variation in light
attenuation coefficient levels was apparent among all the
stations in all years  (Figures VII-28 and VII-29).  No
significant differences were detected between the near-
shore and mid-channel sites  (Table VH-9).

In the Cambridge area, light attenuation coefficients were
similar between the nearshore  and mid-channel sites al-
though the nearshore sites, Dickinson B ay and Bolingbroke
Creek, generally had the highest levels (Figure VII-30).
The elevated light attenuation coefficient levels at these
two sites, which were often significantly greater than the
light attenuation coefficient levels at other sites in the area
        Light Attenuation Coefficient in the
               Upper Choptank River
1. 6
                    -•  i
             —-  OJ   Q_  «   li.   	

             §  «   i  *   !   •


            •  ••••I
I
                          STATION
Figure VII-28! Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median light
attenuation coefficients for the nearshore (•) and mid-channel (%)
monitoring stations in the Choptank River.  This figure displays the
longitudinal light attenuation coefficient gradient present in the Choptank
River.
           Light Attenuation Coefficient
         Choptank River Embayment Area -
                                           1 MEE2.1(C)

                                           0 Buoy12A(C)

                                             Cook's Cove (N)

                                             Irishtek(N)
                                           0 FoxholeCrak(N)
Figure VII-29. Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median light
attenuation coefficients for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C) monitoring
stations in the Choptank River Embayment Area.
           Light Attenuation Coefficient
        - Choptank River Cambridge Area -
                                            0 BuoyS (C)

                                            i Horn Pt.(N)

                                            gj DttJrai(N)
Figure VII-30. Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median light
attenuation coefficients for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C) monitoring
stations in the Choptank River Cambridge Area.
152

-------
                                                                 Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
           Light Attenuation Coefficient
         - Choptank River-Tuckahoe Area -
              Total Suspended Solids
        - Choptank River Cambridge Area -
                                                                                               1989
Figure Vll-31. Comparisons of 1987-1989 growing season median light
attenuation coefficients for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C) monitoring
stations in the Choptank River Tuckahoe Area.
Figure VII-34. Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median total
suspended solids concentrations for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C)
monitoring stations in the Choptank River Cambridge Area.
           Total Suspended Solids in the
                   Choptank River
              Total Suspended Solids
         - Choptank River Tuckahoe Area -
                           STATION
Figure Vll-32. Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median total
suspended solids concentrations for nearshore (•) and mid-channel
(ty monitoring stations in the Choptank River. This figure displays the
longitudinal total suspended solids gradient present in the Choptank
River.
Figure VII-35. Comparisons of 1987-1989 growing season median total
suspended solids concentrations for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C)
monitoring stations in the Choptank River Tuckahoe Area.
               Total Suspended Solids
        - Choptank River Embayment Area -
                                                              25
                                                              20-:


                                                              15-


                                                              10-j


                                                               5-

                                                               0
                 Chlorophyll a in the
                   Choptank River
             til
       1986
                 1967
                                    1989
                                                                                      STATION
 Figure VII-33. Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median total
 suspended solids concentrations for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C)'
 monitoring stations in the Choptank River Embayment Area.
 Figure VII-36.  Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median
 chlorophyll a concentrations for nearshore (•) and mid-channel (%)
 monitoring stations in the Choptank River.
                                                                                                              153
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 SAV Technical Synthesis
                    Chlorophyll a
        - Choptank River Embaymeni Area -
f1J
f 10

I1
i *
u

1 2
  0
     I
        198
                 1987
                                            B M£E2.1(0

                                            0 Booy12A(0)

                                            Q Co*sCovi(N)

                                            0 MshCrwk(N)
0
                           1938
 Figure Vll-37.  Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median
 chlorophyll a concentrations for nearshore (N)and mid-channel (C)
 monitoring stations in the Choptank River Embayment Area.
                    Chlorophyll a
        - Choptank River Cambridge Area -
                                               MET5.2(C)

                                               Buoy25(C)

                                               HomPt(N)

                                               DictJistn(N)

                                            Q  Bcin^icto(N)
                                    1989
 Figure VII-38.  Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median
 chlorophyll a concentrations for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C)
 monitoring stations in the Choptank River Cambridge Area.
                    Chlorophyll a
          Choptank River Tuckahoe Area -
                      198!
                                   1989
Figure VII-39. Comparisons of 1987-1989  growing season median
chlorophyll a concentrations for nearshore (N) and mid-channel (C)
monitoring stations in the Choptank River Tuckahoe Area.
 (Table VH-10), were most likely related to the high total
 suspended solids levels that were also found at these two
 sites. Variability between the other stations in the area was
 minimal.

 In the Tuckahoe area, little variation was detected in light
 attenuation coefficients between the nearshore and mid-
 channel sites (Figure VII-31). In general, however, median
 light attenuation coefficient levels were found to be slightly
 higher at the mid-channel site.  One significant difference
 between mid-channel site MET5.1 and nearshore site Gilpin
 Point was detected in 1989 (Table VII-11).

 Total Suspended Solids

 In the Choptank River embayment area, total suspended
 solids concentrations were quite variable between stations
 and between years, but no consistent pattern was apparent
 between the nearshore and mid-channel areas (Figures VII-
 32 and VH-33). MDE mid-channel station MEE2.1 was
 found to have significantly greater total suspended solids
 levels than HPEL mid-channel station Buoy 12A, possibly
 indicating that the different sampling schedules and meth-
 ods were biasing the results of these comparisons. How-
 ever, few significant differences existed between the
 mid-channel and nearshore stations during the comparison
 period (Table VII-12). Variation among nearshore sites in
 the embayment was comparable to the variation between
 the nearshore and mid-channel sites.

 In the Cambridge area of the Choptank River, nearshore
 sites Dickinson Bay  and Bolingbroke Creek exhibited
 elevated total suspended solids levels in all  years when
 compared to all other stations in this area (Figures VII-32
 and VII-34). Several of these differences were found to
 be significant  (Table  VII-13).  Total suspended solids
 levels between the other stations in this area were generally
 found to be comparable with little variability.

 In the Tuckahoe area  of the Choptank, total suspended
 solids  levels showed  little  variation between the mid-
 channel and nearshore sites (Figures VII-32 and VII-35).
 Only one statistically significant difference, between mid-
 channel station MET5.1 and nearshore station Tuckahoe
 Creek, was detected (Table VII-14).

 Chlorophyll a

The 1986 chlorophyll a levels in the embayment area were
generally (but not significantly) lower in the mid-channel
relative to the nearshore (Figures  VII-36 and VII-37, and
Table VII-15). In 1987 and 1988, the reverse was observed
154
CSCSAV.1292

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                                                                     Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
            Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                in the Choptank River
 0-6
 0.4-
                 •   I   i
                 =   J.  s
a.


I
                       Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                    - Choptank River Tuckahoe Area -
                            STATION
Figure VII-40.  Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median
dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations for the nearshore (•) and
mid-channel (%) monitoring stations in the Choptank River. This figure
displays the longitudinal dissolved inorganic nitrogen gradient present
in the Choptank River.
           Figure VII-43.  Comparison of 1987-1989 growing season median
           dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations for the nearshore (N)  and
           mid-channel (C) monitoring stations in the Choptank River Tuckahoe
           Area.
            Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
        - Choptank River Embayment Area -
                                               | MEE2.1(C)

                                               \2 Buoyt2A(C)

                                               H Cook's Cow (N)

                                               gj Iristi Creek (H

                                               g Ctop«l Creek (N)

                                               0 FoxtoteCrwk(tl)
                     Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                           in the Choptank River
           | ""
                                                                0.04-
             0.03-


             0.02-


             0.01-
                                                                                           S   I
         1966
                                                                                           STATION
Figure VII-41.  Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median
dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations at nearshore (N) and mid-
channel (C) monitoring stations in the Choptank River Embayment Area,
           Figure VII-44.  Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median
           dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations for the nearshore (•)
           and mid-channel (22) monitoring stations in the Choptank River. This
           figure displays the longitudinal dissolved inorganic phosphorus gradient
           present in the Choptank River.
            Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
           Choptank River Cambridge Area -
                                                  HETSi(C)

                                                  Buoy25(C)

                                                  Horn PL (N)

                                                  Dickinson (N)

                                                  Bolngbrck9(N)
                                      1989
Figure VII-42.  Comparison of 1986-1989 growing season median
dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations at nearshore (N) and mid-
channel (C) stations in the Choptank River Cambridge Area.
                     Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                     Choptank River Embayment Area -
                                                          1 MEE2.1(C)

                                                          0 B«oy12A(C)

                                                          I (M'sCtra(U)

                                                          ^ liish Creek (N)
                                                                                                             0 Foxhole Creek (N)'
           Figure VII-45.  Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median
           dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations for the nearshore (N)
           and mid-channel (C) monitoring stations in the Choptank River Embayment
           Area.
                                                                                                                    155
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 SAV Technical Synthesis
          Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
          Choptank River Cambridge Area -
                 i
         191$
                  1987
                           1988
                                    1939
                                            i MET5i(Q

                                            Q BuoyS (C)

                                            El HomPt(N)
 Figure VIMS. Comparisons of 1986-1989 growing season median
 dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations for the nearshore (N)
 and mid-channel (C) monitoring stations in the Choptank River Cambridge
 Area.
          Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
          - Choptank River Tuckahoe Area -
 Figure VII-47. Comparisons of 1987-1989 growing season median
 dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations for nearshore (N) and
 mid-channel (C) monitoring stations in the Choptank River Tuckahoe
 Area.
with chlorophyll a levels often significantly greater in the
mid-channel relative to nearshore. No consistent pattern
of variation was apparent in 1989, and no significant
differences  were detected between the mid-channel and
nearshore sites.

In the Cambridge and Tuckahoe areas, no consistent varia-
tion was detected between the nearshore and mid-channel
sites (Figures  VII-36,  VII-38, and VII-39).  Only three
significant differences, all occurring in  1987, were de-
tected between the mid-channel and nearshore sites (Tables
VII-16 and VH-17). Two of the differences were in the
Tuckahoe area where the two nearshore  sites seemed to
exhibit unusually low chlorophyll a levels in  1987 when
compared to other years.
  Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen

 In the Choptank embayment, little consistent variation was
 detected  between the mid-channel and nearshore sites
 (Figures VII-40 and VII-41).  A few statistically signifi-
 cant differences were found for dissolved inorganic nitro-
 gen between the nearshore and mid-channel sites in the
 embayment, but these differences were not consistent from
 year to year (Table VII-18). Exploratory graphical analy-
 ses  revealed that similar differences were also  present
 among the nearshore stations although none of these dif-
 ferences were significant (Figure VII-41 and Table VII-
 18).

 In the Cambridge area, dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels
 were highest at the  mid-channel stations relative to the
 nearshore stations in each year (Figures VII-40 and VII-
 42).  Some statistically significant differences were de-
 tected between the  nearshore and  mid-channel stations
 although these differences were not consistent from year
 to year (Table VII-19).   Similar significant differences
 were detected among the nearshore sites in 1988.  It is
 possible that effluent from the Cambridge wastewater
 treatment plant was influencing these observations by
 elevating dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations in
 mid-channel areas.

