£ EPA
         United States
         Environmental Protection
         Agency
               EPA-600/8-80-019
               May 1980
Office of Research and Development
Research
Summary

Chesapeake
Bay



           ^

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Ix>tji the Bayi-,
   the manage

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bay environment
resources
The largest estuary in North America, a primary source of
crabs for human consumption, a major cargo route for East
Coast maritime commerce, and an irreplaceable recre-
ational resource — the Chesapeake Bay's waters touch the
lives of people far beyond its thousands of miles of tidal
shoreline. As man's activities encroach on the natural
ecology of the Bay its delicate equilibrium is changing. We
can have a positive influence on these changes through a
greater understanding of the dynamics of the Bay's
ecosystem. Scientists in federal, state and local govern-
ment and in pnvate institutions are cooperating in a
diverse research program to develop the knowledge
necessary to preserve and enhance this priceless national
resource.

Of the more than 800 estuaries and bays in the United
States, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest: 190 miles long
with about 8,000 miles of shoreline and 4,300 square miles
of water surface. It lias a drainage basin of about 64,000
square miles and is fed by over 150 nvers and tributaries.
About 90 percent of the fresh water entering the Bay
system comes from five major rivers: Trie Susquehanna,
Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and the James The


 population growth in the Chesapeake Bay area
1,000,000's HI Proiected
15 I I actual _
10
5 | — ^_
0
I
Hi
-







—








...



                              1950   1959  1969  1980   1990   2000  2010   2020

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Bi-State Conference
on Chesapeake Bay- 1977
Mari'img Development, page 78

maritime commerce
projections
     altimore Harbor
I   I Hampton Roads
10 millions of short tons
7
              r
          I
           2000     2020
Susquehanna provides 50 percent of the freshwater enter-
ing the bay.
  From Colonial times on, the Bay area has provided the
natural resources for thriving commercial, agncultuial, and
recreational pursuits. Over the years, rising demand for
these resources, increasingly sophisticated technology
used to exploit them, and areawide population growth have
combined to put increasing pressure on the Bay's capability
to sustain its natural resources. This pressure will acceler-
ate in the future as the Bay area population is expected to
increase by more than 75% over the next 40 years.
  The Chesapeake Bay has always been an important
economic resource Its wateis provide access to Baltimore
Harbor, Maryland, and Hampton Roads, Virginia, two major
East Coast ports, as well as  to numerous smaller ports
throughout the Bay area. The amount of cargo moving into
and out of Chesapeake Bay  ports has risen in recent years
and is expected to increase  significantly in the future.
Maritime commerce projections estimate that the volume
of cargo handled in Baltimore Harbor and Hampton Roads
will double m the next 40 years. This means more and
larger vessels will be plying the waters of the Chesapeake
in the future.
  Recreational activities on the Bay, such as boating, sport
fishing, shellnsning, hunting, and camping, are also
expected to increase significantly in the future. For
example, the US Army Corps of Engineers in their Future
Conditions Report on the Chesapeake Bay has estimated
that for boating activities alone, demand will rise from
about 11 million activity days in 1980 to more than 36
million days in 2020.
  The productive wateis of the Bay support thriving
commercial fin-fishing, shellfishing and seafood processing
industries, whose revenues amount to many millions of
dollars per year. The staple crops of these industries are the
Chesapeake Bay blue crab, oyster,  and soft-shelled clam.
More oysters are caught in the Bay than anywhere  else  in
the nation, totaling more than one  fourth of the annual
national catch. The blue crab is fished all along the east
coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, yet the Bay produces more
blue crabs in a year than all other areas combined. The  Bay
soft-shelled clam fishery accounts for more than half of the
total annual U.S catch, surpassing all of New England.
  The Chesapeake is the permanent or temporary home of
myriad number of animals and plants whose welfare is
intimately tied to each other and to their environment. The
relationship is such that adverse effects on one component
of the system can affect the entire  system
  The Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding wetlands are a
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    I blue crab projections
I   I oyster projections
dollars in millions
                                             pounds in 10,000,000's
                                      year
                                   base period
                                   (1959-1967)
                                     1980
                                      2000
                                      2020
60   50    40   30    20   10    0
                                             0     2     4     6     8     10    12
                                  Corps of Engineers. 1979, Future Conditions Report. Volume 9, Page 134 135

                         major stop along the Atlantic Flyway for migratory birds
                         and waterfowl. They find food in its waters, agricultural
                         lands, and beds of submerged aquatic vegetation. They
                         also find shelter in the Bay's protected coves and extensive
                         marshes. For some, it is only a stop before continuing their
                         flight to wintering areas farther south, but for others it is
                         their winter home. Most conspicuous are the more than
                         one-half million Canadian geese and some 40,000 whistling
                         swans, which over-winter along the Chesapeake. It is a
                         nesting area for the endangered bald eagle and its
                         threatened cousin, the osprey whose largest population in
                         the United States is found in the Bay region.
                           The Chesapeake's tributaries provide the necessary
                         breeding sites for several important species of salt-water
                         fish,  such as striped bass, white perch, and shad, which
                         must return to these areas each year to spawn The Bay
                         is the number one spawning area on the East Coast for
                         the striped bass, a major commercial and sport fish. It is
                         estimated that 90% of the stripers found from North
                         Carolina to Maine are spawned in the Chesapeake. In
                         the warmer months, marine species such as blue-fish,
                         weakfish, croaker and spot enter the Bay to feed on its
                         rich supply of baitfish and bottom-dwelling organisms.

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pollution               Whether considered from an economic, recreational, or
threats                 aesthetic point of view, the character of the Chesapeake
                        Bay area is dominated by water quality factors. Many
                        types of human activity have an impact on the Bay's
                        water quality Water pollution sources in Chesapeake
                        Bay range from the discharge of industrial wastes,
                        thermal discharges from power plants, municipal
                        sewage discharges, and oil spills, to agricultural runoff
                        (including fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides) and
                        shoreline erosion with its attendant sedimentation.
                           The Chesapeake and its tributaries comprise a
                        dynamic natural system. As such, it  exhibits periodic
                        fluctuations, whether in the types and numbers of
                        animals and plants present at a given time, or in the
                        chemical makeup of its waters. But as human influence
                        on the Bay increases, the line between natural
                        fluctuations and externally caused changes becomes
                        obscured. It is not fully understood, for example, what
                        has caused the osprey sea trout,  and croaker
                        populations to increase, while duck populations have
                        decreased; why oyster spawning has failed for the last
                        six to eight years; and why, as  indicated by the decrease
                        of young striped bass in recent years, striper spawning
                        has been down. In addition, there has been a dramatic
                        decline of submerged grass beds and other aquatic
                        vegetation necessary for the health of the  entire food
                        chain.
                           Up to now, the resiliency and productivity of the Bay
                        have combined to prevent serious environmental
                        degradation. But with the projected increases in most
                        Bay activities, and the  potential environmental impacts
                        of these activities, the ability of the Bay to withstand
                        future environmental damage will be severely taxed. The
                        future of the Bay, therefore, is intimately tied to the way
                        in which its resources will be developed and used.
                        Because of its importance as both an ecological and
                        economic resource,  conflicts will arise between
                        environmental and economic interests. The way in
                        which these conflicts are resolved, the compromises that
                        are reached, and the choices that are made will
                        determine the future of Chesapeake Bay.
                           The ultimate goal of the Environmental Protection
                        Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program is to provide solid
                        scientific facts on which to base these  choices.

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EPA program
state
participation
In fiscal year 1976, Congress directed the Environmental
Protection Agency to conduct a five-year, $25 million
study of the environmental quality and management of
Chesapeake Bay resources. Through this study-—
known as the Chesapeake Bay Program—the EPA was
directed to coordinate research to assess the principal
factors adversely impacting the Bay's water quality by
coordinating pollution research to analyze, store, and
distribute research data; and to determine which
government agencies have resource management
responsibilities and ways to optimize coordination
among them.
  Existing Bay  research and management activities
involve a broad spectrum of interests and jurisdiction:
from federal, state, and local government agencies; to
research institutions, commercial interests, and the
public. In recognition of this diversity of concerns,
EPA has designed its program to facilitate a cooperative
and coordinated approach towards assuring the Bay's
protection.

  To assure the continuance of the cooperative effort
represented by the Chesapeake Bay Program, EPA is
encouraging state (Maryland, Virginia, and
Pennsylvania) participation in all aspects of the Program.
This enables EPA to receive assistance and support from
state agencies in the areas of program planning,
technical support, data compilation and processing,
scientific planning, and technical program development
and implementation. The lead agency in Maryland is the
Water Resources Administration of the Department of
Natural Resources. Its counterpart in Virginia is the
Virginia State Water Control Board, and in Pennsylvania,
the Department of Environmental Resources in
conjunction with the Susquehanna River Basin
Commission.  These  agencies serve as liaisons between
6

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public
participation
                                                                    wen :" !• •'
the Chesapeake Bay Program and other state agencies.
This interactive effort is accomplished through the
participation of state personnel on program policy,
management, and working level committees.

  To facilitate citizen input into all aspects of program
management, EPA established the Public Participation
Program as an integral part of its Chesapeake Bay
Program  It is the main mechanism by which
information flows between Bay citizens and Bay
Program managers.
  The Public Participation Program is managed by the
Citizens Program for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc. (CPCB).
This program was founded in 1971, and is an
independent, non-profit. Bay-wide alliance of
organizations whose purpose is to provide an avenue for
the discussion of issues affecting the Chesapeake.
  The main thrust of the Chesapeake Bay Program's
Public Participation Program is to transmit research
findings to the public so that informed choices can be
made on Bay resource management issues. Tb assist in
its public participation goals, a Citizens Steering
Committee is maintained whose function is to advise
EPA on the conduct of the Bay Program.

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program
management
  In order to effectively manage the Chesapeake Bay
Program, EPA established a local office in Annapolis,
Maryland as an arm of its Environmental Research
Laboratory in Gulf Breeze, Florida, and its Region III
headquarters office in Philadelphia, This office is staffed
with scientific experts and resource managers who are
coordinating the EPA funded research efforts of 40
principal investigators from more than 30 institutions and
organizations.
  The Chesapeake Bay Program has been designed to
complement current environmental studies being done
by other agencies, institutions, and citizens groups. Its
objectives are to describe historical trends and to help
determine the current state of the Bay by evaluating
ongoing research and providing new research efforts to
fill in the missing pieces. The Program will also attempt
to project future conditions and use this information to
develop and identify control and management strategies
for Bay resources and to develop implementation plans
for these strategies.
  In keeping with its objectives, the end products of the
Chesapeake Bay Program will provide comprehensive
information in the form of final  reports, in five  major
areas: The State of the Bay; Alternative Control
Methodologies; Management Methods and
Applications; Feasibility of Control and Management
Method Implementation; and Monitoring Strategies.
  With this basic philosophy in mind, EPA
established a series of policy management and advisory
committees and working groups to address problem
areas. In the fall of 1977,  these cooperative efforts
resulted in a workshop which identified ten major
problem areas to be addressed  by the Program. The
problem areas were then prioritized.

