## Breadcrumb

-  Chesapeake Bay Activities 
-  Science 

#           USGS Chesapeake Bay Accomplishments for 2013      

  Completed

      By Chesapeake Bay Activities      June 26, 2020    

            -              Overview           

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been given the leadership responsibility, under the President’s Chesapeake Bay Executive Order (EO), to enhance science efforts to conserve and restore the Nation’s largest estuary. The USGS Chesapeake science activities: (1) address many aspects of the new USGS Mission Area Science Strategies; and (2) help the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), which includes multiple federal and state partners, to more effectively meet their goals. The USGS Chesapeake studies depend on collaboration among 14 National programs to support scientists conducting projects throughout the Bay watershed. Selected accomplishments in each of the four USGS Chesapeake science themes are summarized below.

**Theme 1: Document the status of, and changes to, the health of fish, wildlife, and their habitat.**

USGS programs that collaborated to support projects in this theme are the Contaminant Biology, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environments Programs. In 2013, the USGS:
                                - Released a report in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) summarizing the extent and severity of the occurrence and biological effects of toxic contaminants in Chesapeake Bay. The findings are being used by the USEPA and the CBP partners to develop potential approaches reduce the effects of toxic contaminants.
                                - Improved the understanding, through several journal articles, of the complex factors affecting fish health and identifying sources of contaminants that contribute to reproductive and disease issues in Chesapeake Bay. Articles included (1) determination of potential exposure of smallmouth bass to chemical contaminants in the Potomac River Basin, (2) description of the reproductive health of yellow perch, and (3) identification of largemouth bass virus in Northern Snakehead.
                                - Enhanced sampling and analysis of the effects of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) and other toxic contaminants on fish and wildlife. Efforts included integrated sampling of fish, bed sediment, and water at sites to assess relation to agricultural and urban land use. The USGS also completed the field effort of a food-web study of EDCs, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants to assess the transfer of these chemicals between fish and osprey.
                                - Provided scientific expertise to help FWS and State agencies improve assessment of stream conditions and relation to brook trout. The information is being used to improve management strategies to restore brook trout and their habitats.
                                - Contributed to CBP Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) workshop report on designing sustainable landscapes, which is scheduled to be released in 2014
                                - Continued foraging trails and data collection to develop models of bay habitats and their relation to black ducks and other waterfowl. The model results will be used by FWS, State natural resource departments, the Black Duck Joint Venture, and Ducks Unlimited to develop strategies to restore habitats to increase the number of black ducks and other waterfowl wintering in the bay.

 

