Guiding the Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay: The EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership. Keely Clifford U.S. Embassy Paris

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1 Guiding the Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay: The EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Keely Clifford U.S. Embassy Paris PISCES Workshop June 14,

2 Chesapeake Bay Watershed About 17 million people live in the watershed More than 100,000 streams and rivers drain into the Bay. West Virginia Pennsylvania Virginia 2 Maryland District of Columbia New York Delaware Chesapeake Bay Watershed Boundary

3 Relative W atershed Sizes (metric units) hesapeake Bay Gulf of Finland n (Persian) Gulf Baltic Sea Great Lakes Sea of Cortez North Sea Black Sea Red Sea iterranean Sea Gulf of Mexico outh China Sea Sea of Japan Watershed/Volume Ratio The Bay is relatively shallow: average depth of 7 meters; 3 20% is less than 2 meters in depth.

4 In 1983, the historic Chesapeake Bay Agreement established the Chesapeake Bay Program: A unique federal-state-local partnership committed to restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Governor of MD Governor of VA Governor of PA EPA Administrator Executive Council Mayor of DC 4 Chair of Chesapeake Bay Commission

5 Headwater states of Delaware, New York, and West Virginia joined in 02 Delaware New York West Virginia 5

6 Key Chesapeake Bay Program Partners Federal Partners Academic Partners NGO and Watershed Organization Partners 6

7 Wastewater We Know What the Sources Are Septic 5% Agricultural Lands Municipal & Industrial Wastewater 20% chemical fertilizer 16% Developing Developed Lands Urban/Suburban Runoff - chemical fertilizer 11% manure 19% Atmospheric Deposition - natural (lightning + forest soils) 1% Atmospheric Deposition - mobile + utilities + industries 22% Agricultural Atmospheric Deposition - livestock & fertilized soil emissions 6% Air Deposition 7

8 Agriculture in Bay watershed is the greatest pollution source: 70% of the sed. load 62%, 41% of the N, and 45% of the P 8

9 The Bay Watershed is undergoing rapid increases in population. Bay Watershed Population (millions) Areas of Highest Development Pressure in the Watershed High Development Pressure (HDP) Close Proximity to HDP 5 0 Source: Chesapeake Bay Program Every year the population increases by 170,000 people. 9 Source: Chesapeake Bay Program Every day we lose 100 acres of forests.

10 Over 90% of the Bay and its tidal rivers are impaired due to low dissolved oxygen levels and poor water clarity, all related to nutrient and sediment pollution. Without oxygen and grasses, the Bay s crabs, oysters, and fish cannot survive and thrive. Impaired Water 10

11 Restoration Efforts: Water Quality in a Restored Bay 28 years of voluntary efforts ( ) - many successes, but tremendous population growth off-set progress 2010 regulatory regime with TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load largest in the US. TMDL = Pollution Diet Limit m lbs N (-25%); 12.5 m lbs P (-24%) and 6.45 b lbs sed (-20%) EPA has published dissolved oxygen, water clarity and chlorophyll a criteria which define the conditions necessary to protect the wide variety of the Bay s living resources and their habitats. 11

12 Pollution Diet by River 12

13 Pollution Diet by State 13

14 Successes and Challenges 14

15 Chesapeake Bay Program: Our Lessons Learned Broad Partnerships Are Essential Shared Responsibility Results in Broad Leadership Sound Science Must Be a Bedrock Principle Numeric Goals with Real Deadlines Are Necessary Transparency to the Public, Press and Politicians Is Vital to Credibility, Support and Engagement Communicate progress Need regulatory program for agriculture and development 15