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major problem areas
priorities
high
medium
low
submerged
aquatic
vegetation
dredging and
dredged
material
disposal
wetlands
alteration
eutrophication
shellfish
bed
closures
shoreline
erosion
toxics
accumulation
in the
food chain
fisheries hydrologic
modification modification
(biological
resources)
water quality
effects of
                                                boating and
                                                shipping
current
research areas
In order to maximize the use of available funds, three
critical areas have received intensive, high-priority
research attention:
  • Submerged Aquatic Vegetation •
  • Eutrophication;
  • Toxic Substances.
   In each of these areas, a uniform research approach is
being pursued. Sources or causes of these problems are
being identified and their impacts on the quality of the
Bay's environment are being assessed. Models are also
being developed of how pollutants interact with the
Bay's ecosystem.  Systems are being set up for collecting,
measuring, and managing various types of
environmental and other related data. Finally, control
methods and alternatives for correcting the problems are
being investigated.
   The framework for the optimal use of research results
is provided by the Environmental Quality Management
Study (EQMS). For each of the three technical problem
areas, this study describes the current Bay management
network. That is,  the roles and responsibilities of
government agencies in the management of submerged
aquatic vegetation,  nutrients, and toxics are being
delineated. Mechanisms by which control strategies
may be instituted and are then described. Where these
mechanisms do not currently exist, alternative methods
and their costs are evaluated. This effort will incorporate
the results of the research areas into an integrated
management plan for improving the quality of
Chesapeake Bay.
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submerged
aquatic vegetation
                        Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is an integral
                        component of the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay. Beds
                        of submerged grasses provide food, shelter and breeding
                        areas for waterfowl, fish, shellfish and many other
                        organisms found in estuaries. These grasses are a
                        significant source of food to Bay organisms providing
                        forage for ducks, fish, shrimp, and snails, as well as,
                        nutrients to such filter-feeding organisms as clams and
                        oysters.
                          In addition to being a basic element of the estuarine
                        food chain, the beds of submerged vegetation are also a
                        habitat for Bay organisms. Vegetated areas provide
                        shelter for the young of  estuary-spawned fish, such as
                        striped bass and shad, and for the economically
                        important blue crab when it is molting. During this time,
                        the softshell crab is especially vulnerable to predators,
                        because of its unhardened, fleshy shell and its inability
                        to move quickly to escape its natural enemies.
                          Submerged vegetation beds also play an important
                        role in reducing both wave action and the energy of tidal
                        and wind-driven currents in shallow areas. The
                        vegetation slows the flow of water, allowing suspended
                        sediments to settle out of the water column, thus
                        reducing the turbidity, or cloudiness of the water. The
                        reduction of wave action and currents also helps to slow
                        erosion by dissipating much of the energy of these
                        forces before they strike the shoreline.
                          In recent years there has been a sharp decline in the
                        number and types of submerged aquatic vegetation in
                        the Chesapeake Bay system. This has caused alarm
                        because it seems to correlate with the overall ecological
                        health of the Bay and may be an indicator of significant
                        environmental damage.  For this reason, understanding
                        how and why these valuable vegetation beds are
                        disappearing is a major  part of the Chesapeake Bay
                        Program. To find the answers, a comprehensive research
                        10

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baseline
studies
effort has been instituted to determine the current
distribution and abundance of these plants in the Bay,
their physiological and ecological requirements for
growth, reproduction and survival, and their functional
role in the Bay ecosystem. The effects of human
activities on submerged aquatic vegetation and its
usefulness as indicators of Bay environmental quality are
also being examined. Research accomplished under
these tasks will provide the information needed to
determine the environmental conditions necessary for
the improved growth and enhancement of submerged
aquatic vegetation.

  As a first step,  scientists are establishing "baseline
data" by determining the current status of these plants
in the Bay, and where possible, identifying growth
trends over time.
  The Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the
American University are conducting EPA-sponsored
studies  leading to an inventory of submerged aquatic
vegetation throughout the Bay. Aerial reconnaissance is
being used extensively, and photo interpretation is being
compared and verified by on-site field research. Part of
this effort has been to establish trends in selected areas
where historical data, particularly aerial photos, are
available.
  In an associated project, the Johns Hopkins University
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                         is charting the natural life cycles of submerged aquatic-
                         vegetation over the past few hundred years. Researchers
                         are correlating deviations from these cycles due to
                         human activities or natural events. This is done by
                         analyzing seeds and pollen of submerged vegetation
                         through core samples from the Bay bottom. Data from
                         this analysis is then related to historical records of
                         natural and human-related events.
ecological
role
  In addition to establishing "baseline" or inventory
data, a substantial portion of the SAV program is
                            Eurasian Watermilfoil
                           Myriophyllum spicatum
                                Redhead Grass
                             Potamogeton perfoliatus