**Theme 2: Assess and explain water-quality conditions and change.**

Activities in this theme area are supported by multiple USGS programs, including the Cooperative Water Program, the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA), Hydrologic Networks and Analysis (HNA), the National Research Program (NRP), and the Environments Program. In 2013, the USGS:
                                - Led a workshop through STAC to improve the understanding of lag times between the implementation of management practices and the response of nutrient and sediment loads in water. Outcomes from the workshop were summarized in a STAC report and in the CBP Bay Barometer. The results will be used to improve models of and explain water-quality trends in the bay and its watershed.
                                - Released an article that added to current knowledge of the effect of groundwater on nitrogen transport on the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay. The results are being used to assess the load of nitrogen reaching the bay through groundwater transport, as well as to assess how groundwater influences the surface-water response to nutrientmanagement actions.
                                - Released an article in which the groundwater underlying the Chesapeake Impact Crater was reported to be 150 million years old. The study results generated national and international interest.
                                - Continued to support analysis and development of a model of sediment accumulation in the Lower Susquehanna River reservoirs, as well as identification of potential solutions. The study is being led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and results will be used by USEPA and the States of Maryland and Pennsylvania to develop potential sedimentmanagement strategies.
                                - Worked with USEPA and State partners to mitigate effects of decreased funding from the sequestration on water-quality monitoring networks. The USEPA, USGS, and Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions formulated interim measures that minimized the loss of sites in the watershed network. The partners are beginning a process to develop options to sustain the water-quality networks in the future.
                                - Updated tends and loads for sites in the Chesapeake Bay nontidal monitoring network. The results are released through an enhanced USGS Web site, which provides easy access to the network information. The USGS communicated results to the Executive Council (USEPA Administrator, governors of Bay States, and the District of Columbia mayor) and other CBP partners.
                                - Released a USGS Scientific Investigations Report (SIR) and science summary on using the Weighted Regression on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) technique to assess changes in loads at the nine major rivers entering Chesapeake Bay. The new WRTDS methods will provide an improved means to evaluate a river’s response to management actions implemented to achieve the bay’s total maximum daily load (TMDL). The results documented in the SIR, which was released in January 2013, were communicated to multiple CBP partners.
                                - Consulted with USEPA, States, and nongovernmental organizations to use results from the enhanced SPARROW nutrient and sediment models to help focus implementation of water-quality management practices toward achieving the TMDL.
                                - Conducted enhanced monitoring and research to assess baseline conditions in selected small watersheds (USDA Showcase watersheds and urban areas) for studies of the effect of management practices on improvements in water quality. The USGS also provided scientific leadership and information on sediment and nitrogen sources to aid partners in the targeting and implementation of management efforts in these small watersheds.
                                - Expanded continuous monitoring and enhanced analysis in the Potomac basin to improve methods to better assess and model groundwatersurface water interactions.
                                - Released science summaries on (1) the importance of floodplains in reducing loads of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the Piedmont area of the Chesapeake Bay watershed; and (2) water-quality improvements resulting from suburban stormwater management practices.

 

**Theme 3: Forecast, monitor, and assess effects of land and climate change.**

Activities in this theme were supported primarily by the Land Change Science, Land Remote Sensing, Global Change Research, Groundwater Resources, and Environments Programs. In 2013, the USGS:
                                - Simulated future land-use scenarios (trend, land conservation, and infill development) for the Patuxent River watershed to inform a USEPA study of urban stormwater best management practices.
                                - Began development of a new land-change model of the Chesapeake Bay watershed that will be further refined in 2014. The new model, which is scheduled to be published in 2015, will allow the CBP partners to evaluate the impact of infill development, zoning changes, and landconservation policies and programs on nutrient and sediment loads to the bay.
                                - Led a new CBP Land Use Workgroup to ensure that the most timely and accurate local land-use/land-cover data and models are used to inform TMDL-related decisions for the bay and its watershed.
                                - Worked with USEPA, USDA, and six states in the Bay watershed to improve the reporting of agricultural conservation practices and released a report summarizing the results. The activities contributed to the CBP effort to improve verification of management practices implemented in support of the bay TMDL.
                                - Worked with the National Park Service (NPS) and NatureServe (a NGO) to enhance information in LandScope Chesapeake, a tool designed to help CBP partners collaboratively identify potential areas for land conservation. The USGS also completed an update of the Chesapeake Bay Protected Lands Database, which will be used as a tool for tracking progress toward the EO goal of conserving 2 million acres by 2025.
                                - Released a summary of sea-level rise in the Chesapeake Bay region that includes a discussion of the geologic record of sea-level rise, data on modern sea-level rise, and estimates of future sea-level rise in the region.
                                - Completed and released results of a study of the effect of groundwater withdrawals on land subsidence in the southern Chesapeake Bay area.

