Transcript No Slide Title

Chesapeake Bay Initiatives
John Kennedy
VA DEQ, Chesapeake Bay Program
[email protected]
804-698-4312
Chesapeake Bay
Watershed
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Delaware
West Virginia
DC
Virginia
Virginia’s Bay
Watershed
Bay Cleanup Involves
Partners at all Levels:
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT:
STATE/DISTRICT
GOVERNMENT:
USEPA, USGS, USFWS,
NRCS, FS, NPS, NOAA,
DOD, USCG
MD, PA, VA, DC
WV, DE, NY
PRIVATE
INDUSTRY
CHESAPEAKE
BAY PROGRAM
UNIVERSITIES &
RESEARCHERS
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS
CONCERNED
CITIZENS
VA’s Interagency
Chesapeake Bay Team:
Natural Resources
Education
Commerce & Trade
Transportation
Health & Human Res.
Chesapeake 2000 Agreement :
A Watershed Partnership
Five key activity areas:
• Living Resources Protection & Restoration
• Vital Habitat Protection & Restoration
• Water Quality Protection and Restoration
• Sound Land Use
• Stewardship and Community Engagement
Chesapeake 2000 Agreement :
A Watershed Partnership
Improving water quality is
the most critical element in
the overall protection and
restoration of Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries.
Goal for Nutrients: By 2010,
correct the nutrientrelated problems in the
Bay and its tributaries
sufficiently to remove
them from the Federal
“Impaired Waters” list
Impaired
Chesapeake Bay
Impaired Water
Unimpaired Water
Large portions of the
Chesapeake Bay and
its tidal rivers are
listed under the
Clean Water Act as
“impaired waters”
primarily because of
low dissolved oxygen
levels and other
problems related to
nutrient pollution.
Healthy vs. Unhealthy Water Quality
Sunlight
Low Nutrient and
Sediment Inputs
Sunlight
High Nutrient and
Sediment Inputs
Algae Blooms
Healthy
Bay Grasses
Balanced
Algae Growth
Healthy
Habitat
Reduced
Bay Grasses
Unhealthy
Habitat
Algae Die-off
Algae
Decomposition
Healthy
Oyster
Reef
Diverse Benthic
Community
Adequate
Oxygen
Low Oxygen
Barren
Oyster
Reef
Lack of Benthic
Community
The Chesapeake Bay:
How is it Doing?
Threats to the Bay and Rivers
NUTRIENTS
SEDIMENT
TOXIC CHEMICALS
HABITAT LOSS
OVERFISHING
Industry Reduces
Chemical Releases
300
Millions of lbs/yr
250
200
150
Original
Goal
100
50
0
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Industrial plants have
achieved a voluntary
goal of reducing
releases and transfers
of chemicals by 65%
from 1988 to 2000.
Since the YR 2000 goal
has been achieved, the
Bay Program is
working with industry
to set new targets.
Underwater Bay
Grasses
180
Bay Grasses (x 1,000 acres)
Restoration Goal (185,000 acres by 2010)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
* Note - The hatched area of the bar includes estimated additional acreage.
Acreage estimates vary
year to year, data generally
shows slow, steady
increase from 38,000 acres
in 1984 to nearly 78,260
acres in 2005.
Record-setting decrease
between 2002 and 2003,
highlights the critical need
to further control nutrient
and sediment pollution
flowing into the Bay in both
wet and dry years.
Percentage of Watershed Forested
Forest Acreage
Declining
Forests provide critical
habitat and prevent
pollutants from
reaching the Bay and
rivers.
100
80
About 59% of the Bay
basin is currently
forested.
60
40
Early
Colonies
20
0
1650
1700
Land
abandoned
after Civ il
War and
Depression
Land
cleared for
agriculture
and timber
1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
D
e
v
e
l
o
p
m
e
n
t
The forest that regrew
from the 19th to the
mid-20th centuries is
steadily declining.
Current losses
represent permanent
2000 conversions.
Wetlands
Protection
Wetlands protection is vital to
restoring the Bay ecosystem.
Tidal wetlands losses were
reduced in the 1980’s, but
freshwater wetlands, like
forested swamps, were lost at
an increasing rate -- up from
2,400 ac/yr 1950s-70s, to 2,800
acres/yr during the 1980s.
“C2K” Goal is no-net loss in
regulated wetlands, and a net
resource gain of 25,000 acres
of tidal and non-tidal wetlands
by 2010.
Striped Bass
Recover!
The stock was
declared restored in
January 1995.
60
50
40
Fishing moratoria:
MD & DE: 1985-1990
VA: 1989-1990
30
20
10
0
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Striped bass have
responded to a
moratorium followed
by harvest
restrictions, stocking
efforts and improved
habitat conditions.
SSB (females ages 4+yrs, millions of lbs)
Baywide Female Spawning Stock Biomass
Blue Crabs
Hanging On
1.5
1
Average
0.5
0
-0.5
-1
-1.5
2001
1998
1995
1992
1989
1986
1983
1980
1977
1974
1971
-2
1968
Bay partners agreed to
increase spawning
potential by reducing
harvests 15% by 2003.
Mature Female Blue Crabs
2
Spawning Female Index
Mature female
abundance has trended
upwards for the past
three years after hitting
an historic low in 2000,
but has been below the
long-term average for
six straight years and
ten of the past 12 years.
Oyster Harvests and
Population are Down
A “keystone” species:
filter feeding an important
part of Bay ecosystem.
Oyster harvests are only
2% of harvest highs
recorded in the 1950s.
Declines since the 1950s
are due to overharvest,
disease, pollution and
loss of oyster reef habitat.
Commercial Landings (million lbs)
40
35
30
25
VA
20
MD
15
10
5
0
53
58
63
68
73
78
83
88
93
98
2002
Watershed Approach to
Nutrient Reduction
• Virginia’s Tributary Strategies define needed
point and nonpoint source control actions
• Point source (wastewater treatment) controls
recognized as highly reliable, cost effective,
measurable, enforceable, and critical to
achievement of water quality objectives
• Remaining nutrient reduction must be
accomplished by nonpoint source runoff controls
VA’s Point Source Control Initiative
• Discharge regulations = mandatory treatment
• Nutrient Credit Exchange Program
• Water Quality Improvement Fund: Cost-share
grants for technology installation
WQIF Current Status:
• ~ $284 million available
• ~ $631 million requested
WQIF Funding Prospects:
• Grant funds available ~ $284 million
• Grant Funds needed through 2025:
~$750 M - $1 B
– Cost range: depends on compliance
dates, project scheduling, technology,
construction market, trading, etc.
– 60 – 70% of funds needed by ~2011
– $17 M appropriated in FY07-08 for
projects outside Ches Bay watershed
• General Assembly Policy: “…provide annually its
share of financial support…to fulfill the
Commonwealth’s responsibilities under Article XI
of Constitution of VA” (§10.1-2128.B)
Other Reference
Sources:
Federal-Interstate CBP Homepage:
http://www.chesapeakebay.net
VA Sect. of Natural Resources Homepage:
http://www.naturalresources.virginia.gov
Dept. of Env. Quality Homepage:
http://www.deq.virginia.gov
Dept. of Cons. & Recreation Homepage:
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov
Questions?