 In the Tuckahoe area, dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels
 were found to be greater at mid-channel station MET5.1
 relative to the two nearshore stations in each year (Figure
 VII-43).  None of these  observed differences, however,
 were statistically significant (Table VII-20).

 Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus

 Only one statistically significant difference between mid-
 channel and nearshore levels of dissolved inorganic phos-
 phorus was detected in the Choptank River (Tables VII-21
 through VII-23).  Exploratory graphical analyses for this
 river support the statistical findings, indicating little dif-
 ference between the nearshore and mid-channel sites (Fig-
 ures VII-44  through VII-47).   Some problems were
 encountered with inadequate detection limits at the MDE
 sites, preventing the  use of these data in the embayment
 and Cambridge areas.

 Upper Chesapeake Bay

Water Temperature

Surface water temperatures were found to be nearly iden-
tical at adjacent nearshore and mid-channel stations, with
156
CSOSAV.12M

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                                                                   Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
Table VII-9.  Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for light attenuation—Choptank River
            Embayment Area.

                                                           Irish Creek    Chapel Creek     Foxhole Creek

                                                           NS(1986-89)    NS(1986-89)      NS(1986-89)

                                                           NS(1988-89)    NS(1988-89)      NS(1988-89)

                                                           NS(1987-89)    NS(1987-89)

                                                                           NS(1986-89)

MEE2.1
Buoy 12A
Cook's Cove
Irish Creek
Buoy 12A
NS(1988-89)
**##
****
****
Cook's Cove
NS(1987-89)
NS(1988-89)
****
#***
        Chapel Creek     ****

        NS = not significant (p>.05)
        ND = no data available
                   *#**
                                            ****
                                                               ****
                                                                               ****
           NS(1987-89)

           NS(1986-89)

           NS(1986-87,89)
Table VII-10.  Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for light attenuation-Choptank River
             Cambridge Area.

MET5.2
Buoy 25
Horn Point
Buoy 25
NS(1988)
p<.0001(1989)
*#**
****
Horn Point
NS(1987-89)
NS(1988-89)
****
Dickinson Bay
NS(1987-89)
p<.005(1986)
NS(1988)
p<.02(1989)
NS(1987-88)
p<.025(1989)
Bolingbroke O
NS(1987,89)
p<01(1986,88)
p<.01(1988-89)
NS(1987,89)
p<.03(1988)
         Dickinson Bay
                             **#*
         NS = not significant (p>.05)
         ND = no data available
                                               ****
                                                                     ****
                                              NS(1986-89)
 Table VIM 1. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for light attenuation—Choptank River
             Tuckahoe Area.
         MET5.1

         Gilpin Point
          NS = not significant (p>.05)
          ND = no data available
                                            Gilpin Point
NS(1986-88)
p<.025(1989)
   ****
Tuckahoe Creek

NS(1987-89)

NS(1987-89)
                                                                                                                157
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  SAV Technical Synthesis
  Table VII-12. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for total suspended solids—Choptank
              River Embayment Area.
                        Buoy 12A
Cook's Cove     Irish Creek     Chapel Creek    Foxhole Creek
MEE2.1
Buoy 12A
Cook's Cove
Irish Creek
Chapel Creek
p<006(1988-89)
****
****
****
****
NS(1987,89)
p<05(1988)
NS(1988-89)
****
****
**#*
NS(1986-88)
p<.01(1989)
NS(1989)
p<.015(1988)
NS(1987-89)
****
****
NS(1 986-87)
p<.03(1988-89)
NS(1988-89)
NS(1987-89)
NS(1986,87,89)
p<.015(1988)
****
NS(1986-89)
NS(1988-89)
NS(1987-89)
NS(1986-89)
NS(86,87,89)
NS = not significant (JB>.05)
ND = no data available
 Table V1I-13. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for total suspended solids—Choptank
             River Cambridge Area.
                          Buoy 25
 Horn Point
Dickinson Bay
Bolingbroke Creek
MET5.2
Buoy 25

Horn Point

Dickinson Bay

NS(1988)
p<0003(1989)
****

****

****

NS(1987-88)
p<01(1989)
NS(1988-89)

****

****

NS(1 988-89)
P<.05(1986-87)
NS(1988)
p<.025(1989)
NS(1987-88)
p<04(1989)
****

NS(1989)
p<.05(1986-88)
p<.014(1988-89)

NS(1987)
p<03(1988-89)
NS(1987-89)
p<.01(1986)
         NS s not significant (p>.05)
         ND = no data available
Table Vll-14. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for total suspended solids—Choptank
             River Tuckahoe Area.
        MET5.1


        Gilpin Point
Gilpin Point


NS(1987-89)
                                                                                   Tuckahoe Creek
                NS(1987-88)
                p<014(1989)

                NS(1987-89)
        NS s not significant (p>.05)
        ND = no data available
158
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                                                                   Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
Table VII-15. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for chlorophyll a—Choptank River
            Embayment Area.
                      Buoy 12A
              Cook's Cove
Irish Creek      Chapel Creek     Foxhole Creek
MEE2.1 NS(1988-89)
Buoy 12A ****
Cook's Cove ****
Irish Creek ****
Chapel Creek ****
NS = not significant (p>.05)
ND = no data available
NS(1989)
p<.0025(1987-88)
NS(1989)
p<015(1988)
#*#*
#***
****

NS(1986,89)
p<.025(1987-88)
NS(1989)
p<.05(1988)
NS(1987-89)
****
*#**

NS(1986,89)
p<.005(1987-88)
NS(1989)
p<.01(1988)
NS(1987-89)
NS(1986-89)
****

NS(1986,89)
p<.017(1987-88)
NS(1989)
p<.019(1988)
NS(1987-89)
NS(1986-89)
NS(1986-89)
p<.05(1988)

Table VII-16.  Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for chlorophyll a—Choptank River
             Cambridge Area.
                         Buoy 25
                  Horn Point
       Dickinson Bay
Bolingbroke Creek
         MET5.2

         Buoy 25

         Horn Point

         Dickinson Bay
NS(1988-89)
NS(1986,88,89)
p<.05(1987)
NS(1988-89)
****
**=f=*
NS(1986-89)

NS(1988-89)
NS(1986-89)
****
NS(1 986-89)

NS(1988-89)
NS(1986-89)
NS(1986-89)
         NS = not significant (p>.05)
         ND = no data available
 Table VII-17. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for chlorophyll a—Choptank River
             Tuckahoe Area.
         MET5.1
         Gilpin Point

         NS = not significant (p>.05)
         ND = no data available
                                            Gilpin Point
                   NS(1986,88,89)
                   p<.0001(1987)
                                               ****
                                                                                  Tuckahoe Creek
                       NS(1988-89)
                       p<.0001(1987)
                       NS(1987-89)
                                                                                                                159
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 SAV Technical Synthesis
 Table VIM8. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for dissolved inorganic nitrogen-
             Choptank River Embayment Area.
                       Buoy 12A
                 Cook's Cove     Irish Creek     Chapel Creek     Foxhole Creek
         MEE2.1      NS(1988-89)


         Buoy 12A       ****


         Cook's  Cove     ****


         Irish Creek       ****


         Chapel Creek     ****

         NS « not significant (p>.05)
         ND = no data available
                NS(1987-89)


                NS(1988-89)
                   #*#*
                   ****
NS(1987,89)    NS(1986-89)
p<.05(1986,88)

NS(1988-89)    NS(1988-89)


NS(1987-89)    NS(1987-89)


   ****         NS(1986-89)
                                     ****
                                                     ##*#
NSU987-88)
p<.05(1986,89)

NS(1988)
p<.05(1989)

NS(1987-89)
NS(1986-89)


NS(1986-89)
 Table VII-19. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for dissolved inorganic nitrogen-
             Choptank River Cambridge Area.
                         Buoy 25
                  Horn Point
      Dickinson Bay
                                                               Bolingbroke Creek
         MET5.2


         Buoy 25


         Horn Point
NS(1988-89)
   ****
   ****
        Dickinson Bay      ****

        NS * not significant (p>.05)
        ND = no data available
NSU987-88)
p<025(1989)
NS(1988-89)

****
NS(1989)
, p<05(1986-88)
NS(1988-89)

NS(1987,89)
p<05(1988)
NS(1986)
p<.05(1987-89)
NS(1988)
p<01(1989)
NS(1987,89)
p<.03(1988)
                                             ****
                                          ****
                                                               NS(1986-89)
Table Vll-20. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for dissolved inorganic nitrogen-
            Choptank River Tuckahoe Area.
        MET5.1
        Gilpin Point

        NS = not significant (p>.05)
        ND = no data available
                 Gilpin Point


                 NS(1987-89)
                     Tuckahoe Creek


                     NS(1987-89)


                     NS(1987-89)
160
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                                                                 Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
Table VII-21. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for dissolved inorganic phosphorus—
            Choptank River Embayment Area.
        Buoy 12A
        Cook's Cove
        Irish Creek
        Chapel Creek
Buoy 12A
   ****
   ****
   ****
   ****
Cook's Cove
NS(1988-89)
   ****
   ****
   ****
Irish Creek
NS(1988-89)
NS(1987-89)
   ****
   ****
Chapel Creek
NS(1988-89)
NS(1987-89)
NS(1986-89)
   ****
Foxhole Creek
NS(1988-89)
NS(1987-89)
NS(1986-89)
NS(1986-89)
        NS = not significant (p>.05)
        ND = no data available
Table VII-22. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for dissolved inorganic phosphorus—
            Choptank River Cambridge Area.
        Buoy 25
        Horn Point
        Dickinson Bay
  Buoy 25
      ****
      ****
  Horn Point
  NS(1988-89)
      ****
      ****
      Dickinson Bay
      NS(1988-89)
      NS(1987-89)
          ****
              Bolingbroke Creek
              NS(1988-89)
              NS(1987-89)
              NS(1988-89)
         NS = not significant (p>.05)
         ND = no data available
 Table VII-23. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for dissolved inorganic phosphorus—
             Choptank River Tuckahoe Area.
         MET5.1
         Gilpin Point
         NS = not significant (p>.05)
         ND = no data available
                     Gilpin Point
                     NS(1987-89)
                                              ****
                                         Tuckahoe Creek
                                         NS(1988-89)
                                         p<0.02 (1987)
                                         NS(1987-89)
                                                                                                              161
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 SAV Technical Synthesis
Table VII-24. Statistical comparisons of yearly growing season nearshore/mid-channel station data for the upper Chesapeake Bay.
Stations
Georgetown/MET3. 1
Piney (in)/Piney (out)
Elk (in)/Elk (out)
Elk (in)/MET2.3
Havre D/Susquehanna
Havre D/MCB1.1
Havre D/Fishing (out)
Havre D/Center Bay
Fishing (in)/Susquehanna
Fishing (in)/MCBl.l
Fishing (in)/Fishing (out)
Fishing (in)/Center Bay
NS = not significant fp>.05)
ND = no data available
** Susquchanna = Log Pond
** Havre D = Outfall
Year
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989
1988
1989


Kd
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS
NS


CHLA
ND
NS
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND


TSS
ND
NS
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND


DIN
ND
NS
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND


DIP
ND
NS
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND
ND


some variability most likely due to different sampling
times.

