NATIONAL
ESTUARY
PROGRAM
EFFECTIVE • EFFICIENT • COLLABORATIVE • ADAPTABLE
THE NEP IS ADAPTABLE
The National Estuary Program (NEP)
serves as a model for community-
based watershed management—a non-
regulatory, stakeholder-driven, collabora-
tive approach that can easily be trans-
ferred and adapted to other programs
across the country.
The NEP approach to problem solving
continues to demonstrate effectiveness
on a local level by helping towns and cities
solve specific issues related to the wide
range of environmental problems that are
affecting the watershed.
The NEP approach integrates sound sci-
ence with sound decision making and
adaptive management—a process of
continuous monitoring—and sometimes
adjusting—if goals and objectives are not
being met. This approach is also what
makes NEPs successful in their ability to
adapt to emerging issues facing our coasts
and estuaries, such as invasive species,
persistent organic pollutants, and climate
change.
Here's a look at some of the successful
efforts NEPs have made in the last decade
to address common environmental chal-
lenges facing U.S. coastal watersheds.
CLIMATE CHANGE
The Puget Sound, home to already-imperiled salmon,
recently listed orcas and declining marine birds, could
be further jeopardized by rising sea-levels brought on by
global warming, according to a July 2007 report from the
National Wildlife Federation. Although the issue of adap-
tation to climate change is not new to Puget Sound, the
potential consequences of climate change have become
a reality that all NEPs must now address in order to pro-
tect coastal watersheds.
NEP IN ACTION
In 2005, the Puget Sound Action Team (now the Puget
Sound Partnership (PSP)) invested $25,000 of State
funding in a report assessing the potential impact of
climate change on the Pacific Northwest. They commis-
sioned the Climate Impacts Group (GIG), a team of cli-
mate experts based at the University of Washington, to
collect and analyze available scientific data and modeling
projections relevant to Puget Sound.
PSP staff worked alongside GIG to write and design the
report to ensure that findings were scientifically sound and
that information would be accessible to a diverse regional
audience, including policy-makers, resource managers,
and the general public. A separate "Foundation Docu-
ment" featuring the more technical and scientific aspects
of the report was also made available on the PSP Web
site. The report, "Uncertain Future," was released to the
public in October 2005, asserting that Pacific Northwest
EFFECTIVE • EFFICIENT • COLLABORATIVE • ADAPTABLE
-------
temperatures are rising faster than the
global average and that without a targeted
plan, watershed and coastal areas could
experience increased flooding, accelerated
rates of sea level rise, loss of near-shore
habitat and salt marshes, increased pres-
sures on salmon, and greater incidences
of low dissolved oxygen problems in some
bays and estuaries related to increased
algal blooms.
The report was delivered to legislators,
political leaders, agency directors, environ-
mental organizations, educational institu-
tions, libraries, and all PSP agency con-
tacts, moving one State senator to contact
the PSP within one day of reading it to
offer his support.
PSP is now developing strategies to adapt
to sea level rise, increased flooding, re-
duced water quantity, and other projected
outcomes as part of the forthcoming 2020
Action Agenda. As other Federal, State
and local agencies address carbon emis-
sions, the Puget Sound Partnership's long-
term monitoring program (Puget Sound
Assessment and Monitoring Program, or
PSAMP) will also decide how best to modi-
fy monitoring activities to capture climate-
driven changes, and work with climate
models to predict likely changes in habitat,
water quality and fish and wildlife distribu-
tion.
INVASIVE SPECIES
A variety of foreign microbes, plants, and animals enter
the estuary waters where they face few, if any, native
predators or diseases to prevent them from establishing
themselves on the ocean floor where they can upset na-
tive habitat, marine life and water quality. Important path-
ways of introduction for invasive species include ballast
water, aquaculture, marine recreational activities, and the
sea chests of commercial and recreational fishing boats.
These intruders cling to the hulls of boats and other hard
surfaces, including permanent floating docks and piers,
ropes, buoys, chains—they even hitchhike on the backs
of native shellfish and other organisms—where they can
colonize and begin to smother native vegetation, killing
off native populations by depriving them of food. Fouling
communities of organisms can also damage piers and pil-
ings and obstruct municipal water pipes while pathogen-
or disease-carrying invaders have the potential to threaten
public health.
Fortunately not every invader is harmful—some intro-
duced species actually appear to be harmless—but
among those that are, effective strategies are necessary
to manage and control future invasions. But the first step
is recognizing what species are present and identifying
potential sources and vectors.
-------
NEP IN ACTION
Since 2000, the Massachusetts Bays Program (MBP) and
other NEPs in the Northeast are addressing the problem
in New England waters with an Invasive Species Rapid
Assessment Survey (RAS), a quick, cost-effective ap-
proach similar to what NEPs in Washington and California
have used. The MBP and its partners have conducted
three RASs so far—a method that is less costly compared
to other approaches but still provides high-quality data in
a short period of time that can be shared and transferred
to watershed regions across the country.