 

**Theme 4: Summarize science and provide tools to support ecosystem management.**

Activities are supported primarily by the USGS Environments and National Geospatial Programs and the Office of Communication and Publishing. In 2013, the USGS:
                                - Provided science results in coordination with Federal, State, and academic partners to inform the consideration of items for inclusion in the update of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. The agreement will set the goals for the partnership through 2025 and is scheduled to be signed in 2014. The previous agreement was signed in 2000.
                                - Prepared documents (science summaries, press releases, Web feature stories) summarizing several high-profile reports to communicate study results to multiple CBP partners. Topics included: (1) nitrogen transport in groundwater on the Eastern Shore, (2) trends in nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and (3) the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on fish. Additional summaries are discussed under their respective science themes.
                                - Worked with CBP partners to release three new decision-support tools: (1) Chesapeake Landscope (USGS, NPS, and NatureServe); (2) a nontidal trends Web site (USGS and CBP monitoring partners); and (3) a forest conservation tool (USGS and U.S. Forest Service). These tools are described under their respective science themes.
                                - Implemented an initial USGS Chesapeake Bay Data Hub on the USGS ScienceBase platform for data management. The data hub currently includes key regional-level USGS Chesapeake Bay datasets, publications, and links to Web sites. The data hub allows users to find, download, and access data via Web services. The USGS is working to improve management of its Chesapeake Bay information through a partnership with the USGS Community for Data Integration (CDI).
                                - Worked with other Federal agencies (NOAA and USEPA) to enhance data sharing among.

 

*« Return to Chesapeake Bay Activities and Accomplishments**« Return to Chesapeake Bay Activities — About*

### Study Area

### Contacts

####             Scott Phillips (Former Employee)          

##### Chesapeake Bay Program Coordinator

Northeast Region

#### Ken Hyer, Ph.D.

##### Chesapeake Bay Coordinator

Chesapeake Bay Activities

kenhyer@usgs.gov

804-382-7111

### Explore Search

                      - Biology
                      - Ecosystems

View All **

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been given the leadership responsibility, under the President’s Chesapeake Bay Executive Order (EO), to enhance science efforts to conserve and restore the Nation’s largest estuary. The USGS Chesapeake science activities: (1) address many aspects of the new USGS Mission Area Science Strategies; and (2) help the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), which includes multiple federal and state partners, to more effectively meet their goals. The USGS Chesapeake studies depend on collaboration among 14 National programs to support scientists conducting projects throughout the Bay watershed. Selected accomplishments in each of the four USGS Chesapeake science themes are summarized below.

**Theme 1: Document the status of, and changes to, the health of fish, wildlife, and their habitat.**

USGS programs that collaborated to support projects in this theme are the Contaminant Biology, Toxic Substances Hydrology, Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environments Programs. In 2013, the USGS:
                                - Released a report in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) summarizing the extent and severity of the occurrence and biological effects of toxic contaminants in Chesapeake Bay. The findings are being used by the USEPA and the CBP partners to develop potential approaches reduce the effects of toxic contaminants.
                                - Improved the understanding, through several journal articles, of the complex factors affecting fish health and identifying sources of contaminants that contribute to reproductive and disease issues in Chesapeake Bay. Articles included (1) determination of potential exposure of smallmouth bass to chemical contaminants in the Potomac River Basin, (2) description of the reproductive health of yellow perch, and (3) identification of largemouth bass virus in Northern Snakehead.
                                - Enhanced sampling and analysis of the effects of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) and other toxic contaminants on fish and wildlife. Efforts included integrated sampling of fish, bed sediment, and water at sites to assess relation to agricultural and urban land use. The USGS also completed the field effort of a food-web study of EDCs, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants to assess the transfer of these chemicals between fish and osprey.
                                - Provided scientific expertise to help FWS and State agencies improve assessment of stream conditions and relation to brook trout. The information is being used to improve management strategies to restore brook trout and their habitats.
                                - Contributed to CBP Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) workshop report on designing sustainable landscapes, which is scheduled to be released in 2014
                                - Continued foraging trails and data collection to develop models of bay habitats and their relation to black ducks and other waterfowl. The model results will be used by FWS, State natural resource departments, the Black Duck Joint Venture, and Ducks Unlimited to develop strategies to restore habitats to increase the number of black ducks and other waterfowl wintering in the bay.