Salinity

Surface salinities were not available for the stations moni-
tored by HCC in the upper Chesapeake Bay. Based upon
existing segmentation schemes and the geographical prox-
imity of the nearshore/mid-channel station pairs, it was
assumed that the salinities between the nearshore/mid-
channel station pairs were similar.

Light Attenuation Coefficient

No significant differences in light attenuation coefficient
levels were detected between nearshore and mid-channel
stations in the upper Chesapeake Bay (Table VII-24).
Light levels were found to be nearly identical between
adjacent nearshore and mid-channel  stations in the two
years that data were available (Figures VII-48 through VII-
51). This result suggests that light  levels do not vary
significantly between nearshore and mid-channel sites in
the upper  Chesapeake Bay.

Total Suspended Solids

In the upper Chesapeake Bay, nearshore total suspended
solids data were collected for only one year at a single
location in the Sassafras River (Georgetown).  Compari-
sons between the nearshore station and an adjacent mid-
channel station revealed no significant differences in the
162

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                                                                 Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons
levels of total suspended solids between the two stations
(Figure VII-52 and Table VII-24).

Chlorophyll a

Nearshore chlorophyll a data for the upper Chesapeake
Bay were collected for only one year at a single location
in the Sassafras River (Georgetown). Comparisons be-
tween the nearshore station and an adjacent mid-channel
station revealed no statistically significant differences in
chlorophyll a levels between the two stations (Figure VII-
53 and Table VII-24).

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen data were only available for
one yearatonelocationinthenearshorestation (Georgetown)
due  to  analytical problems.   Comparisons between  the
nearshore and mid-channel stations located in the Sassa-
fras River revealed no significant difference in the levels
of dissolved inorganic nitrogen between the two stations
(Figure VII-54 and Table VII-24).

Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus

In the upper Bay, nearshore dissolved inorganic phospho-
rus data were only available for one year at one location
(Georgetown) because of analytical  problems.  Compari-
sons between the nearshore station and an adjacent mid-
channel station located  in  the Sassafras revealed  no
significant difference in the levels of dissolved inorganic
phosphorus between the two stations (Figure VII-55 and
Table VII-24).

Discussion	•

Light Attenuation Coefficient

Comparison of Secchi depths and photosynthetically ac-
tive radiation (PAR) attenuation using light sensors corre-
lated with recent research which indicated that measurements
 of transparency by Secchi disk are as accurate and precise
 as estimates of light attenuation calculated from light
 sensor readings in the sea (Megard and Berman 1989).
 Based upon these results, Secchi depth readings provided
 an acceptable substitute for light sensor readings in Chesa-
 peake Bay for the purposes of this application, as long as
 water depths exceeded Secchi depths.

 Overall, comparisons of mid-channel and nearshore light
 attenuation coefficients yielded the closest agreement of
 all variables examined (Figure VII-56).  Relative to  the
           Light Attenuation Coefficient
                - Sassafras River -
                                 1989
Figure VII-48. Comparison of 1988-1989 growing season median light
attenuation coefficientsfornearshore (•) and mid-channel (%) monitoring
stations in the Sassafras River.
           Light Attenuation Coefficient
               - Susquehanna  Flats -
                1988
                                        1989
Figure VII-49. Comparisons of 1988-1989 growing season median light
attenuation coefficients at nearshore (•) and mid-channel (
-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis
              Light Attenuation Coefficient
                    - Upper Elk River
                                                                           Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                                                                                 - Sassafras River
                                                                              r-0.25-
                      1988
1989
 Figure VH-51. Comparisons of 1988-1989 growing season median light
 attenuation coefficients at nearshore (•) and mid-channel (22) monitoring
 stations in the upper Elk River.
                Total Suspended Solids
                   - Sassafras River
                                                                                0.2-
                                           0.15-
                                            o.H
                                                                             > 0.05-
                                                                             o
                                                                                     Georgetown MET3.1

                                                              Figure Vll-54. Comparisons of 1989 growing season median dissolved
                                                              inorganic nitrogen concentrations for nearshore (•) and mid-channel
                                                              (ty monitoring stations in the Sassafras River.
                                                                        Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                                                                                 - Sassafras River
                    Georgetown  MET3.1
 Figure VII-52. Comparisons of 1989 growing season median total
 suspended solids concentrations for nearshore (•) and mid-channel
 (%) monitoring stations in the Sassafras River.
                                          0.008 •
                      Chlorophyll a
                   - Sassafras  River
             100-=
                                        » 0.007 H

                                        1 0.006 H
                                        Q.
                                        1 0.005-

                                        | 0.004-

                                        10.003-

                                        | 0.002H

                                        •g 0.001 H
                                                                           •2   n.
                                                                           a   u
                                                                                    Georgetown MET3.1
                                                              Figure VII-55. Comparisons of 1989 growing season median dissolved
                                                              inorganic phosphorus concentrations for nearshore (•) and mid-channel
                                                              (32) monitoring stations in the Sassafras River.
                  Georgetown  MET3.1
Figure VII-53. Comparisons of 1989 growing season median chlorophyll
a concentrations for nearshore (•) and mid-channel (22) monitoring
stations in the Sassafras River.
164
CSOSAV.12&

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                                                             Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons



                    Nearshore/Mid-Channel Light Attenuation Coefficient
                            01234567

                               Mid-Channel Light Attenuation Coefficient (m -1)





Figure VII-56. Comparisons of paired nearshore and mid-channel growing season median light attenuation coefficient data from the York River (O), upper

Potomac River (A), Choptank River (D), and upper Chesapeake Bay (O).
                        Nearshore/Mid-Channel Total Suspended Solids
                         50-
                       *§>



                       en 40-
                       TJ
                       •S 30H

                       g
                       Q.
                       (0
                       s>
                          10-
                       2
                       a
                       o>
                            0         10         20        30         40        50

                                  Mid-Channel Total Suspended Solids (mg/l)





 Figure VII-57. Comparisons of paired nearshore and mid-channel growing season median total suspended solids data from the York River (O),

 upper Potomac River (A), Choptank River (D), and upper Chesapeake Bay (O).
                                                                                                     165

                                                                                                 CSC.SAV.12/92

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 SAV Technical Synthesis
                                Nearshore/Mid-Channel Chlorophyll a
                                  10   20   30   40   50   60   70    80    90   100
                                        Mid-Channel Chlorophyll a (\ig/\)
 Figure VH-58. Comparisons of paired nearshore and mid-channel growing season median chlorophyll a data from the York River (O), upper Potomac
 River (A), Choptank River (D), and upper Chesapeake Bay (O),
                                 Nearshore/Mid-Channel Chlorophyll a
                                        Mid-Channel Chlorophyll a
Rgure VII-59. Comparisons of paired nearshore and mid-channel growing season median chlorophyll a data from the York River (O), upper Potomac
River (A), Choptank River (D), and upper Chesapeake Bay (O). Expanded scale from Figure VII-58.
166
CSCSAV.12/92

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                                                               Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons

                       Nearshore/Mid-Channel Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                               0            0.5           1           1.5           2
                                  Mid-Channel Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (mg/l)
Figure VII-60. Comparisons of paired nearshore and mid-channel growing season median dissolved inorganic nitrogen data from the York River (O),
upper Potomac River (A), Choptank River (a), and upper Chesapeake Bay (O).
light attenuation coefficient SAV habitat requirement for
one meter restoration, data from adjacent nearshore and
mid-channel stations yielded identical classifications of
meeting/not meeting the habitat requirements 87.5% of the
time (Table VII-25).   As with total suspended solids,
considerable  variability over the  growing season  was
observed in the discrete measures of light attenuation
reported here.   This  is not  surprising  considering the
number of factors, both physical and biological, that can
influence the concentration of particles in the water column
and, therefore, the attenuation of light. However, given the
constraints of the  sampling it appears that mid-channel
Secchi depth observations provide  an adequate model of
nearshore conditions when measured over a seasonal time
frame.

Total Suspended Solids

Total suspended solids were characterized by considerable
variability within the growing season in both the nearshore
and mid-channel areas. Because of the high variability and
small sample populations, differences between sites may
have been difficult to detect. Relative  to the total  sus-
pended solids SAV habitat requirements for one meter
restoration, data from adjacent nearshore  and mid-channel
stations yielded identical classifications 65.7% of the time
(Table VII-25). Overall, no strong bias between nearshore
and mid-channel sites was observed (Figure VII-57). Where
statistically significant differences were found they gen-
erally indicated higher levels in nearshore locations. This
suggests possible inputs due to run-off or resuspension due
to wave action in certain shallow areas.  Some occurrences
of higher nearshore total suspended solids  levels in the
Potomac may have been due to increased organic particu-
late matter such as phytoplankton (see chlorophyll a sec-
tion below).  Particulates contribute to total suspended
solids and have the ability to attenuate sunlight before it
reaches SAV.

Chlorophyll a

Differences in chlorophyll a concentrations between mid-
channel  and nearshore sites were most pronounced in
embayments and coves of the Potomac River (Figures VII-
58 and VII-59). It is possible that differing residence times
or entrapment of wind-blown surface  films may play an
important role in causing differences in phytoplankton
biomass between mid-channel and nearshore sites in these
areas.

In most of the sites studied, chlorophyll a levels were
comparable between nearshore and mid-channel sites (Fig-
ures VII-58 and VII-59). Relative to the chlorophyll a SAV
habitat requirements for one meter restoration, data from
adjacent nearshore and mid-channel stations yielded iden-
tical classifications 81.2% of the time  (Table  VII-25).
                                                                                                         167
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-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis
 Therefore, mid-channel monitoring appears to provide a
 suitable measure of chlorophyll a in nearshore environ-
 ments under most circumstances. However, phytoplank-
 ton generally has patchy distributions. This natural variability
 can cause differences between nearshore and mid-channel
 sites as well as between different nearshore sites.

 Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen

 The general lackofsignificantdifferences observed among
 the paired stations for dissolved inorganic nitrogen in this
 study suggests that mid-channel monitoring may be useful
 for assessing the levels in the nearshore where the data are
 summarized over growing seasons (Figures VII-60 and
 VII-61). Relative to the dissolved inorganic nitrogen SAV
 habitat requirements for one meter restoration, data from
 adjacent nearshore and mid-channel stations yielded iden-
 tical classifications 82.8% of the time (Table VII-25). The
 fact that there were few significant differences in the paired
 data sets, however, does not necessarily demonstrate that
 dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels in mid-channel and
 nearshore regions are generally the same.