Every few years in mid- to late summer, when most
marine organisms have matured and therefore are more
easily identified, the MBP coordinates the weeklong RAS
at designated floating dock communities along the coast.
In July 2007, the MBP used local, State and Federal
funding, including a Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sea Grant, individual NEP contributions and various State
invasive working groups to seed the $25,000 effort which
stretched from Maine to Cape Cod.
From there, success rests entirely on the work of a team
of volunteer taxonomic experts and researchers brought
together by the MBP. Compensated with little more than
a place to sleep and three squares a day, the team of
scientists, educators and students dispersed across
docks to gather samples, including seaweeds and fauna,
tiny spindly crustaceans and other organisms. This year,
the MBP had a diver and taxonomist from the Netherlands
Natural History Museum on the team—a valuable addition
that enabled them to capture species on the underside of
docks in several places they would not have been able to
observe and/or reach from the docks, especially species
that are sensitive to fresh stormwater runoff and that seek
habitat at greater depths.
After dropping the specimens into shallow pans of salty
water for a quick examination, the scientists packed them
in jars and plastic bags for an intensive study at the
University of New Hampshire, another vital partner.
Example specimens are preserved in ethanol to document
species' occurrence and for possible use in future genetic
studies. To complete the final RAS report, which takes
about six months, scientists will continue the identifica-
The MBP is launching
a year-round
monitoring project this fall
using plastic plates
deployed in the water of
various marinas so
researchers can
follow species
settlement and
development over time,
-------
tion process back at their home labs across the
U.S., Canada, Brazil and the Netherlands.
These baseline inventories are helping NEPs
increase their knowledge about what species are
present in time and place and to observe how
things are changing. The information they collect
can be shared and compared across estuary
programs, putting researchers in a better
position to publish trends about the presence
and abundance of species—important factors
that help State and local governments develop
effective early detection and rapid response
plans, State management initiatives, public
education and increased volunteer interest in
future monitoring efforts.
The MBP is currently working with State
agencies, particularly the Massachusetts Coastal
Zone Management (MCZM), to develop a
coordinated Statewide approach involving all
regulatory agencies and upper-level policy
managers. To guide the effort, MCZM and the
MBP completed a draft risk assessment process
to evaluate the threat posed by new invaders
and are now collaborating with the State working
group on the implementation details. To facilitate
cooperation and communication on a regional
scale, the MBP sits on the regional U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Services Panel for Aquatic Nuisance
Species and has adopted some action items in
its Comprehensive Conservation and
Management Plan (CCMP) to serve as goals.
To fund their programs, MBP partners pursue
grants to support ongoing citizen volunteer
monitoring efforts.
The MBP is launching a year-round monitoring
project this fall using plastic plates deployed in
the waters of various marinas so researchers can
follow species settlement and development over
time. MBP partners are securing grants for the
plate materials, university students are expected
to do the physical work and MBP's Netherlands
partner will assist them in the identification
process.
EMERGING CONTAMINANTS
Chemicals such as DDT and PCBs, known as legacy
pollutants, have been banned for more than 20 years and
was followed by successful efforts to eradicate them from
San Francisco waterways. The fallout from these
chemicals still poses health challenges for the San
Francisco Bay estuary. Adding to the problem, in recent
years a new set of chemical invaders called "emerging
contaminants," compounds that are linked to everyday
consumer products, are ushering in a whole new set of
challenges for watershed managers.
What's now showing up in estuarine sediments and the
blood and tissue samples of fish and sea mammals
includes chemicals used in stain-resistant and non-stick
coatings, flame retardants, plasticizers, triclosan in
anti-bacterial soaps and a variety of other compounds
used to manufacture Pharmaceuticals and personal care
products. Unfortunately, the toxicity of these goods—and
their impacts on water quality, habitat and marine life—has
not yet been established, an issue that calls for greater
cooperation between scientists and policy makers.
NEP IN ACTION
In 2007, the San Francisco Estuary Project (SFEP) com-
pleted an 18-month process to update its Comprehensive
Conservation and Management Plan, giving pollution pre-
vention an extensive update that makes emerging con-
taminants a major target area for SFEP and its partners.
Working very closely with its partner, the San Francisco
Estuary Institute (SFEI), steps are being made to enhance
the San Francisco Estuary and its watershed in the face
of chemical contamination. At a June 2007 Emerging
Contaminant Workgroup meeting, the partners shared sig-
nificant scientific findings on the scope of emerging con-
tamination in the estuary enabling them to modify current
strategies and design new ones.