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                         dedicated to learning more about the ecological role of
                         submerged aquatic vegetation in Chesapeake Bay.
                           EPA is funding research by the Virginia Institute
                         of Marine Science on the ecology of submerged aquatic
                         vegetation in the Virginia portion of the Bay. Research
                         efforts are concentrating on eelgrass,  the predominant
                         submerged plant in the lower Bay. This study addresses
                         the productivity, cycling of nutrients and associated
                         microbial life; the interaction of organisms which either
                         ingest eelgrass directly or reside in the eelgrass bed; and
                         higher level interactions between bluefish, sea trout, and
                         weakfish and their prey species.
                           These studies will be helpful in evaluating the value of
                         eelgrass communities, in understanding the role of
                         eelgrass in  the Bay ecosystem — especially with respect
                         to animal life important to man. The studies will result in
                         computer model simulating the ecological role of
                         eelgrass in  the Bay.
effects of
herbicides
  Although agricultural herbicides are suspected of
being one of the causes for the decline of submerged
aquatic vegetation in the Bay, there is no reliable
evidence of their impact. Herbicides enter the Bay by
way of runoff from adjacent farmlands. Tb obtain better
data on the effects of herbicides on eelgrass, researchers
at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science are identifying
seasonal and monthly levels of herbicides in the Bay and
studying their relative impacts under controlled
laboratory conditions.
  Suspended sediments are also suspected of playing a
role in the decline of submerged aquatic vegetation by
   Sago Pondweed
Potamogeton pectinatus
      Widgeongrass
     Ruppia maritima
   Eelgrass
Zostera marina

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management
options
blocking much of the light needed for photosynthesis.
The light reduction may be due to either excessively
murky waters resulting from high concentrations of
suspended sediment and dissolved organic material or
to the coating  of leaves and stems by sediment trapped
by the plants.
  Finally, Institute scientists are developing technology
for propagating and establishing eelgrass beds to create
additional habitats. Techniques are being developed to
collect, store, and germinate seeds, and to culture
seedlings in the laboratory for planting in the wild.
Techniques to transplant the wild plants are also being
investigated.
  In an EPA funded companion study, scientists at the
Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies of the
University of Maryland are investigating the role of
submerged aquatic vegetation in the Bay ecosystem and
the factors leading to its decline. An objective of this
effort is to assess the stress put on submerged aquatic
vegetation by herbicides and to determine if these
effects are increased by excess turbidity due to
suspended sediments. In addition, the pathways and
mechanisms by which herbicides and sediments are
carried through the Bay are being examined.

  The culmination of this effort will be an evaluation of
management options for controlling factors contributing
to the decline  of submerged vegetation. In order to
perform this evaluation, herbicide, sediment, and
nutrient levels for selected Bay tributaries such as the
Patuxent and Choptank rivers, will be determined by
using the data gathered from all phases of this project.
          Wildcelery
      Vallisneria americana
         Horned Pondweed
        Zannichellia palustris
   Waterweed
Elodea canadensis

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synthesis
                                                                  Peier Maviagams
  Heavy small boat traffic on the Bay and its tributaries
leads to turbulence which may cause the resuspension
of bottom sediments. A cooperative project between the
U.S. Naval Academy and Anne Arundel Community
College is being conducted to evaluate the  effects of
recreational boating on turbidity and sedimentation in
relation to submerged aquatic vegetation.

  The task of synthesizing the data obtained by
researchers in the submerged aquatic vegetation
program area has been undertaken by scientists at the
Migration, Bird and Habitat Research Laboratory
(MBHRL) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The lab is
evaluating the factors affecting and the importance of
submerged aquatic vegetation in Chesapeake  Bay.
This project has two major objectives.
               Bushy Pondweed
              A/a/as guadalupensis
                         Coontail
                   Ceratophyllum demersum
                         15

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  The first is to determine the importance of submerged
aquatic vegetation as a food source for migratory
waterfowl in the Bay. Historical data (1889 to the present)
on waterfowl feeding patterns and habitat preferences
are being compiled and analyzed. The resulting
information will then be related to data on current
waterfowl distribution and feeding patterns. The result
will be an analysis of the past and present relationships
between waterfowl and submerged aquatic vegetation.
  The second objective of the MBHRL study is the
development of a SAV monitoring strategy and the
synthesis of all research data.  Correlating research
results with information related to the effects of human
activities on submerged aquatic vegetation will enable
scientists to determine the likely causes of declines of
these valuable plants. This will lead to the delineation of
environmental conditions necessary for improved growth
of submerged aquatic vegetation which will provide Bay
resource managers with the information they need to
evaluate management options.

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eutrophication
                         Eutrophication refers to the natural or artificial addition
                         of nutrients to bodies of water. These nutrients are
                         essential to the normal life processes of estuarine plants
                         and animals. In the natural state, nutrients provided by
                         decaying organic material result in a well nourished,
                         highly productive, eutrophic condition. Water quality
                         problems arise, however, when there are too many
                         nutrients due to either natural events or, more often, to
                         human activities.
                           Major sources of man-made nutrients include fertilizer
                         run-off from agricultural lands and sewage discharges
                         from treatment plants and septic tank leakage. The
                         discharge water from most sewage treatment plants is
                         rich in nutrients because the treatment mainly eliminates
                         bacteria—not the chemicals that comprise nutrients.
                         Those chemicals are primarily nitrogen and phosphorus
                         compounds.
                           Increased shoreline development can also result in
                         large infusions of nutrients. This occurs when land
                         is stripped of vegetation and large amounts of decaying
                         organic matter are exposed to erosion and are washed
                         into the water along with sediments.
                           Excessive nutrient enrichment causes accelerated
                         growth of plant species, particularly pytoplankton (free
                         floating microscopic plants) and algae. The resulting
                         plankton algal "blooms" produce numerous water quality
                         problems including noxious odors and toxic metabolic
                         products which can cause fish kills. Sometimes this
                         overgrowth clogs the water, blocking light that is needed
                         by desirable submerged plants. Less dramatic, but
                         equally important, are the dissolved oxygen supply
                         problems created by these blooms. Although these are
                         oxygen-producing plants, they consume much more
                         oxygen than they produce during this accelerated
                         growth state, drastically lowering the dissolved oxygen
                         in the water that is necessary for sustaining fish and
                         17