 Over the SAV growing season, dissolved inorganic nitro-
 gen levels typically range from very high in spring to very
 low at the end of summer, especially in mesohaline areas.
 This wide range contributes to low power in the statistical
 tests, making differences between sites difficult to identify
 with a seasonal aggregation of data. This large range of
 dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels during the  growing
 season likewise contributes to uncertainty  in the habitat
                                                requirements themselves. Localized differences were found
                                                at several locations, including the embayment and Cam-
                                                bridge areas on the Choptank River.  These differences
                                                may reflect point source  inputs of dissolved  inorganic
                                                nitrogen.

                                                Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus

                                                The comparison of dissolved inorganic phosphorus levels
                                                in mid-channel and nearshore areas was limited in several
                                                regions by problems with high detection limits for the mid-
                                                channel data.  Where this  was not a problem, the  results
                                                suggest that levels in mid-channel and nearshore areas are
                                                comparable with few statistically significant differences or
                                                consistent biases (Figure VII-62).  Relative to the dissolved
                                                inorganic phosphorus SAV habitat requirements for one
                                                meter restoration, data from adjacent nearshore and mid-
                                                channel stations yielded identical classifications 75% of
                                                the  time (Table VII-25).

                                                Other Reported Results

                                                Results from a statistical comparison of mainstem near-
                                                shore and mid-channel water quality data are summarized
                                                here (Chesapeake Bay Program 1992) to demonstrate that
                                                the findings from the tributary study areas presented in this
                                                report can be applied to monitoring data from the mainstem
                                                Bay.  These mainstem nearshore/mid-channel  compari-
                                                sons used the same exploratory data analysis and statistical
                                                analysis techniques employed by Bieber and Moore in the
                                                tributary studies reported in this chapter.
 Table VII-25. Classification rate of mid-channel relative to nearshore stations using SAV habitat requirements for one meter restoration.
                                          Low

         Light attenuation coefficient    3   (7.5%)

         Total suspended solids        10  (28.6%)

         Chlorophyll a                 3   (9.4%)

         Dissolved inorganic nitrogen    0     (0%)

         Dissolved inorganic phosphorus 4  (16.7%)

         TOTAL
                             20  (12.2%)
     Same

 35  (87.5%)

 23  (65.7%)

 26  (81.2%)

 24  (82.8%)

 18  (75.0%)

126  (77.3%)
    High

 2    (5%)

 2  (5.7%)

 3  (9.4%)

 5 (17.2%)

 2  (8.3%)

17 (10.4%)
    Total

 40 (100%)

 35 (100%)

 32 (100%)

 29 (100%)

 24 (100%)

163 (100%)
         Low
        Nearshore does not meet habitat requirements for one meter restoration; mid-channel meets habitat requirements for one
        meter restoration.
Same =  Both nearshore and mid-channel do or do not meet habitat requirements for one meter restoration.
High —  Nearshore meets habitat requirements for one meter restoration; mid-channel does not meet habitat requirements for one
        meter restoration.
168
CSOSAV.12&2

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                                                              Nearshore and Mid-channel Water Quality Comparisons



                    Nearshore/Mid-Channel Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen
                       0)0.8-
                       2
                       .*;
                         0.6-
                       co

                       2»
                       o
                       g> 0.4-
                       W

                       5

                       S>
                       o


                       I
                       co
                       Q>
0.2-
                     on
                            0         0.2        0.4         0.6        0.8         1

                               Mid-Channel Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (mg/l)
Figure VII-61. Comparisons of paired nearshore and mid-channel growing season median dissolved inorganic nitrogen data from the York River (O),

upper Potomac River (A), Choptank River (n), and upper Chesapeake Bay (O). Expanded scale from Figure VII-60.
                  Nearshore/Mid-Channel Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus
                        0.08-
                     (0
                     3


                     O


                     •§.  0.06-




                     1

                     Q.

                     0
                        0.04 -I
                     o
                    1
                        0.02H

                     2
                     o


                     1
                                         o
         o
                            0           0.02          0.04          0.06          0.08


                              Mid-Channel Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus (mg/l)



Figure Vli-62. Comparisons of paired nearshore and mid-channel growing season median dissolved inorganic phosphorus data from the York River (O),

upper Potomac River (A), Choptank River (n), and upper Chesapeake Bay (O).




                                                                                                       169

                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis

Comparisons used April-October seasonal medians from
the surface layer for all five SAV habitat requirements
(Secchi depth as a substitute for light attenuation coeffi-
cient, total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, dissolved in-
organic nitrogen, and dissolved inorganic phosphorus).
The nearshore and mid-channel data compared were from
seven east-west monitoring station transects located in the
middle Chesapeake Bay. There were no statistically sig-
nificant differences between mid-channel and eastern sta-
tions for any of the listed parameters in any transects. For
the mid-channel and western station comparisons, there
were statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) for four
of these five parameters (all but dissolved inorganic nitro-
gen) in three of the six transects studied (CB4.1 through
CB4.3).

The results still support using mid-channel data to charac-
terize water quality in nearshore habitats for two reasons.
First, the  western stations  in two of the three  transects
involved (CB4.2W and CB4.3E) do not characterize po-
tential SAV habitat (Appendix A, Tables A-l and A-2).
Most of the potential SAV  habitat in this area of the Bay
is on the Eastern Shore.  Second, the difference between
seasonal median values at the western and central stations
were small in all three transects.  For all four parameters,
the median difference over six years between west and
center April-October medians was near the analytical pre-
cision for that parameter: dissolved inorganic phosphorus
= 0.0012-0.0014 mg/1, chlorophyll a = 2.4-3.3 ug/1, total
suspended solids = 1.3-1.8  mg/1, and Secchi depth = 0.2-
0.5 m.

Findings	

Results from this study indicate that data collected in the
mid-channel of Chesapeake Bay tributaries may be suc-
cessfully used to characterize seasonal levels of the inves-
tigated water quality variables in adjacent nearshore areas.
Statistically significant differences do exist in some cases
between the nearshore and mid-channel  stations, but in
most instances, consistent biases over the different years
and sites were not evident. Where data were available for
several nearshore sites in a particular region, the variability
among these sites was comparable to the variability be-
tween the nearshore and mid-channel sites.  Where data
were not subject to error induced by different sampling
times and analytical methods, few significant differences
were found.

While the results of this study do support the use of mid-
channel data to characterize nearshore areas over seasonal
time frames, they are  not meant to imply a predictive
relationship between nearshore and midichannel observa-
tions. Rather, it is proposed that seasonal  aggregations of
mid-channel water quality data can provide reliable  esti-
mates of nearshore  water quality conditions, at least for
those variables presented here (light attenuation coeffi-
cient, total suspended solids, chlorophyll  a, dissolved in-
organic nitrogen, and dissolved inorganic  phosphorus).
Although nearshore observations of the investigated water
quality variables do tend to correspond closely to obser-
vations in adjacent mid-channel areas, no  predictive rela-
tionships were investigated.

This study has answered many of the questions about the
comparability of nearshore and mid-channel water quality
as they relate to SAV growth requirements. Additional
analyses would be required to assess the ability of mid-
channel data to characterize nearshore locations for other
variables and/or different time and space scales. If the need
for these comparisons is great in the future, then it may be
desirable to initiate specific  studies that are designed to
better control sources of variability that were encountered
in this study.
170

-------
Chapter VHI
Future Needs
         he submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat
         requirements presented in this report were gener-
         ated from a variety of studies by different inves-
tigators. They represent minimal water quality conditions
that simply support SAV  survival, and do not provide
criteria for species diversity, biomass, or functional value.
As such, the habitat requirements could be further devel-
oped to incorporate these other aspects of SAV distribution.
Future research could also: a) define the time scales of SAV
responses; b) further quantify the components of light
attenuation; and, c) employ SAV transplants to further test
SAV survival/light attenuation/water depth relationships.

Future research efforts to specifically address water quality
effects on SAV should include laboratory, mesocosm, field
and modeling efforts, and a coordination of the research
efforts to insure consistency of sampling design, analytical
methodology, and data analyses.  While the empirical
results used here are good predictors of SAV survival in
Chesapeake Bay, it is unknown how effective they may be
in other coastal bays.  It would be of interest to test the
Chesapeake Bay SAV habitat requirements in other sys-
tems with the goal of developing more generic SAV habitat
requirements that could be used in other locations. Both the
actual habitat requirements and the habitat requirement
approach can be used in this context as models for future
studies.

The use of SAV distributions as integrating "light meters"
over the appropriate temporal and spatial scales could be
further refined. The lag time, or delay in SAV response, to
changes in ambient light regimes needs to be established in
order to better interpret SAV distributional data with regard
to water quality. An ongoing SAV trends analysis will
address the time lag between water quality improvements
and SAV resurgences in some areas of the Bay. Some SAV
species can withstand relatively long periods of low light
availability before exhibiting a growth or survival response,
so a time scale of  SAV response would be helpful in
applying habitat requirements. In addition, the rates of
colonization of SAV into unvegetated areas need  to be
quantified so that SAV resurgences can be predicted from
proposed water quality improvements.  A model of SAV
growth  that incorporates seasonal growth responses to
changes in light attenuation would be useful in this context.
Since the timing and duration of low light events (e.g.,
resuspension, high runoff periods) will affect SAV re-
sponses, an understanding of seasonal dynamics of growth
and light response would aid in developing management
strategies.

A more complete knowledge of the sources and causes of
the various light attenuation components  would help in
developing management strategies for reducing light at-
tenuation in Chesapeake Bay. The epiphyte component of
light attenuation needs further research attention, particu-
larly with regard to nutrient enrichments.  The empirical
connection between dissolved water column nutrients (dis-
solved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic phos-
phorus) and SAV survival needs to be more fully explored.
Epiphytes do not have the constant light absorption charac-
teristics due to differences  in  species composition and
epiphyte trapping of fine-grained inorganic material. Thus,
the light attenuation characteristics, rather than just epi-
phyte biomass, need to be quantified as a function of
nutrient conditions. The interaction of epiphytes and phy-
toplankton, both of which respond to water column nutrient
availability, also requires research attention.  In addition,
the interaction of the organic component of light absorption
(principally epiphytes and phytoplankton) with the inor-
ganic component is important in determining SAV re-
sponses.

For application of SAV habitat requirements in a manage-
ment context, the standing stock measurements of nutrients
(dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved inorganic phos-
phorus), total suspended solids and chlorophyll a need to be
translated into human activities  that affect loading rates of
sediments and nutrients. Further development of the habitat
requirements approach could address the issue of loading
rates. This could begin to be addressed by considering the
total nutrient amounts, not just dissolved inorganic nutrient
concentrations.