Beginning with a very basic but important premise—that
healthy streams and wetlands have inherent cleansing
functions—the SFEP will embark on new programs de-
signed to restore and enhance stream and wetland func-
tions as another way to help mitigate the effects of pollu-
-------
tion in the estuary and its watersheds. A loftier
goal will be to engage local, State and Federal
governments in an effort that targets makers
of new and existing consumer products with
a product stewardship program. This would
require manufacturers to develop a Pollut-
ant Release Minimization Strategy before new
products hit the market along with a redesign,
reformulation, or replacement of existing prod-
ucts that already are shown to be sources of
pollution in the estuary.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of so many new and
potentially harmful chemicals in consumer
products is so widespread that attempts to
control contamination using traditional pollution
prevention efforts and conventional treatment
systems make public education and awareness
efforts a critical part of SFEP's plan.
To address pollution caused by flame
retardants, the SFEP hopes to take advantage
of a partnership the San Francisco Estuary
Institute already has with Duke University, which
conducts cutting edge research on flame
retardants. This would enable an extensive
monitoring program that offers flexibility in
analysis and cost-saving benefits compared
to that of commercial labs. Partnering with the
university will also afford greater publishing
opportunities and future collaboration on ad-
ditional Regional Monitoring Program for Water
Quality (RMP) studies.
Improving water quality and focusing on
emerging pollutants will be a priority for SFEP
in the next two years, along with maintaining
freshwater flows into the estuary. This fall the
SFEP's Implementation Committee will discuss
the next steps for setting and funding priorities
and forming partnerships necessary for carrying
out the work
HABITAT RESTORATION
The Port Aransas Nature Preserve, located along the
western portion of Port Aransas, Texas, bordering the
Ship Channel, features a diverse collection of habitats
including freshwater and brackish marshes, estuarine
areas, and wind tidal flats. Unfortunately, the Preserve is
suffering from severe erosion, losing as much as 17 feet
of land per year, according to reports commissioned by
the Texas General Land Office (GLO).
If shoreline erosion continues at this pace, a breach of
the uplands will quickly result in the permanent alteration
of hundreds of acres of wetlands, destroying essential
habitat for numerous species of finfish, shellfish, migratory
and shorebirds, wading birds, waterfowl, and four spe-
cies of sea turtles. Further destruction will also threaten
coastal and nature tourism—a crucial element of the
community's economy.
NEP IN ACTION
To ensure the long-term protection of the area, the
Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CBBEP) forged
a partnership to take action. Together, the group has
pooled funds and expertise to launch a $6.35 million ef-
fort to protect more than 1,000 acres of wetlands.
To start, $2.9 million was issued to the CBBEP by the
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
which was used to leverage additional funding from the
-------
Texas General Land Office's Coastal Erosion
Planning and Response Act. The GLO matched
the NOAA funding with $2 million and manage-
ment assistance.
With $4.9 million in hand, the CBBEP employed
an engineering firm to assess and develop a
feasibility, assessment and design plan, but
the project as proposed would require an ad-
ditional $1.5 million. They turned to the City of
Port Aransas, which had already initiated its own
project to preserve the eroding shoreline. The
collaboration between the CBBEP and the City
of Port Aransas resulted in a cost-effective, effi-
cient and ecologically sound plan to install rocky
barriers that would both preserve the shoreline
and provide important housing for marine organ-
isms along with places for algae and other food
sources to grow.
Since much of the erosion in Port Aransas was
attributable to ships moving in and out of the
harbor, they called on Chenier Energy, an indus-
trial shipping company that operates liquefied
natural gas receiving terminals along the Gulf
Coast. Chenier got on board with a donation of
$250,000. The Airport and Channel Corpora-
tion also had a stake in protecting the shoreline
for its members who owned real estate border-
ing the preserve and contributed $1.2 million to
the project.
The project includes the installation of carefully
selected erosion-control structures adjacent
to the Corpus Christ! Ship Channel near Piper
Channel. It is well under way with construction
crews installing a 6,000-foot rock revetment
along the shoreline rock to maintain natural wa-
ter flow to the wetlands and two 800-foot jet-
ties, constructed of rock and steel sheet pile, at
the east and west ends of the Piper Channel.
This unique project—expected to be completed
in the fall of 2007—demonstrates how success-
ful NEP efforts can be when local, State, and
Federal organizations collaborate to achieve a
common goal
NEPs SUCCESSFULLY MEET
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES
The US EPA National Estuary Program (NEP), a unique and
voluntary community-based program established in 1987
under the Clean Water Act (CWA) Amendments, works to
restore and maintain the water quality and ecological
integrity of estuaries of national significance.
The NEPs have demonstrated an impressive ability to
address new issues facing our coasts. Their success is
made possible by applying sound science, sharing findings
and developing solutions to take action.
There are 28 NEPs, located in 18 U.S. coastal states and
Puerto Rico, which are designated estuaries of national
significance for their distinct economic, ecological,
recreational, and aesthetic values.
For more information contact:
US EPA
Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds (OWOW)
Coastal Management Branch
Mail Code 4504T
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Tel: 202.566.1260
Fax: 202.566.1336
www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries
The NEP: Applying the Clean Water Act in
ways that are Effective, Efficient, Adaptable,
and Collaborative.
------- |