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                                          El  : iggenpohl
other aquatic life. The extremely short life span of these
plankton creates an additional dissolved oxygen demand
since large amounts of oxygen are used during
decomposition of dead plants. Again, this can result in
depletion of fish, shellfish, and vegetation.
  Various  parts of the Chesapeake have experienced
problems from excessive nutrient enrichment. This is
particularly evident in many of the tributaries and in the
upper Bay.
  Although eutrophication is a natural process, its
acceleration can turn ponds and lakes into swamps and
bogs and can hasten the complete stagnation of some
bodies of water. Although this process  is better
understood in lakes, much needs to be learned about
how eutrophication affects estuarme systems. For this
reason, the Chesapeake Bay Program has instituted a
carefully designed eutrophication research program
which will determine the state-of-the-Bay with regard to
nutrient enrichment. It will quantify the nutrient
loadings into the Chesapeake Bay define acceptable
ranges of nutrient levels in the Bay for the years 1980
and 2000,  and evaluate control alternatives for present
and future conditions.
  In order to implement eutrophication control measures
in a manner beneficial to Bay resources, the relationship
of nutrients to water quality must first be thoroughly
understood,  particularly for an estuarme environment.
The Chesapeake Research Consortium, under EPA's
sponsorship, is  conducting a study addressing this


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watershed
studies
subject with specific attention to denning excessive
nutnent enrichment problems. Researchers are
identifying the fundamental processes involved in the
entire Bay system and historic trends in nutrient
enrichment as compared to current levels. This effort will
culminate in a final report, delineating eutrophication
trends and providing a better understanding of the
eutrophication process in the Bay and in estuaries in
general
  Nonpomt sources of nutrients into the Chesapeake
originate on land bordering tributaries and the Bay
shores. Because it is difficult to pinpoint these nutnent
sources, one of the best ways  to determine nutrient
loadings is to study the flows of the watersheds feeding
into the Bay. Part of EPA's eutrophication research
program involves the evaluation of five watersheds
of the Chesapeake Bay system. The selected watersheds
include  a three-state area:  Pennsylvania, Maryland, and
Virginia.

  Five projects have been initiated to assess the relative
magnitude of nonpomt sources of nutrients from various
land-use categories: in Virginia  (the Occoquan and Ware
River basins), performed by the Virginia State  Water
Control  Board: in Maryland (the Patuxent and  Chester
River basins), performed by the Maryland Water
Resources Administration: and the Pequea Creek basin,
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, performed by the
Susquehanna River Basin Commission.

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  In addition to the field verification of nonpomt source
runoff, these complimentary studies are providing data
necessary to evaluate tools for predicting the water
quality impacts of eutrophication, and the
cost-effectiveness and accuracy of these tools. Data from
the watershed studies are being used by EPA's
Environmental Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia,
to evaluate computer models designed to identify the
factors affecting eutrophication in the Bay.
  Through an interagency agreement with EPA, the U.S.
Geological Survey is conducting fall-line monitoring of
the Potomac, Susquehanna, and James Rivers. The
fall-line is the point of freshwater discharge to tidal
rivers. This two year intensive study will characterize the
chemical, physical, and organic inputs from major Bay
freshwater sources on a seasonal basis. It will assist in
evaluating impacts due to land and water use, and
economic developments in the non-tidal portions of
these rivers Information gathered during this effort will
also be used in the validation of Bay water quality
models.
  Land use practices can significantly affect the nutrient
levels of receiving waters. For example, increased
municipal and industrial developments in watersheds
can create a corresponding increase in nutrient
discharges, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. As
part of the eutrophication program area, analyses are
being performed on long range land use and point
source nutrient loading for the Chesapeake Bay region.
This information will be used to develop projections to
the year 2000 of land use patterns and nitrogen and
phosphorus loadings from municipal and industrial
sources.

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"
                                                                     •
future
efforts
  A knowledge of water circulation in the Chesapeake is
important to support resource management and
regulatory activities. This knowledge permits reasonable
predictions of pollutant and sediment flow. Under an
EPA research contract, a computerized model of
Chesapeake Bay water circulation is being developed
which will stimulate circulation patterns and assist in
understanding pollutant pathways. This model will also
serve as the basic building block for more specific
models relating to aspects of Chesapeake Bay water
quality.

