The
he National Estuary Program Coastal
Condition Report - Fact Sheet
What is the National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report?
EPA issued the National Estuary Program Coastal Condition Report (NEPCCR) in June,
2007. It is the third in a series of coastal environmental assessments. The first two reports
covered all U.S. coastal waters. This Report includes assessments of the twenty-eight National Estuary Programs
(NEPs) in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Estuaries are bodies of water where fresh water from rivers meets the salt
waters of the ocean. This interaction provides a unique, highly productive environment that supports a great
diversity of wildlife and fisheries and contributes tremendous value to the nation's economy. The NEPCCR
presents two major types of data for each NEP estuary:
(1) estuarine monitoring data collected as part of EPA's National Coastal Assessment surveys, and
(2) estuarine monitoring data collected by the individual NEPs or by the NEPs in partnership with interested
stakeholders, including state environmental agencies, universities, or volunteer monitoring groups.
Overall National
NEPs Estuary
Condition
Ecological Health
P^ Water Quality Index
^j Sediment Quality Index
|^>| Benthic Index
^» Fish Tissue Index
What is the National
Estuary Program?
In 2007, the National
Estuary Program,
established as part of the
1987 amendments to the
Clean Water Act (CWA),
celebrates its 20th
anniversary of protecting
and restoring estuaries of
national significance. The
program promotes
comprehensive planning
efforts and actions to help
protect 28 designated
estuaries that are deemed to
be threatened by pollution,
development, or overuse.
Between 2000 and 2006, the
NEPs restored and
protected one million acres
of habitat. The CWA also
requires that EPA report
periodically on the
condition of the nation's
estuarine waters.
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What is the Overall Condition of the
Nation's NEPs?
Overall condition of the nation's NEPs is fair.
This rating is based on four indicators of
estuarine condition—water quality index (e.g.,
dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved
inorganic phosphorus, chlorophyll a, water
clarity, and dissolved oxygen), sediment quality
index (e.g., sediment toxicity, sediment
contaminants, and sediment total organic
carbon), benthic index, and a fish tissue
contaminants index.
For each of these four key indicators, we
assigned a score of good, fair, or poor to each
NEP. We then averaged these ratings to create
overall regional and national scores illustrated
in the map on the first page, using "traffic
light" color scoring.
Population pressures in the NEPs were greater
than those in non-NEP estuaries from 1990-
2000, yet, the NEP estuaries showed the same
or better estuarine condition than our coastal
waters overall.
Summary of Other Findings:
The NEP indicators that show the poorest
conditions throughout the United States are
sediment quality, fish tissue contaminants
(rated fair), and benthic condition (rated fair).
The indicator that generally shows the best
condition is water quality (rated fair).
Nationally, 37% of NEP estuaries are in poor
condition. Regionally, Puerto Rico's NEP estuary
(San Juan Bay) is in poor condition, and about 46%
of the Northeast Coast, 46% of the Gulf Coast, 36%
of the West Coast, and 23% of the Southeast Coast
NEP estuaries are in poor condition.
Our Treasured Estuaries
• Estuaries serve as
feeding, spawning
and nursery grounds
for many species of
finfish, shellfish and
birds that spend most
of their adult lives in
the ocean.
• Estuaries provide
habitat for more than
75 percent of
America's commercial
fish catch and 80 to 90 percent of recreational
fish catch.
• The continued viability of these fisheries
depends on continued good health of their
habitat.
For More Information:
The National Estuary Program Coastal Condition
Report reflects a collaborative effort among the
U.S. EPA, and the individual National Estuary
Programs and their partners.
Consistent with the Oceans Commission report
(www.oceancommission.gov), this report sends a
clear message about the serious challenges facing
our nation's ocean and coastal resources.
For more information, contact:
Barry Burgan in EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans
and Watersheds at (202) 566-1242 or Virginia Engle
in EPA's Office of Research and Development at
(850) 934-9354.
For a copy of the report, please call 1-800-490-9198
and request EPA publication # EPA-842-B-06-001
or visit EPA's web site at:
www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nepccr/.
EPA-842-F-06-001
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