Chesapeake Bay is unique in the wealth of SAV distribu-
tional data available, and continued bay'wide surveys are
necessary in order to assess SAV responses to improve-
ments in water quality. Both remote sensing techniques and
ground-truthing are  required for  accurate surveys.  Im-
provements in techniques that  are forthcoming with the
recent technological advances in  geographic information
systems will need to be integrated with current techniques
                                                171
                                           CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

inamannerthatinsures consistency. Baywide water quality
monitoring also  needs  to be continued to  assess SAV
responses to changes in water quality with a particular
emphasis on maintaining appropriate lower detection limits
for the dissolved nutrient parameters.  The ongoing Chesa-
peake Bay Monitoring Program, which focuses on the mid-
channel portions of the Bay mainstem and tidal tributaries,
needs to be supplemented with a sampling program in the
shallows where SAV grow to ensure that mid-channel data
continues to adequately characterize shallow habitats.
The use of experimental SAV transplants has been valuable
for distinguishing water quality impacts from availability of
propagules for establishment of SAV. Further use of this
approach could establish the validity of the habitat require-
ments in a variety of locations throughout Chesapeake Bay.
In particular, transplants  of various SAV species  along
well-defined depth gradients would help to further quantify
any differences in light attenuation characteristics that may
exist between different SAV species with  different growth
morphologies (e.g., canopy-forming versus meadow-form-
ing SAV) or different physiological tolerances to low light
conditions.
The empirical approach used to develop SAV habitat re-
quirements allows for predictive capacity without detailed
quantification of the precise nature of SAV/water quality
interactions. Since SAV in Chesapeake Bay is less than
10% of the Tier III SAV distribution restoration target and
less than 53%  of the Tier I SAV distribution restoration
target,  there is  a need to provide water quality guidelines
before  a more complete understanding of the complex
ecological interactions is reached. Notwithstanding future
research efforts to better quantify the individual SAV water
quality parameter  interactions accounted for by the SAV
habitat requirements, the SAV habitat requirements devel-
oped through this  synthesis can, at this time, be directly
integrated into and applied within ongoing Bay restoration
management programs.

Finally, we need to maintain continuous interactions and
feedback between  the researchers who continue to investi-
gate SAV/water quality interactions and the managers who
are responsible for ultimate protection, restoration, and
enhancement of living resources.  Continued research and
monitoring of water quality and SAV, coupled with man-
agement towards specific restoration targets, is paramount
if these resources are to be part of our future.
172
CSftSAV.tZ.'K

-------
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-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

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-------
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'                                                                                                     185
                                                                                                 CSC.SAV.12B2

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Wetzel, R.L. and P.A. Penhale. 1983. Production ecology of seagrass communities in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Mar.
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186

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                                                                                               Appendix A - Table A-2
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                                                                                                                  Appendix A - Table A-2
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-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis
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-------
Appendix  B—Table  1
Table B-1.  Summary of analytical methods used in the sample analysis of data presented in the upper Potomac River case
study and the nearshore/midchannel chapter.
All samples preserved by chilling; USGS nutrient samples were also preserved with mercuric chloride beginning in
October 1980.  MWCOG is the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Potomac Database;  WATSTORE
is the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System; CBP code is the Chesapeake Bay
Program Code; EPA is the U.S. EPA manual of methods, EPA-600/4-79-020; WY is water year (October through
September); USGS is U.S.  Geological Survey;  USGSL is U.S. Geological Survey Atlanta Laboratory; USGSR is
U.S.G.S. office in Reston, VA; DCRA is District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs; CRL
is U.S. EPA Central Regional Laboratory; MDE is Maryland Department of the Environment; MDHMH is Maryland
Department of Health  and Mental Hygiene Laboratory; VSWCB  is Virginia State Water Control Board;  and, DCLS is
Virginia Division of Consolidated Laboratories.
                                     DISSOLVED AMMONIA (mg/1)
                    MWCOG code = NH3_N, WATSTORE code = 00608, CBP code = NH4
                  Agency
      Method
   Comments
               USGS/USGSL
            (WY 1979-1981, 1983)
                 DCRA/CRL
                 (1983-1989)
Skougstad et al, 1979;
1-2523-78 Colorimetric,
Indophenol, Automated
(Detection limit-0.01).

EPA, 1983; #350.1-1-6
Colorimetric, Automated
Phenate, AAII
(Detection limit-0.04).
Filtered in the field.

0.45 micron filter.
Filtered in the lab.
Preserved with sulfuric
acid.
                                                                                                   B-1
                                                                                               CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
                                         TOTAL AMMONIA (mg/1)
                   MWCOG code = NH3_N, WATSTORE code = 00610, CBP code = NH4W
                   Agency
          Method
   Comments
                USGS/USGSL
               (WY 1979-1981)
                 (not in 1983)
Skougstadetal, 1979; 1-4523-78
(Detection limit-0.01).
Unfiltered.
                MDE/MDHMH
                  (1983-1989)
                VSWCB/DCLS
                  (1983-1989)
Am. Pub. Health Assoc., 1985;
#417G, Automated Phenate, AAII
(Detection limit-0.008 6/1/1986-1988;
detection limit - 0.02 198J
5/31/1986).
EPA, 1979; #350.1-4-4
Colorimetric, Automated Phenate
Technicon Auto Analyzer I
(Detection limit - 0.1).
Unfiltered.
Samples with possible
pH interferences are not
adjusted before analysis.

Unfiltered.
Note: Ammonia nitrogen—USGS method 1-2523, EPA 350.1, and Standard Methods #417G are similar. The 0-5 mg/1
range used by the USGS is wider than the 0-2 mg/1 for EPA and Standard Methods.  This will probably result in
more scatter at lower concentrations.
B-2
CSOSAV.12/92

-------
                                                                                       Appendix B - Table B-1

                                     NITRITE PLUS NITRATE (mg/1)
MWCOG stored NO2_N and NO3_N separately in the computer.  For this parameter, NO3_N was added to NO2_N.
WATSTORE code = 00631 (filtered) which was used if available.  If not available, this parameter was calculated by
adding 00613 (NO2_N) plus 00618 (NO3_N) (both filtered).  CBP code = NO23.
                  Agency
        Method
  Comments
               USGS/USGSL
               (WY 1979-1981,
                    1983)
NO23_N—Skougstad era/., 1979;
1-2545-78, Colorimetric, Cd
Reduction, Automated
(Detection limit-0.01).
Filtered in the field.
               USGS/USGSL
               (WY 1979-1981,
                    1983)
NO2_N—Skougstad et al, 1979;
1-2540-78, Colorimetric,
Diazotization,
Automated, 1981 (00613)
(Detection limit - .01).
Filtered in the field.
               USGS/USGSL
                 (WY 1983)
NO3_N—Skougstad etal, 1979;
Ion Chromatography
(Detection limit - 0.01).
Filtered in the field.
                DCRA/CRL
                (1983-1989)
EPA, 1983; #353.2-1-7
Colorimetric,
Automated AAII
(Detection limit-0.05).
Filtered in the lab.
Preserved in the field
with sulfuric acid.
               MDE/MDHMH
                (1983-1989)
Am. Pub. Health Assoc., 1985;
#418F, pp.400-402, Colorimetric,
Automated, Technicon
Auto Analyzer
(Detection limit-0.02 for NO_3 and
.002forNO_2).
Unfiltered.
               VSWCB/DCLS
                 (1983-1989)
EPA, 1979; #353.2-1-7
Technicon Auto
Analyzer I
(Detection limit - 0.05).
Unfiltered.
Note: Nitrate is highly soluble, therefore, total and dissolved were considered to be equal; Nitrite nitrogen—USGS
method 1-2540 and EPA method 353.2 are similar in principle. It is not clearly stated in the EPA procedure what
analytical range is recommended although it appears to be 0-10 mg/1.  If this range is used, severe deterioration would
occur for most nitrite values since they are typically low.  The USGS range is 0-1.0 mg/1. Nitrate nitrogen—USGS
method 1-2545, EPA 353.2, and Standard Methods 418F are similar in principle and analytical ranges.
                                                                                                       B-3
                                                                                                   CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
                                 TOTAL KJELDAHL NITROGEN (mg/1)
                    MWCOG code = TKN, WATSTORE code = 00625, CBP code = TKNW
                Agency
          Method
Comments
           USGS/USGSL
          (WY1979-1981,
               1983)
            DCRA/CRL
            (1983-1987)
Skougstad et al, 1979;                Unfiltered.
1-4552-78, Block Digestion and
Colorimetric, Automated
(Detection limit-0.01).

EPA, 1983; #351.2                  Unfiltered.
Colorimetric, Semi-automated
Block Digestion AAII
(Detection limit-0.1).
           MDE/MDHMH
            (1983-1989)
           VSWCB/DCLS
            0983-1989)
EPA, 1979; #351.2
Colorimetric, Semi-automated
Block Digestion, Technicon
Technicon Auto Analyzer
(Detection limit-0.1).

EPA, 1979; #351.2-1-5
Colorimetric, Semi-automated
Block Digestion AAH
(Detection limit - 0.1).
Unfiltered.
Unfiltered.
Note: Kjeldahl nitrogen—USGS method 1-2552 and EPA method 351.2 are similar and should produce equivalent
results; however, the analytical range (0-20 mg/1) is somewhat wider than the USGS (0-10 mg/1).  This may cause
more scatter at lower concentrations.
                                       TOTAL NITROGEN (mg/1)
                       MWCOG code = calculated by adding TKN plus NO2 plus NO3,
             WATSTORE code = calculated by adding 00625 to nitrite plus nitrate, CBP code = TN
                       Agency
                 Method
       Comments
                  USGS/USGSL
                  (WY 1979-1981,
                      1983)

                   DCRA/CRL
                    (1983-1987)

                  MDE/MDHMH
                    0983-1989)

                  VSWCB/DCLS
                    (1983-1989)
       See Total Kjeldahl and Total
       Nitrite plus Nitrate.
       See Total Kjeldahl and Dissolved
       Nitrite plus Nitrate.

       See Total Kjeldahl and Total
       Nitrite plus Nitrate.

       See Total Kjeldahl and Total
       Nitrite plus Nitrate.
B-4
CSCSAV.12/92

-------
                                                                                      Appendix B-TabteB-1
                                   TOTAL ORGANIC NITROGEN (mg/1)
                         MWCOG code = calculated by subtracting NH3_N from TKN,
               WATSTORE code = calculated by subtracting 00610 from 00625, CBP code = TON
Agency
USGS/USGSL
MDE/MDHMH
VSWCB/DCLS
Method
See Total Ammonia and Total Kjeldahl
See Total Ammonia and Total Kjeldahl
See Total Ammonia and Total Kjeldahl
Comments

                                      TOTAL PHOSPHORUS (mg/1)
                       MWCOG code = TP, WATSTORE code = 00665, CBP code = TP
                Agency
          Method
Comments
           USGS/USGSL
           (WY1979-1981,
               1983)
            DCRA/CRL
             (1983-1987)
           MDE/MDHMH
             (1983-1989)
           VSWCB/DCLS
             (1983-1989)
Skougstad etal, 1979;
1-4600-78
Colorimetric, Phosphomolybdate,
Automated
(Detection limit-0.001).

EPA, 1983; #365.1-1-9
Colorimetric, Automated,
Ascorbic Acid, AAII
(Detection limit - 0.01).

EPA, 1979; #365.4-1-3
Semi-automated Block
Digestion, Colorimetric,
Ascorbic Acid Reduction,
Technicon Auto Analyzer
(Detection limit - 0.01).