  Newly funded EPA research will assist in further
defining the nutrient composition of the entire Bay. This
will be accomplished by expanding the nutrient data
collection efforts to include comprehensive data from the
Bay proper augmented by nutrient data from the  mouth
of the Bay and from other critical boundary areas.
Nutrient contributions from the atmosphere will also be
evaluated  in order to account for other possible sources.
By mid-1981, water quality models of the main Bay and
tributaries will be developed. The nutrient data will be
used in the calibration and verification of these models.
Once this  is accomplished, the models will be used to
determine likely trouble spots and to project future water
quality conditions under various management situations.
21

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toxic substances
                        Toxic substances are onemicals or chemical compounds
                        that can be hazardous or poisonous to plants and
                        animals, including humans. There are a large number of
                        potentially toxic substances having varying degrees of
                        toxicity. Some substances such as trace metals occur
                        naturally and can become environmental hazards when
                        u.tjij ^oucentidtiuiis are increased most often as a insult
                        of human activities. The vast majority of toxic
                        substances, however, are by-products of our
                        industrialized society. Pesticides, herbicides,
                        constituents of industrial waste streams, various organic
                        chemicals, and petroleum-based products are all
                        poujriti^liy toxic
                           Toxic substances enter the Bay just as do nutrients,
                        from either point or non-point sources. Toxic point
                        sources may be industrial plant discharges, or accidental
                        spills from vessels, or shoreline storage facilities.
                        Nonpoint sources can be as diverse as runoff from
                        agricultural lands and paved urban areas, to rainfall or
                        atmospheric fallout.


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                           Since most of these substances are persistent in the
                         environment, the accumulation of toxics in the food
                         chain and the potential adverse ecological and human
                         health impacts are a primary concern of the Chesapeake
                         Bay Program. In order to establish the role of toxics in
                         the Bay ecosystem, a thorough understanding of the
                         Bay's chemical, physical, and biological dynamics is
                         necessary. It is particularly important to develop reliable
                         information on the current levels of toxics in the Bay, as
                         well as information on the sources, pathways and  fate of
                         these substances in the estuanne environment.
                           Research efforts in  the toxics program area center on
                         obtaining this information by studying the behavior of
                         toxic materials from industrial, agricultural, and
                         atmospheric sources. From such studies, resource
                         management and regulatory strategies can be designed
                         to reduce or eliminate environmental hazards and
                         protect and improve the quality of the Bay.
baseline
studies
  The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is conducting
an investigation of organic pollutants in the Chesapeake
Bay. Baseline data on the abundance and distribution of
toxic organic compounds in the water, sediments and
shelllioh ate being developed along with a system for
monitoring organic pollutants Water and sediment
samples are being collected from  various sites. Shellfish
tissue samples are being obtained from the American
oyster (Crassotrea virgmica) because it is located
throughout most of the Bay and has an affinity for
concentrating pollutants in its tissues  In areas where
oysters may not be found, tissues of the brackish water
clam (Rangia cuneata) will be substituted.

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                          Through an interagency agreement with EPA, the
                        National Bureau of Standards (NBS) is conducting a
                        baseline analysis of toxic trace elements for the
                        Chesapeake Bay Program. Water samples from the top
                        and bottom of the water column, collected at fixed
                        locations throughout the Bay, are being analyzed for
                        concentrations of twelve key trace elements: copper,
                        lead, zinc, cadmium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel,
                        chromium, tin, mercury, arsenic, and selenium. This
                        baseline data, when complete, will serve as a
                        benchmark for future testing of toxic trace element
                        concentrations.

transport                 In order to efficiently assess the effects of pollutants
and fate                and, on occasion, to find pollutant sources, it is
                        necessary to understand the mechanisms and pathways
                        by which they travel through the environment. The
                        prevention of environmental degradation due to
                        estuarine shoreline development depends on a
                        knowledge of the transport mechanisms which disperse
                        discharged wastewater and its potentially damaging
                        constituents. Recognizing the importance of this aspect
                        of toxic substances research, several projects in this
                        program area address the transport and fate of toxics in
                        the Bay.
                          The Chesapeake Bay Institute of the Johns Hopkins
                        University is conducting a study monitoring toxic
                        substances associated with sediment particles and
                        suspended sediment in the  Bay. Rates and patterns of
                        movement of toxics associated with suspended particles
                        are being established. An analysis of the seasonal
                        fluctuation of physical and chemical characteristics of
                        suspended sediment is also being undertaken both in
                        the main Bay and in selected major tributaries.
                          In a companion study performed by the Virginia
                        Institute of Marine Sciences, researchers are
                        determining the role of suspended sediment and fluid
                        mud in the fate, transport, and transformation of toxics.
                        The types and concentrations of toxic metals are being
                        examined by season and by location to determine
                        patterns of occurrence. Along with this, investigations
                        are in progress to determine the affinity of toxic metals
                        to certain types of suspended sediments, and the  rates
                        and pathways of pollutant transport from the source to
                        the deposition area.
                          As an adjunct to the above studies, the University of
                        Maryland is performing a  geochemical survey of
                        Chesapeake Bay bottom sediments in an effort to
                        determine the types and amounts of trace metals
                        24

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                                                                     IUMER1CA
                        present. Data generated from this study will allow
                        estimates to be made of the rates at which individual
                        trace metals enter bottom sediments.  This project will
                        yield maps showing the current chemical quality of Bay
                        sediments in relation to trace metals, and will result in
                        data on the areas of deposition of trace metals in the
bottom
sediment
  The mechanisms by which toxics move from the
water column into bottom sediments and vice versa,
are a very important aspect of pollutant transport.
One such mechanism involves interstitial water,
which is the  water occurring from the estuary bottom
to about one meter below the sediment surface. The
water is trapped by the sediment and provides a
medium by which pollutant exchange between
sediment and the water  column can occur. A study
by the Maryland Geological Survey is being conducted
to elucidate the chemistry of interstitial water.
Researchers are working to understand the chemical
reactions that govern the concentrations of trace
metals and chemical compounds that are active in
this zone, and are identifying the transport mechanisms
present  in interstitial water. Chemical analyses of water
samples are also being performed by chemists at the
College  of William and Mary This study will result in a
better understanding of  interstitial waters as a source of
trace metals and will generate the data necessary to
develop a computer model of the behavior of trace
metals in the  Chesapeake Bay.
25

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                           Another mechanism by which pollutants can be
                        transferred between bottom sediments and the water
                        column is through the activities of benthic or
                        bottom-dwelling organisms. Most of these organisms are
                        concentrated in the top few centimeters of sediment.
                        Their activities, such as feeding and burrowing,  can
                        keep sediment particles in a state of flux enhancing the
                        exchange of dissolved particles between sediment and
                        water. Companion studies by the Virginia Institute of
                        Marine Science and by the Maryland Geological Survey
                        are being conducted to investigate this animal-sediment
                        relationship to obtain a better understanding of the role
                        of benthic organisms in the pollutant transport process.
                           Complimentary projects are being performed by the
                        Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Maryland
                        Geological Survey to investigate Bay sedimentology.
                        Shoreline erosion and runoff from sparsely vegetated and
                        unvegetated land are major sources of suspended
                        sediments. These sediments enter  the Bay through
                        tributaries and from the Bay shoreline. In addition to
                        identifying the distribution and physical properties of
                        sediments, these studies are being conducted to locate
                        areas of erosion and, most importantly, the areas in the
                        Bay where these sediments are deposited.

point source              EPA's Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory
assessment            (IERL) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is
                        coordinating contractor research in toxic point source
                        assessment. This involves characterizing, inventorying,
                        and prioritizing the potential toxicity of industrial
                        effluents discharged into  the waters of the Chesapeake
                        Bay basin.
                           The initial phase of the assessment involves
                        developing an inventory of industrial sources
                        discharging potentially toxic substances, determining
                        the chemical composition and quantities of these
                        discharges, and prioritizing the industrial facilities
                        according to potential toxicity of their effluents. As a
                        result of this, the Chesapeake Bay Program Toxics Work
                        Group (consisting of representatives from Maryland,
                        Virginia, EPA Region HI headquarters in Philadelphia,
                        and Chesapeake Bay Program Staff) has selected the
                        effluents of 80 industrial discharge  points for more
                        comprehensive study and testing.
                           The final phase of the toxic point source assessment
                        will describe the 80 selected effluents, by identifying
                        individual organic compounds within each effluent
                        stream and testing their potential for being absorbed by
                        estuarine organisms.
                      26

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individual
research  projects
submerged
aquatic
vegetation
• Distribution of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in
  Chesapeake Bay, Maryland. (The Chesapeake Bay
  Foundation, and the American University)
• Distribution and Abundance of Submerged Aquatic
  Vegetation in the Lower Chesapeake Bay.
  (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
• Biostratigraphy of the Chesapeake Bay.
  (Johns Hopkins University)
• The Functional Ecology of Submerged Aquatic
  Vegetation in the Lower Chesapeake Bay.
  (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
• Zostera Marina: Biology, Propagation and Impact of
  Herbicides.
  (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
• Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake
  Bay: Its Role in the Bay ecosystem and Factors
  Leading to its Decline.
  (Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, Horn
  Point Environmental Laboratories, University of
  Maryland)
• Effects of Recreational Boating on Turbidity and
  Sedimentation Rates in Relation to Submerged
  Aquatic Vegetation.
  (U.S. Naval Academy and Anne Arundel Community
  College)
• Factors Affecting, and Importance of Submerged
  Aquatic Vegetation in Chesapeake Bay.
  (Migration, Bird and Habitat Research Laboratory,
  Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and
  Wildlife Service)
                        27

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eutrophication
• Definition of Chesapeake Bay Problems of Excessive
  Enrichment or Eutrophication.
  (Chesapeake Research Consortium, Annapolis,
  Maryland)
• Evaluation of Management Tools in Two Chesapeake
  Bay Watersheds in Virginia.
  (Virginia State Water Control Board)
• Evaluation of Water Quality Management Tools in the
  Chester River Basin.
  (Maryland Water Resources Administration)
• Intensive Watershed Study (Patuxent River Basin).
  (Water Resources Administration, Maryland
  Department of Natural Resources)
• An Assessment of Nonpoint  Source Discharge, Pequea
  Creek Basin, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
  (Susquehanna River Basin Commission)
• Modeling Philosophy and Approach for Chesapeake
  Bay Program Watershed Studies.
  (U.S. EPA Environmental Research Laboratory, Athens,
  Georgia)
• Fall Line Monitoring of the Potomac, Susquehanna,
  and James Rivers.
  (Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey)
• Land Use and Point Source Nutrient Loading in the
  Chesapeake Bay Region.
  (GEOMET, Incorporated)
• Chesapeake Bay Circulation Model.
  (Water Resources Engineers, Inc.)
toxic substances
• Investigation of Organic Pollutants in the Chesapeake
  Bay.
  (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
• The Characterization of the Chesapeake Bay: A
  Systematic Analysis of Toxic Trace Elements.
  (Office of Environmental Measurements, National
  Bureau of Standards)
• Monitoring Particle-Associated Toxic Substances and
  Suspended Sediment in the Chesapeake Bay.
  (Chesapeake Bay Institute, The Johns Hopkins
  University)
• Fate, Transport and Transformation of Toxics:
  Significance of Suspended Sediment and Fluid Mud.
  (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
28

