USGS Chesapeake Bay Accomplishments for FY 2001-2006 Completed

The Impact of Human Activities on Land Use

Some of the USGS accomplishments toward this theme include:

• Producing data on land cover and hydrography for the Bay watershed,
• Generating information on land cover and watershed characteristics to improve the two primary predictive models of nutrient and sediment sources and transport in the Bay watershed. An enhanced database of the information is near completion.
• Generating information on the land-cover change and watershed characteristics to better interpret the sources of sediment in the lower Susquehanna Basin.
• Establishing the CBP/USGS Land Data Manager, who oversees and guides data compilation and analysis at the CBO office.
• Helping to develop the Resource Lands Assessment, which identified critically important economic and ecological lands in the Bay watershed.
• Beginning to develop and test models to forecast land-use change.

Factors Affecting Water Quality and Quantity

The USGS has significant accomplishments for this theme including:

• Developed partnerships with the CBP to have USGS employees serve as Monitoring Coordinator and Quality-Assurance Officer.
• Provided study results and participated in development of water-clarity and dissolved oxygen criteria for the Bay.
• Led the CBP sediment workgroup in completion of a report that summarized existing sediment information for the Bay and its watershed. Findings from the report were used to help develop an approach for assessing sediment-reduction strategies and begin improvement of predictive models.
• Developed techniques to fingerprint the sources and erosion of sediment, and use the results with historical monitoring data to identify areas of high sediment generation.
• Conducted investigations to further identify sediment sources to the estuary that will help formulate improved sediment-reduction strategies by 2007.
• Conducted interpretation of the relation between river flow, sediment loads, and changes in water clarity and occurrence of SAV in the major tributaries of the Bay.
• USGS also continued work in the Potomac and Pocomoke Rivers during 2003 to understand the importance of light transmittance, water quality, propagule availability, sediment quality, and other biotic and abiotic factors on SAV. These findings were used to help set the water-clarity criteria for the Bay.
• Began to determine the relative contributions of TSS (inorganic and organic material), chlorophyll, and other components affecting water clarity in shallow water zones of the Potomac Estuary, and continued study of factors affecting growth of SAV. These results will help to guide the balance of nutrient and sediment controls in different areas of the Bay.
• Used the results from the USGS SPARROW model to help states develop revised nutrient-reduction strategies.
• Led the design of a nontidal water-quality network that will be used to help assess progress for reducing nutrients and sediment.
• Summarized the factors affecting nutrients and sediment in the watershed including results on the discharge, nitrogen, and residence time of ground water to help understand the implications for implementing nutrient-reduction strategies and improving simulation in water-quality models.
• Identified the occurrence of arsenic, pesticides, and antibiotics in bottom sediments of some systems that can impact the microbial populations that affect the cycling of nutrients.

The Ability of Habitat to Support Fish and Bird Populations

Some of the accomplishments related to this theme include:

• Monitored and analyzed habitat loss and displacement due to sea-level rise and other factors at the USFWS Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, which showed that wetland loss is being impacted by both sea-level rise and subsidence of the land surface. The information is being used to help plan wetland restoration.
• Conducted investigations of wetland and near-shore restoration at Poplar Island and the Anacostia watershed to help determine approaches and suitability of using dredge materials for reconstructed wetlands. Additionally, techniques were developed to assess exposure to, and effects of, organic and inorganic contaminants in reconstructed wetlands on wildlife.
• Improved the understanding of the factors affecting the population of seaducks that winter in the Chesapeake Bay including study of the movement, habitat use, and feeding ecology of seaducks to better assess the potential degradation of feeding habitat in Chesapeake Bay.
• Conducted an assessment of the distribution of the Diamondback Terrapin, which is the only brackish water turtle species in the United States. Over 1,500 terrapins were tagged in the Chesapeake Bay to establish baseline monitoring of the population, and help develop options for protection and conservation.
• Completed a study with the USFWS to determine the cause of the decline in night heron populations in Baltimore Harbor, and identify potential effects of environmental contaminants on reproduction of osprey nesting in the regions of concern in the Bay watershed (Baltimore Harbor, Anacostia River, and the Elizabeth River). The USGS also completed an assessment of the available contaminant data to determine impacts on wildlife near Chesapeake Bay.
• Conducted studies to better understand the causes of the numerous outbreaks of fish lesions/disease and fish kills in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Studies included:

1. assessment of Pfiesteria (a toxic dinoflagellate)-related fish kills and Aphanomyces (an invasive fungal pathogen) in menhaden,
2. Mycobacteria (a systemic bacterial infection) in striped bass, and
3. a comprehensive health assessment of white perch in five tributaries.

Synthesis and Forecasting to Improve Ecosystem Assessment, Conservation, and Restoration

Accomplishments include:

• Continued participation in CBP subcommittees, workgroups, and STAC Chesapeake Bay workshops.
• Prepared several synthesis products to help the CBP develop the strategies to reduce nutrients and sediment improved water-quality criteria can be achieved.
• Increased emphasis on presentations to the USFWS Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Team. Based on the presentations, the USFWS requested that USGS become members of the team to increase interaction between the two agencies.
• Presentations at numerous National meetings including the World Watershed Summit, National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
• Continued progress on development of web-based decision-support tools that focused on delivering information from the USGS SPARROW models and water-quality monitoring data.

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