EPA, 1979; #365.4-1-3
Colorimetric, Automated,
Block Digestion AAII
(Detection limit - 0.1).
   Unfiltered.
  Unffltered.
  Unfiltered.
  Unfiltered.
Note: EPA methods 365.1 and 365.4 use different digestion procedures and the analytical range is much greater (0-
20 mg/1 vs 0-2 mg/1) than the USGS.  The different digestion technique may or may not result in different values;
however, the wide analytical range will certainly cause a deterioration in analytical results at lower concentrations.
                                                                                                     B-5
                                                                                                CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
                                DISSOLVED ORTHOPHOSPHATE (mg/1)
                     MWCOG code = OP, WATSTORE code = 00671, CBP code = P04F
                       Agency
               Method
                                                                               Comments
                  USGS/USGSL
                      0983)
                   DCRA/CRL
                    (1983-1988)
                  MDE/MDHMH
                    0983-1989)
   Skougstad etal, 1979;
   1-2601-78
   Colorimetric, Phosphomolybdate,
   Automated
   ^election limit -.001).

   EPA, 1979; #365.1-1-9
   Colorimetric, Ascorbic
   Acid, AAH
   0>ection limit - 0.007).

   EPA, 1979; #365.1
   Changed by 1985 to:
   Am. Pub. Health Assoc., 1985;
   #424G, p. 450-453.
   Automated, Colorimetric Ascorbic
   Acid Reduction, Technicon Auto
   Analyzer
   ODetection limit - 0.004 6M986-1988;
   detection limit - 0.011983-5/31/1986).
                                                                             Filtered.
          Filtered in the lab.
          Preserved with sulfuric
          acid.
                                                                             Unfiltered.
                  VSWCB/DCLS
                    0983-1989)
    EPA, 1979; #365.1-1-9
    Technician Auto Analyzer I
    ODetection limit - 0.01).
          Unfiltered.
Note: Orthophosphate—USGS method 1-2601 and EPA method 365.1 are similar. The EPA method #365.1 (analytical
range 0.01-1 mg/1) is better at lower concentrations than #424G (analytical range .001-10 mg/1).
                                 TOTAL SOLUBLE PHOSPHORUS (mg/1)
                      MWCOG code = TSP, WATSTORE code = 00666, CBP code = TOP
                Agency
       Method
Comments
           USGS/USGSL
             (WY1979,
             1980,1981,
               1983)

            DCRA/CRL
            0983-1987)
Skougstad et al, 1979; 1-2600-78     Filtered.
Detection limit - 0.001).
EPA, 1979; #365.1-1-9              Filtered.
Colorimetric, Automated,
Ascorbic Acid.
 B-6
 CSftSAV.iaSZ

-------
                                                                                       Appendix B - Table B-1
                                    TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS (mg/1)
                               MWCOG code = TSS, WATSTORE code = 80154
                  Agency
         Method
     Comments
             USGS/USGSL
             (WY1979-1981
                  1983)
               DCRA/CRL
               (1983-1988)
             MDE/MDHMH
               (1983-1989)
             VSWCB/DCLS
              (1983-1990)
Skougstad et al, 1979; 1-3765-78
Residue dried at 105>C.
Dried overnight
(Detection limit - 1.0).

Am. Publ. Health Assoc., 1985;
Residue dried at 103-lOyC
(Detection limit - 4.0).

Am. Publ. Health Assoc., 1985;
#209C
Residue dried at 103-105)C
for 75-90 minutes
(Detection limit -1.0,1983-88;
detection  limit - 0.8,1989).

Fishman and Friedman, 1989;
1-3765-85.
Sample is filtered through
a glass fiber filter.
A well-mixed sample is filtered
through Whatman 934-AH glass
micro-fiber filter. Sample
amount is subjective to amount
of solid in sample.
Note: Total suspended solids—The Standard Methods 208D or 209C-D and the USGS procedure (1-3765) are
basically the same except for the drying times.  The Standard Methods call for about an hour of drying time while the
USGS procedure recommends drying overnight.  Although the differences between results will probably be small, the
USGS method may produce lower and more accurate results.
                                                                                                      B-7
                                                                                                  CSC.SAV.1S52

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis
                                 CORRECTED CHLOROPHYLL a  (pg/1)
                         MWCOG code = CHLAM, WATSTORE code = 32211, 32209
                 Agency
           Method
                                                                             Comments
           USGS/USGSR
           (WY1979-1981,
                1983)
             DCRA/CRL
             0983-1988)
            MDE/MDHMH
             (1983-1989)
               VSWCB
             (1983-1990)
Fluorometric method (Blanchardef
al, 1982)
(Spectrophotometric method until
the first week of the 1980 WY;
detection limit - 0.2).

Am. Pub. Health Assoc., 1985;
D3731-79, pp. 1079-1083
(Detection limit -1.0).

Am. Pub. Health Assoc., 1985;
1002G-1 Spectrophotometric method
pp. 1067-1070 (Beckman DU-6)
(Detection limit - unavailable).

EPA, 1973; (Monochromatic)
pp. 14-16;
Jeffrey and Humphrey, 1975;
(Trichromatic)
(Detection limit - unavailable).
30-40 mis filtered through
glass fibre filter.
Filter preserved in 90%
acetone, chilled, and kept dark.
In the absence of pheophytin,
the trichromatic practice is
used.

Millipore vacuum
filtration system.
Measured in mg/1, pheophytin
measured at 665 nm after
acidification.
Trichromatic equation: Chla -
11.85 (OD664) -1.54 (OD647) •
0.08 (OD630).
Note:  Chlorophyll a—the trichromatic method (D 3731-79), the Spectrophotometric methods (1002G-1), and the
fluorometric method (USGS B6630) use different analytical approaches. There may not be good agreement between
laboratories since this determination is quite technique dependent.
 B-8
 CSOSAV.12S2

-------
                                                                      Appendix B - Table B-1
                 DISSOLVED INORGANIC PHOSPHORUS (mg/1)
        MWCOG code = OP, WATSTORE code = 00666, CBP code = TOP, P04F
      Agency
          Method
Comments
 USGS/USGSL
 (WY1980-1981)

  DCECD/CRL
  (1983 -1988)
See Total Soluble Phosphorus
See Dissolved Orthophosphate
 MDE/MDHMH
  (1983-1989)
See Dissolved Orthophosphate
                   DISSOLVED INORGANIC NITROGEN (mg/1)
 MWCOG code = NH3_N plus NO2_N plus NO3_N, WATSTORE code = 00608 plus 00631
        or 00608 plus 00618, CBP code = NH4 plus NO23 or NH4W plus NO23
      Agency
          Method
Comments
 USGS/USGSL
(WY 1980,1981)

 DCECD/CRL
  (1983-1988)

 MDE/MDHMH
  (1983-1989)
See Dissolved Ammonia and Nitrite
plus Nitrate

See Dissolved Ammonia and Nitrite
plus Nitrate

See Total Ammonia and Nitrite plus
Nitrate
                                                                                     B-9
                                                                                CSC.SAV.12/92

-------

-------
Appendix  C — Table  1
Table C-1.  References documenting historical and present Chesapeake Bay SAV species distribution by Chesapeake Bay
          Program Segment.
Segment CB1 — Northern Chesapeake Bay
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum



    Cham sp.


    Elodea canadensis



    Heteranthera dubia

    Hydrilla verticillata

    Myriophyllum spicatum
   Najas sp.



   Najas flexilis

   Najas gracillima

   Najas guadalupensis


   Najas minor

   Potamogeton amplifolius

   Potamogeton gramineus
Reference

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak,  1990.

Bayley et al., in press; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Bayley et al., in press; Kerwin et al., 1975a;
Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and
Confer, 1978; Davis, 1985.

Orth et al., 1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Orth et al, 1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Bayley et al., in press; Kerwin et al., 1975a;
Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and
Confer, 1978; Davis, 1985; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak,  1990.

Bayley et al., in press; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Davis, 1985.

Davis, 1985.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Davis, 1985; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Davis, 1985.

Springer et al., 1958; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Springer et al., 1958; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
                                                                                                 C-1
                                                                                            CSOSAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment CB1 — Northern Chesapeake Bay (Continued)
    Species

    Potamogeton nodosus

    Potamogeton diversifolius

    Potamogeton epihydrus

    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Potamogeton perfoliatus


    Vallisneria americana
    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Springer et al., 1958; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Davis, 1985; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Davis, 1985; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Bayley et al., in press; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth et al., 1986;
Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Bayley et al., in press; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Bayley et al., in press; Kerwin et al., 1975a;
Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and
Confer, 1978; Davis, 1985; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.
Segment CB2 — Upper Chesapeake Bay
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum


    Chara sp.

    Elodea canadensis

    Heteranthera dubia

    Hydrilla vericillata

    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis

    Potamogeton crispus

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Potamogeton perfoliatus
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al.,  1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro 1976a; Munro 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer,  1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.
 C-2
 CS&&W.12B2

-------
                                                                                    Appendix C - Table G-1
Segment CB2 — Upper Chesapeake Bay (Continued)
    Species

    Ruppia maritima

    Vallisneria americana
    Zannichellia palustris
 Reference

 Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Kerwin et al.,  1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
 Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
 Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
 Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment CBS — Upper Central Chesapeake Bay
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Chara sp.


    Elodea canadensis



    Hydrilla verticillata

    Myriophyllum spicatum
   Najas sp.


   Najas guadalupensis


   Potamogeton crispus

   Potamogeton pectinatus
   Potamogeton perfoliatus
 Reference

 Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
 Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
 Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
 Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
 Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
 Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
 Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
 Stotts, I960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
 Aerial Survey Database 1987.

 Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin  et al., 1975b; Munro 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
 Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
 Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
 Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin  et al., 1975b; Munro 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970;  Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
                                                                                                  C-3
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment CBS — Upper Central Chesapeake Bay (Continued)
    Species

    Ruppia maritima
    Vallisneria americana
    Zannichellia palustris
    Zostera marina
Reference

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database
1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
Segment CB4 — Middle Central Chesapeake Bay
    Species

    Ceratopyllum demersum

    Elodea canadensis

    Myriophyllmn spicatum

    Potamogeton pectinatus



    Potamogeton perfoliatus



    Ruppia maritima
     Vallisneria americana

     Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b;  Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al,  1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.
 C-4
 CSC.SAV.12.-72

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment CB4 — Middle Central Chesapeake Bay (Continued)
    Species

    Zostera marina
Reference

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
Segment CBS — Lower Chesapeake Bay
    Species

    Potamogeton pectinatus



    Ruppia maritima
    Zannichellia palustris
    Zostera marina
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database  1987; Orth et al., 1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey,  1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a,
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database  1987; Orth et al., 1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment CB6 — Western Lower Chesapeake Bay
    Species

    Ruppia maritima

    Zostera marina
Reference

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment CB7 — Eastern Lower Chesapeake Bay
    Species

    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Ruppia maritima
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth et al.,
1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
                                                                                                  C-5
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment CB7 — Eastern Lower Chesapeake Bay (Continued)
    Species

    Zostera marina



    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth et al.,
1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987;  Orth et al., 1979.
Segment CBS — Mouth of Chesapeake Bay
    Species

    Ruppia maritima

    Zostera marina


Segment WT1 — Bush River
Reference

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
    Species

    Ceratophyttum demersum

    Chara sp.

