Susquehanna River Story — What does the science say about water quality?
The wide and majestic Susquehanna River is one of the oldest rivers in the world and provides water for over 4 million people. Despite its beauty, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay downstream has been facing the detrimental effects of excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus).
USGS Study and Findings
This new YouTube video provides a unique synthesis of the story of nutrient water quality in the Susquehanna watershed. With few exceptions, trends in stream nutrient loads at long-term monitoring sites have been improving, but a considerable percent of the short-term monitoring sites show degrading trends.
Management Implications
Resource managers have varying control over nutrient delivery to streams and these factors remain a challenge for resource managers toward meeting water quality goals.
- Physical controls (geology, climate, and hydrology) – The Susquehanna watershed exhibits a diverse geology where the groundwater and stream water quality are interconnected, such as in carbonate areas where nutrients can infiltrate through sinkholes and discharge rapidly to springs. Additionally, a milder climate is expected to increase storm events and runoff, provide for longer growing seasons, greater demands on groundwater recharge, and earlier algal blooms in the Bay.
- Source inputs (atmospheric and land use) – Areas with improving trends in nitrogen stream loads are likely driven by the reduction of total source inputs. Additionally, resource extraction such as past coal mining may be tied to sediment release of orthophosphate.
- Legacy storage (dams and groundwater) – Nutrients accumulated in the soil and groundwater takes years, decades or longer to reach the river. Additionally, legacy nutrients bound in sediment such as old mill ponds or larger dams like the Conowingo can only hold back sediment and nutrients for so long before reaching capacity.
For More Information
Susquehanna River Story — What does the science say about water quality?
Watch the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVOSxfgpQXU
The wide and majestic Susquehanna River is one of the oldest rivers in the world and provides water for over 4 million people. Despite its beauty, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay downstream has been facing the detrimental effects of excess nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus).
USGS Study and Findings
This new YouTube video provides a unique synthesis of the story of nutrient water quality in the Susquehanna watershed. With few exceptions, trends in stream nutrient loads at long-term monitoring sites have been improving, but a considerable percent of the short-term monitoring sites show degrading trends.
Management Implications
Resource managers have varying control over nutrient delivery to streams and these factors remain a challenge for resource managers toward meeting water quality goals.
- Physical controls (geology, climate, and hydrology) – The Susquehanna watershed exhibits a diverse geology where the groundwater and stream water quality are interconnected, such as in carbonate areas where nutrients can infiltrate through sinkholes and discharge rapidly to springs. Additionally, a milder climate is expected to increase storm events and runoff, provide for longer growing seasons, greater demands on groundwater recharge, and earlier algal blooms in the Bay.
- Source inputs (atmospheric and land use) – Areas with improving trends in nitrogen stream loads are likely driven by the reduction of total source inputs. Additionally, resource extraction such as past coal mining may be tied to sediment release of orthophosphate.
- Legacy storage (dams and groundwater) – Nutrients accumulated in the soil and groundwater takes years, decades or longer to reach the river. Additionally, legacy nutrients bound in sediment such as old mill ponds or larger dams like the Conowingo can only hold back sediment and nutrients for so long before reaching capacity.
For More Information
Susquehanna River Story — What does the science say about water quality?
Watch the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVOSxfgpQXU