chesapeake bay by steven harlow

Chesapeake BayBy Steven Harlow

The Chesapeake Bay Problem is an issue of poor water quality through anoxia, toxic contaminant and sedimentation in the bay, and over fishing of diminished stocks. The anoxia in the bay is created from nutrient release from agriculture (livestock owners and field farmers) and sewage throughout the bay. This anoxia creates dead zones that kill much of the shellfish that are in the bay. The shellfish are an important harvested resource and are also food for larger fish which are also harvested for sport and commercial purposes. Toxic Chemicals, like atrazine (and other pesticides) and copper, are washed into the bay and can cause developmental problems (i.e. intersexual individuals) and lead to health issues in humans if toxic fish are consumed. Solutions in the bay can only come about with cooperation between farmers, fishers, environmental and developmental groups, and governmental agencies.

Introduction History Science ConflictsRelevant

LegislationLegislative

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Description of the Conservation Issue

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and is currently being degraded through nutrient, chemical and sediment containments, overfishing, and

development, among other issues.



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Background and HistoryThe Bay has historically supported a big fish and shellfish industry, but has been declining.

The Watershed is also home to many large cities and 16.7 million people.

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed encompasses New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C, and Virginia. It’s conservation is dependent on cooperation between those states.



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Background and History

1700s 1835 1890 1900 The colonial

population grows rapidly as agriculture expands, resulting in the first signs of environmental degradation.

1/2 of Chesapeake region forests have been cleared for agriculture, timber, and fuel for homes and industry. Algae blooms result in following years after first imported fertilizers are used.

Bay waters become more polluted as coal-burning industries spew smoke and dump wastes in Bay tributaries, and cities dump raw sewage into the Bay. 60-80 of the forests in the Baltimore-Washington corridor have been cleared.

Scientists step up their efforts to study human impacts on aquatic life in the Bay, after declines in shellfish beds.

A timeline History



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1914 1933 1945 1967Baltimore is the last major American city to install sewer lines, but one of the first to adopt a waste treatment system. The system is installed to help save valuable oyster beds

An interstate conference on the Bay is held. The concept of treating the Bay as a single resource unit is developed

Widespread use of chemical fertilizers begins and the suburb is born. Fishing technology increases also cause fish stocks to decline

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is created.

A timeline History



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1972 1983 1987 2000The federal Clean Water Act is passed, establishing water quality standards and limiting the amount and type of pollutants entering the Bay waterways. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is formed to ensure public participation in policy decisions affecting the Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay Program, a unique voluntary partnership, is established with the signing of the first Chesapeake Bay Agreement by Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the EPA. The agreement establishes the Chesapeake Executive Council as the chief policy-making authority in the Bay region. Also, a congressionally mandated EPA report on the Bay is completed. It highlights four areas that require immediate attention: the overabundance of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water; dwindling underwater bay grasses; toxic pollution; and the over-harvesting of living resources.

The 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement is signed by Bay Program partners. The 1987 Agreement sets a goal to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Bay by 40 percent by the year 2000. It also directs the Bay Program to study atmospheric inputs to the Bay.

Chesapeake 2000 sets a goal to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution enough to remove the Bay and its tidal rivers from the EPA's “impaired” water body listing by 2010. The agreement details over 100 commitments and actions necessary restore the health of the Bay and its living resources.

A timeline History

Click in Normal View for 2000 PDF





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2008

The Chesapeake Executive Council just meet on November 20th, 2008 and outlined a new strategy to speed up the pace of Bay restoration and become more accountable by setting two-year milestones to reduce pollution to the Bay and its rivers.

Click on Picture in Slideshow View for a Video of DC Mayor’s Introduction to the meeting

A timeline History



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Science and ResearchNutrient pollution is the leading cause for the environmental declines in the bay, causing algal blooms which kill underwater sea grasses and cause low oxygen levels.

Of nutrient pollution, agriculture is the leading cause of nutrients reaching the Bay.

Toxic chemicals entering the bay and present in food can also cause health problems if ingested by humans, and cause growth defects in animals.

To add to the issue, development, invasive species, and overfishing of depleted stocks also negatively affect of the Chesapeake Bay.

Sewage also contributes a significant amount of nutrients to the Bay.



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Science and Research

The added nutrients to the bay cause algal blooms which deplete the dissolved oxygen levels and cause anoxic regions, or “dead zones.” These can kill shellfish and cause sea grass to die, which is habitat for fish and provide food for waterfowl and shelter for blue crabs and juvenile fish.



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Click in Normal View for PDF

There are many innovative ways that farmers can lessen their impact on the Bay. These are grouped under the term Best Management Practices (BMPs).

BMP education to farmers is a major tool that managers and policy makers are utilizing to combat the degradation of the Bay.



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Click on Image in Normal View to view larger PDF

Of the 89 Segments displayed on the following map, 67.4% contain some level of impairment due to toxics. These toxics include PCBs, Organophosphates, and metals such as mercury and copper.



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Conflicts and DebateFarmers

Getting Farmers to practice BMPs is a challenge. This can be due to multiple reasons, but is partly because of misconceptions on their farm’s effect on the Bay. Other reasons include perceived or actual costs and knowledge or ease of use.

When asked what the main cause for the pollution in the Bay these were the results. Below we once again see the actual sources of nutrients, the number one environmental issue, to the bay.



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Conflicts and DebateDevelopers

FishersUtilities

Each of these groups will have to sacrifice in some areas in order for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay to become a reality.



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Relevant LegislationIn addition to the legislation already mentioned, there has been a number of meaningful measures passed, including:

A Maryland bill that requires farmers to implement management plans to reduce both nitrogen and phosphorus.

The Builders for the Bay program, encouraging Bay-friendly development practices.

The Forest Conservation Initiative, committing the Bay states to permanently conserve an additional 695,000 acres of forested land throughout the watershed by 2020.

The Anacostia Watershed Restoration Agreement, which includes goals to restore the waterway and 176 square miles of surrounding land. Signed by representatives of Maryland and DC.

Closures for several fisheries such as striped bass and blue crab and including the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission closure of the entire East Coast to Atlantic sturgeon fishing for the next 40 years, the longest fishing moratorium on record.

Successful agriculture nutrient management certification and education programs in place by several states.

The breaching of dams along the James River and a fish ladder added to Bosher's Dam that opens the river from Richmond to Lynchburg, Virginia.



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Legislative Effectiveness

Since efforts began in 1985, much progress has been made, although they may not be reached by the target date of 2010 unless much more work is done.

Progress toward the goals outlined in the Chesapeake 2000 plan as compared to 1985.

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Resources References Appendix About FCF



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End the Presentation

THE END



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Population growth will continue to strain the Chesapeake ecosystem.



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Current harvests are approximately 3% of harvest highs in the 1950s.



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Agriculture is the leading cause of both Nitrogen and Phosphorus into the Bay.



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Science and ResearchThere are 304 sewage treatment plants that service 12 million people. Of those, 2/3 don’t remove nitrogen and only 10 are removing nitrogen to state-of-the-art levels

These STPs release 1.5 billion gallons of wastewater each day and 52 million pounds of nitrogen pollution into the bay.

chesapeake bay by steven harlow

Documents

historythe bay

chesapeake bay watershed

pace of bay restoration

normal view

toxic fish

toxic chemicals

leading cause of nutrients

historya timeline historyclick