    Elodea canadensis

    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Najas sp.

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Ruppia maritima

    Vallisneria americana

    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Elser, 1969; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al,  1975b; Munro 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database
1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Elser, 1969; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial  Survey Database 1987.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
C-6

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment WT2 — Gunpowder River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum


    Cham sp.

    Elodea canadensis


    Myriophyllum spicatum
    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis

    Najas gracillima

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Potamogeton perfoliatus


    Ruppia maritima


    Vallisneria americana
    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b;  Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a,
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and  Confer, 1978; Southwick,
1967-1969; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,
1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Elser,  1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et
al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro,  1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and
Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,
1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.
Segment WT3 — Middle River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum


    Chora sp.
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey,  1971-1986.
                                                                                                  C-7
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment WT3 — Middle River (Continued)
    Species

    Elodea canadensis
    Myriophyllum spicatum
    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis


    Najas gracillimas

    Potamogeton crispus

    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Potamogeton perfoliatus


    Ruppia maritima



    Vallisneria americana



    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts,  1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database  1987.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.
Segment WT4 — Back River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum


    Chara sp.
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
C-8

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment WT4 — Back River (Continued)
    Species

    Elodea canadensis



    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis

    Najas gracillima

    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Ruppia maritima


    Vallisneria americana


    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Southwick, 1967-1969; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak,  1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and
Nowak,  1990.
Segment WT5 — Patapsco River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Elodea canadensis

    Myriophyllum spicatum

    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis

    Potamogeton pectinatus
Reference

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
                                                                                                   C-9
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment WT5 — Patapsco River (Continued)
    Species

    Potamogeton peifoliatus



    Ruppia maritima

    Vallisneria americana



    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.
Segment WT6 — Magothy River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Chara sp.



    Elodea canadensis


    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Najas sp.


    Najas guadalupensis

    Potamogeton pectinatus
    Potamogeton perfoliatus
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts,  1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database  1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Elser, 1969; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Personal communication from
Younger, Consulting Biologists, Inc. to Roach, 1963;  Orth and Nowak,
1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts,  1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts,  1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database
1987; Personal communication from Younger, Consulting Biologists, Inc.
to Roach, 1963;  Orth and Nowak,  1990.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a;  Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Personal communication from Younger,
Consulting Biologists, Inc. to Roach, 1963.
C-10
CSOSAV.12%

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment WT6 — Magothy River (Continued)
    Species

    Ruppia maritima



    Vallisneria americana



    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin etal, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.
Segment WT7 — Severn River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum


    Chora sp.



    Elodea canadensis
    Myriophyllum spicatum
    Najas sp.


    Najas guadalupensis


    Potamogeton pectinatus
    Potamogeton perfoliatus
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin etal., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer,  1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer,  1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et
al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Phillip and Brown, 1965;
Southwick and Pine, 1975; Stevenson and Confer,  1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Phillip and Brown, 1965; Southwick and Pine, 1975;
Stevenson and Confer,  1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer,  1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Phillip and Brown,  1965; Southwick and Pine, 1975; Stevenson and
Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,
1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak,  1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et
al, 1975b; Munro,  1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural  Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986.
                                                                                                  C-11
                                                                                               CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment WT7 — Severn River (Continued)
    Species

    Ruppia maritima
    Vallisneria americana

    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et at., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro,  1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro,  1976a; Munro, 1976b; Southwick and Pine, 1975; Stevenson and
Confer,  1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,
1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment WT8 — South, Rhode, and West Rivers
    Species

    Elodea canadensis



    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Potamogeton pectinatus



    Potamogeton perfoliatus


    Ruppia maritima
    Vallisneria americana

    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Phillip and Brown, 1965; Southwick and Pine, 1975; Stevenson and
Confer, 1978.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Phillip and Brown, 1965;
Southwick and Pine, 1975.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Phillip and Brown, 1965;
Southwick and Pine, 1975; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Elser, 1969; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Phillip and Brown, 1965;
Southwick and Pine, 1975.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Phillip and Brown, 1965;
Southwick and Pine, 1975; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer,  1978.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer,  1978; Phillip and Brown, 1965; Southwick and
Pine, 1975; Aerial Survey Database 1987;  Orth and Nowak, 1990.
C-12

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment TF1 — Upper Patuxent River
    Species

    Ceratopyllum demersum

    Elodea canadensis

    Najas sp.

    Najas flexilis

    Najas guadalupensis

    Potamogeton crispus

    Potamogeton diversifolius

    Potamogeton epihydrus

    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Potamogeton pusillus

    Ruppia maritima


    Vallisneria americana

    Zannichellia palustris

    Zostera marina
Reference

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Davis, 1985; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Davis, 1985; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Davis, 1985; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Anderson et al., 1967; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Anderson et al., 1967; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
Segment RET1 — Middle Patuxent River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum


    Chara sp.

    Elodea canadensis


    Myriophyllum spicatum
Reference

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database 1987.

                                                              C-13
                                                          CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis

 Segment RET1 — Middle Patuxent River (Continued)
    Species

    Najas sp.

    Najas flexilis

    Najas guadalupensis


    Potamogeton crispus


    Potamogeton diversifolius

    Potamogeton epihydrus

    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Potamogeton pusillus

    Ruppia maritima



    Vallisneria americana


    Zannichellia palustris



    Zostera marina
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Davis, 1985; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Davis, 1985; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Davis, 1984; Davis, 1985; Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Anderson et al, 1969; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Anderson et al., 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987.

Stevenson and Confer,  1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer,  1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro,  1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer,  1978.
Segment LEI —Lower Patuxent River
    Species

    Elodea canadensis

    Myriophyllum spicatum


    Najas sp.
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
C-14
CSOSW.12S2

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment LEI —Lower Patuxent River (Continued)
    Species

    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Ruppia maritima
    Vallisneria americana

    Zannichellia palustris



    Zostera marina
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Anderson et al., 1969; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Anderson et al, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department
of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database
1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960;  Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986.
Segment TF2 — Upper Potomac River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum



    Chara sp.

    Egeria densa

    Elodea canadensis

    Heteranthera dubia


    Hydrllla verticillata


    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Najas sp.

    Najas minor
Reference

Carter et al., 1985a; Carter et al., 1985b; Paschal et al., 1982; Rybicki et
al., 1986; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Rybicki et al., 1987.

Paschal et al,  1982.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Rybicki et al, 1987; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Rybicki et al, 1986; Rybicki et
al, 1987; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Rybicki et al, 1986; Rybicki et
al, 1987; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stewart, 1962; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Rybicki et al, 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
                                                                                                   C-15
                                                                                               CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis

 Segment TF2 — Upper Potomac River (Continued)
     Species

     Najas guadalupensis


     Najas gracillima

     Nitellaflexilis


     Potamogeton crispus

     Potamogeton pectinatus



     Potamogeton perfoliatus

     Potamogeton pusillus

    Ruppia maritima

     Vallisneria americana



    Zannichellia palustris
 Reference

 Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al., 1985b; Rybicki et al., 1986; Rybicki et
 al., 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Aerial Survey Database 1987.

 Carter et al., 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Rybicki et al., 1986; Rybicki et
 al., 1987.

 Carter et al., 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b.

 Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Rybicki et al, 1986. Rybicki et
 al, 1987; Stewart, 1962; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak,
 1990.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Paschal et al, 1982; Rybicki et al, 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Paschal et al, 1982; Rybicki et
 al, 1987; Stewart, 1962; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
 Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Rybicki et al, 1986; Rybicki et
 al, 1987; Aerial Survey Database 1987.
Segment RET2 — Middle Potomac River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum



    Chora sp.

    Elodea canadensis



    Heteranthera dubia

    Hydrilla verticillata
Reference

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et
al, 1975b; Munro,  1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Paschal et al, 1982; Rybicki et al, 1988; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Paschal et al, 1982.

Paschal et al, 1982; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987.

Rybicki et al, 1988.

Rybicki et al, 1988.
C-16
CSOSAV.12S2

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment RET2 — Middle Potomac River (Continued)
    Species

    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis

    Najas minor

    Potamogeton crispus


    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Potamogeton perfoliatus
    Potamogeton pusillus


    Ruppia maritima



    Vallisneria americana
    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Carter et al., 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et
al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Paschal et al., 1982; Stevenson
and Confer, 1978; Rybicki et al., 1988; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Paschal et al., 1982; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Carter et al., 1985a; Carter et al., 1985b; Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Rybicki et al., 1988.

Paschal et al., 1982; Rybicki et al., 1987; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth et al, 1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Carter et al., 1985a; Carter et al., 1985b; Paschal et al., 1982; Stevenson
and Confer, 1978; Rybicki et al, 1988; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et
al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Paschal et al, 1982; Stevenson
and Confer, 1978; Orth et al, 1979; Rybicki et al, 1988; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al, 1975a;  Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Paschal et al, 1982; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database
1987; Orth and Nowak,  1990.

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Paschal et al, 1982; Rybicki et
al, 1986; Rybicki et al, 1988; Kerwin et al,  1975a; Kerwin et al,
1975b; Munro 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth et
al, 1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Carter  et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Paschal et al,  1982; Rybicki et
al, 1987; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth  et al, 1979.
Segment LE2 — Lower Potomac River
    Species

    Chara sp.

    Elodea panadensis


    Myriophyllum spicatum
Reference

Paschal et al, 1982.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Paschal et al, 1982; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Paschal et al, 1982; Rybicki et al, 1987; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
                                                                                                  C-17
                                                                                               CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis

 Segment LE2 — Lower Potomac River (Continued)
    Species

    Najas sp.


    Najas guadalupensis

    Potamogeton crispus

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Potamogeton perfoliatus
    Potamogeton pusillus

    Ruppia maritima



    Vallisneria americana



    Zannichellia palustris


    Zastera marina
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Paschal et al., 1982; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al., 1985b.

Paschal et al., 1982.

Paschal et al., 1982; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Carter et al., 1985a; Carter et al., 1985b; Rybicki et al., 1987; Kerwin et
al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Paschal et
al., 1982; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Paschal et al, 1982.

Carter et al, 1985a; Carter et al, 1985b; Paschal et al, 1982; Rybicki et
al, 1987; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Paschal et al, 1982; Rybicki et al, 1987; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Paschal et al, 1982; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1978; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.
Segment TF3 — Upper Rappahannock River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Ruppia maritima

    Zannichellia palustris

    Zostera marina
Reference

Orth et al, 1979.

Orth, 1971; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth, 1971; Orth, 1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
C-18
CSCSAV.12/92

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment RET3 — Middle Rappahannock River
    Species

    Callitriche verna

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Nqjas sp.