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• Chesapeake Bay Sediment Trace Metals.
  (University of Maryland)
• Interstitial Water Chemistry — Chesapeake Bay Earth
  Science Study
  (Maryland Geological Survey. The Johns Hopkins
  University)
• Sediment and Pore Water Chemistry.
  (College of William and Mary)
• The Biogemc Structure of Chesapeake Bay Sediments.
  Division of Biological
  (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
• Animal-Sediment Relationship.
  (Maryland Geological Survey The Johns Hopkins
  University)
• Baseline Sediment Studies to Determine Distribution,
  Physical Properties, Sediment Budgets and Rates.
  (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
• Sedimentology of the Chesapeake Bay — Chesapeake
  Bay Earth Science Study
  (Maryland Geological Survey, The Johns Hopkins
  University)
• Inventory and Toxicity Prioritization of Industrial
  Facilities Discharging into the Chesapeake Bay Basin.
  (GCA Corporation)
• Toxic Point  Source Assessment of Industrial
  Discharges to the Chesapeake Bay Basin.
  (Monsanto Research Corporation)

Peter Mavraganis



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for further
information
publications
• EPA Research Highlights 1979. January 1980.
  EPA-600/9-80-005. 100 Pages.
  Highlights of the EPA research program
  accomplishments of 1979.

• EPA Research Outlook. February 1980.
  EPA 600/9-80-006.224 Pages.
  A concise description of the EPA's plans for future
  environmental research.

• EPA/ORD Program Guide. October 1979.
  EPA 600/9-79-038. 85 Pages.
  A guide to the Office of Research and Development —
  its organizational structure, program managers, and
  funds available for contracts, grants, and cooperative
  agreements.
other research
summaries
• EPA Research Summary: Controlling Nitrogen Oxides.
  February 1980. EPA-600/8-80-004. 24 Pages.
• EPA Research Summary: Acid Rain. October 1979.
  EPA-600/8-79-028. 24 Pages.

• EPA Research Summary: Oil Spills. February 1979.
  EPA-600/8-79-007. 16 Pages.
   i
• EPA Research Summary: Controlling Hazardous
  Wastes. May 1980. EPA-600/8-80-017. 24 Pages.
Information on the availability of these publications may
be obtained by writing to:
Publications
Center for Environmental Research Information
U.S. EPA, Cincinnati, OH 45268
or by calling (513) 684-7562
30

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technical reports
• Chesapeake Bay Program: Summary of Projects.
  October 1979. EPA-600/8-79-030/Program Report 1.
  72 Pages.

• Chesapeake Bay Program: Distribution and
  Abundance of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the
  Lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. October 1979. EPA
  600/8-79-029/SAV 1. 219 Pages. (PB-80-140-726, $13.00)

• Summary of Available Information on Chesapeake Bay
  Submerged Vegetation. August 1978.
  FWS/OBS-78/66.  335 Pages. (PB-285-795, $19.00)

• Decline of Submerged Aquatic Plants in Chesapeake
  Bay. July 1979. FWS/OBS-79/24. 12 Pages.
  (PB-80-114-747, $5.00)

Technical Reports may be obtained by writing to:
  National Technical Information Service
  5285 Port Royal Road
  Springfield, VA 22161
  or by calling (703) 557-4650
 questions or
 comments
The Office of Research and Development invites you to
address any questions or comments regarding the EPA
Chesapeake Bay Program to the appropriate individuals
listed below:
                                                  Contact
                                                  William A. Cook

                                                  Thomas H. Pheiffer

                                                  Owen B. Bricker
                                                  Gregory E McGinty

                                                  Thomas B. DeMoss
                                                  Deputy Director
                                                  David A. Flemer
                                                  Senior Science Advisor

                        These individuals may be contacted by writing to:
                        Chesapeake Bay Program
                        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                        2083 West Street, Suite 5G
                        Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Topic
Submerged Aquatic
  Vegetation
Eutrophication (Nutrient
  Enrichment)
Toxic Substances
Environmental Quality
  Management Study
Program Management
                      31

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EPA Region III Coordinators:
                           Alvin Morris
                           Deputy Regional
                           Administrator,
                           EPA Region IE,
                           6th & Walnut Streets
                           Philadelphia, PA 19106
                           Greene Jones
                           Director,
                           Water Division,
                           EPA Region IH,
                           6th & Walnut Streets
                           Philadelphia, PA 19106

State Participation Coordinators:
    Maryland              Thomas Andrews
                           Director, Water Resources
                           Administration
                           Department of
                           Natural Resources,
                           Annapolis, MD 21401
    Virginia                Michael Balanca
                           Deputy Executive
                           Secretary,
                           Virginia State Water
                           Control Board,
                           Richmond, VA 23230
    Pennsylvania           Louis W. Berchini
                           Director, Bureau
                           of Water Quality
                           Management, Dept.
                           of Environmental
                           Resources,
                           Harrisburg, PA 17102

Public Participation Coordinator:
                           Frances Flanigan
                           Citizens Program for
                           the Chesapeake Bay, Inc.
                           6600 York Road
                           Baltimore, MD 21212
The Director of the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program is
Tador T. Davies.
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