    Potamogeton epihydrus

    Ruppia maritima

    Vallisneria americana

    Zannichellia palustris

    Zostera marina
Reference

Orth et al, 1979.

Orth et al, 1979.

Orth et al., 1979.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth, 1971; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Orth et al, 1979.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth et al,  1979.

Orth, 1971; Orth, 1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak,
1990.
Segment LE3 — Lower Rappahannock River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Callitriche vema

    Elodea canadensis

    Najas sp.

    Nitellaflexilis

    Myriophyllum spicatum

    Potamogeton epihydrus

    Ruppia maritima


    Zannichellia palustris

    Zostera marina
Reference

Orth et al, 1979.

Orth etal, 1979.

Orth et al, 1979.

Orth et al, 1979.

Orth et al, 1979.

Orth et al, 1979.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth, 1971; Orth,  1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth et al, 1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth et al, 1979.

Orth, 1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth et al, 1979;  Orth and Nowak, 1990.            ,    ,
                                                                                                  C-19
                                                                                               CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis

 Segment TF4 — Upper York River
     Species

     Ceratophyllum demersum

     Elodea canadensis

     Nitellaflexilis

     Potamogeton pectinatus

     Ruppia maritima

     Vallisneria americana

     Zannichellia palustris

     Zostera marina


 Segment RET4 — Middle York River
 Reference

 Orth et al,  1979.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Orth et al.,  1979.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Orth, 1971; Orth, 1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth et al, 1979.

 Orth et al,  1979.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
    Species

    Elodea canadensis

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Ruppia maritima


    Vallisneria americana

    Zostera marina


Segment LE4 — Lower York River
 Reference

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Orth, 1971; Orth, 1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak,
 1990.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
    Species

    Elodea canadensis

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Ruppia maritima


    Vallisneria americana

    Zostera marina
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth, 1971; Orth, 1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth, 1971; Orth, 1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
C-20
CSCSAV.1292

-------
                                                                                  Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment WE4 — Mobjack Bay
    Species

    Elodea canadensis

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Ruppia maritima



    Vallisneria americana

    Zostera marina
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Orth, 1971; Orth, 1973; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth et al., 1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth, 1971; Orth, 1973; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth et al., 1979; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment TF5 — Upper James River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Chara sp.

    Najas guadalupensis


Segment RETS —Middle James River
Reference

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Chara sp.

    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis

    Ruppia maritima

    Zostera marina


 Segment LE5 — Lower James River
Reference

Orth et al.,  1979.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Orth et al.,  1979.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Aerial Survey Database 1987.
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum
 Reference

 Orth et al., 1979.
                                                                                                C-21
                                                                                             CSC.SAV.12S2

-------
 SAV Technical Synthesis

 Segment LE5 — Lower James River (Continued)
    Species

    Najas sp.

    Ruppia maritima

    Zostera marina


 Segment ET1 — Northeast River
 Reference

 Orth et al., 1979.

 Aerial Survey Database 1987.

 Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Chara sp.

    Elodea canadensis

    Hydrilla verticillata

    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Najas sp.

    Potamogeton crispus

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Vallisneria americana



    Zannichellia palustris
 Reference

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
 Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database
 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Orth and Nowak, 1990,

 Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

 Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
 Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
 Orth and Nowak, 1990.

 Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment ET2 — Elk and Bohemia Rivers
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Chara sp.

    Elodea canadensis
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and
Nowak,  1990.
C-22
CSC.SAV.tt-K

-------
                                                                                   Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment ET2 — Elk and Bohemia Rivers (Continued)
    Species

    Heteranthera dubia

    Hydrilla verticillata

    Myriophyllum spicatum


    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis

    Najas gracillima

    Potamogeton crispus

    Potamogeton diversifolius

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Ruppia maritima

    Vallisneria americana



    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and
Nowak,  1990.
Segment ET3 — Sassafras River
    Species

    Chora sp.

    Ceratophyllum demersum


    Elodea canadensis


    Heteranthera dubia

    Hydrilla verticillata
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Elser, 1969; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
                                                                                                  C-23
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

-------
SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment ET3 — Sassafras River (Continued)
    Species

    Myriophyllum spicatum



    Najas sp.



    Najas gracillima/muenscheri

    Najas guadalupensis

    Potamogeton crispus

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Potamogeton petfoliatus

    Ruppia maritima

    Trapa natans

    Vallisneria americana
    Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Elser, 1969; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Orth et al., 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment ET4 —Chester River
    Species

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Chara sp.



    Elodea canadensis
Reference

Stotts, 1960; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Orth and
Nowak,  1990.
C-24
CSaSAV.12.-K

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                                                                                    Appendix G-Table G-1
Segment ET4 —Chester River (Continued)
    Species

    Myrlophyllum spicatum
    Najas sp.


    Najas guadalupensis


    Najas gracillima

    Potamogeton pectinatus
    Potamogeton perfoliatus
    Potamogeton pusillus

    Ruppia maritima
    Vallisneria americana
    Zannichellia palustris
    Zostera marina
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Muriro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and
Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,
1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and
Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,
1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b;
Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
Segment ET5 — Choptank River
    Species

    Elodea canadensis
Reference

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.
                                                                                                  C-25
                                                                                               CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment ET5 — Choptank River (Continued)
    Species

    Myriophyllum spicatum

    Najas guadalupensis

    Potamogeton pectinatus



    Potamogeton perfoliatus



    Ruppia maritima
    Vallisneria americana

    Zannichellia palustris
    Tastera marina
Reference

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts,  1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey
Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts,  1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database  1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database
1987; Orth and Nowak,  1990.

Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts,  1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
Segment ET6 — Nanticoke River
    Species

    Myriophyllum spicatum

    Potamogeton pectinatus

    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Ruppia maritima
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment ET7 — Wicomico River
    Species

    Myriophyllum spicatum

    Potamogeton pectinatus
C-26
CSOSAV.12/S2
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

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                                                                                    Appendix C - Table C-t
Segment ET7 — Wicomico River (Continued)
    Species

    Potamogeton perfoliatus

    Ruppia maritima
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Aerial Survey Database 1987;
Orth and Nowak, 1990.
Segment ET8 — Manokin River
    Species

    Elodea canadensis

    Potamogeton pectinatus



    Ruppia maritima
    Zannichellia palustris

    Zostera marina
Reference

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database
1987.
Segment ET9 — Big Annemessex River
    Species

    Potamogeton pectinatus


    Potamogeton perfoliatus


    Ruppia maritima
   Zostera marina
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987.
                                                                                                  C-27
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12/92

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SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment ET10 — Pocomoke River
    Species

    Ruppia maritima


    Zostera marina
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et at., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.
Segment EE1 — Eastern Bay
    Species

    Chara sp.

    Ceratophyllum demersum

    Elodea canadensis
    Myriophyllum spicatum
    Najas sp.

    Najas guadalupensis

    Potamogeton pectinatus
    Potamogeton perfoliatus
    Ruppia maritima
Reference

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer 1978.

Fenwick, unpublished; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Fenwick, unpublished; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer,
1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-
1986.

Elser, 1969; Fenwick, unpublished; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al.,
1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer,
1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-
1986.

Fenwick, unpublished; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989.

Fenwick, unpublished; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer,
1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-
1986; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Fenwick, unpublished; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer,
1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-
1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987.

Fenwick, unpublished; Kerwin et al, 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro,
1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer,
1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-
1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
 C-28

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                                                                                    Appendix C - Table C-1
Segment EE1 — Eastern Bay (Continued)
    Species

    Zannichellia palustris
    Zostera marina
 Reference

 Brash and Hilgartner, 1989; Fenwick, unpublished; Kerwin et al., 1975a;
 Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1970;
 Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
 Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
 Nowak, 1990.

 Fenwick, unpublished; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro,
 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer,
 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-
 1986.
Segment EE2 — Lower Choptank River
    Species

    Elodea canadensis



    Myriophyllum spicatum

    Potamogeton pectinatus
   Potamogeton perfoliatus
   Ruppia maritima
   Vallisneria americana

   Zannichellia palustris
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial
Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Brash and
Hilgartner, 1989; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground
Survey, 1971-1986.

Brush, 1987; Brash and Hilgartner, 1989; Kerwin et al., 1975a;  Kerwin et
al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stewart, 1962; Stotts, 1960;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database
1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.

Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;  Brash, 1987; Brash and
Hilgartner, 1989; Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground
Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
                                                                                                  C-29
                                                                                              CSC.SAV.12S2

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SAV Technical Synthesis

Segment EE2 — Lower Choptank River
    Species

    Zostera marina
Reference

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978;
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey,  1971-1986;
Aerial Survey Database 1987.
Segment EE3 — Tangier Sound
    Species

    Chara sp.

    Myriophyllum spicatum

    Potamogeton pectinatus



    Potamogeton perfoliatus


    Ruppia maritima
    Zannichellia palustris
    Zostera marina
Reference

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stewart, 1962; Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland
Department of Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stotts, 1970; Stevenson and Confer, 1978.

Brush and Hilgartner, 1989; Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et
al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts,  1970;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database 1987; Orth and
Nowak, 1990.

Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al., 1975b; Munro, 1976a; Munro, 1976b;
Stevenson and Confer, 1978; Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Ground Survey, 1971-1986.

Elser, 1969; Kerwin et al., 1975a; Kerwin et al, 1975b; Munro, 1976a;
Munro, 1976b; Stotts, 1960; Stotts, 1970; Maryland Department of
Natural Resources Ground Survey, 1971-1986; Aerial Survey Database
1987; Orth and Nowak, 1990.
 C-30
 CSOSAV.1JW2

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Appendix  C — Table 2
Table C-2.  Chesapeake Bay SAV species distribution/diversity restoration targets by CBP segment.
SEGMENT CB1
NORTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY

 Ceratophyllum demersum

 Cham sp.

 Elodea canadensis

 Heteranthera dubia

 Myriophyllum spicatum

 Najas sp.

 Najas flexilis

 Najas gracillima

 Najas guadalupensis

 Najas minor

 Potamogeton amplifolius

 Potamogeton gramineus

 Potamogeton nodosus

 Potamogeton diversifolius

 Potamogeton epihydrus

 Potamogeton pectinatus

 Potamogeton perfoliatus

 Vallisneria americana

Zannichellia palustris
 SEGMENT CB2
 UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY

 Ceratophyllum demersum

 Chara sp.

 Elodea canadensis

 Heteranthera dubia

 Hydrilla vericillata

 Myriophyllum spicatum

 Najas sp.

 Najas guadalupensis

 Potamogeton crispus

 Potamogeton pectinatus

 Potamogeton perfoliatus

 Ruppia maritima

 Vallisneria americana

 Zannichellia palustris


SEGMENT CBS
UPPER CENTRAL CHESAPEAKE BAY

 Ceratophyllum demersum

 Chara sp.

 Elodea canadensis

 Myriophyllum spicatum

 Najas sp.
                                                                                               C-31
                                                                                            CSC.SAV.12fl2

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