 

**Theme 2: Assess and explain water-quality conditions and change.**

Activities in this theme area are supported by multiple USGS programs, including the Cooperative Water Program, the National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA), Hydrologic Networks and Analysis (HNA), the National Research Program (NRP), and the Environments Program. In 2013, the USGS:
                                - Led a workshop through STAC to improve the understanding of lag times between the implementation of management practices and the response of nutrient and sediment loads in water. Outcomes from the workshop were summarized in a STAC report and in the CBP Bay Barometer. The results will be used to improve models of and explain water-quality trends in the bay and its watershed.
                                - Released an article that added to current knowledge of the effect of groundwater on nitrogen transport on the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay. The results are being used to assess the load of nitrogen reaching the bay through groundwater transport, as well as to assess how groundwater influences the surface-water response to nutrientmanagement actions.
                                - Released an article in which the groundwater underlying the Chesapeake Impact Crater was reported to be 150 million years old. The study results generated national and international interest.
                                - Continued to support analysis and development of a model of sediment accumulation in the Lower Susquehanna River reservoirs, as well as identification of potential solutions. The study is being led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and results will be used by USEPA and the States of Maryland and Pennsylvania to develop potential sedimentmanagement strategies.
                                - Worked with USEPA and State partners to mitigate effects of decreased funding from the sequestration on water-quality monitoring networks. The USEPA, USGS, and Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions formulated interim measures that minimized the loss of sites in the watershed network. The partners are beginning a process to develop options to sustain the water-quality networks in the future.
                                - Updated tends and loads for sites in the Chesapeake Bay nontidal monitoring network. The results are released through an enhanced USGS Web site, which provides easy access to the network information. The USGS communicated results to the Executive Council (USEPA Administrator, governors of Bay States, and the District of Columbia mayor) and other CBP partners.
                                - Released a USGS Scientific Investigations Report (SIR) and science summary on using the Weighted Regression on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) technique to assess changes in loads at the nine major rivers entering Chesapeake Bay. The new WRTDS methods will provide an improved means to evaluate a river’s response to management actions implemented to achieve the bay’s total maximum daily load (TMDL). The results documented in the SIR, which was released in January 2013, were communicated to multiple CBP partners.
                                - Consulted with USEPA, States, and nongovernmental organizations to use results from the enhanced SPARROW nutrient and sediment models to help focus implementation of water-quality management practices toward achieving the TMDL.
                                - Conducted enhanced monitoring and research to assess baseline conditions in selected small watersheds (USDA Showcase watersheds and urban areas) for studies of the effect of management practices on improvements in water quality. The USGS also provided scientific leadership and information on sediment and nitrogen sources to aid partners in the targeting and implementation of management efforts in these small watersheds.
                                - Expanded continuous monitoring and enhanced analysis in the Potomac basin to improve methods to better assess and model groundwatersurface water interactions.
                                - Released science summaries on (1) the importance of floodplains in reducing loads of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the Piedmont area of the Chesapeake Bay watershed; and (2) water-quality improvements resulting from suburban stormwater management practices.

 

**Theme 3: Forecast, monitor, and assess effects of land and climate change.**

Activities in this theme were supported primarily by the Land Change Science, Land Remote Sensing, Global Change Research, Groundwater Resources, and Environments Programs. In 2013, the USGS:
                                - Simulated future land-use scenarios (trend, land conservation, and infill development) for the Patuxent River watershed to inform a USEPA study of urban stormwater best management practices.
                                - Began development of a new land-change model of the Chesapeake Bay watershed that will be further refined in 2014. The new model, which is scheduled to be published in 2015, will allow the CBP partners to evaluate the impact of infill development, zoning changes, and landconservation policies and programs on nutrient and sediment loads to the bay.
                                - Led a new CBP Land Use Workgroup to ensure that the most timely and accurate local land-use/land-cover data and models are used to inform TMDL-related decisions for the bay and its watershed.
                                - Worked with USEPA, USDA, and six states in the Bay watershed to improve the reporting of agricultural conservation practices and released a report summarizing the results. The activities contributed to the CBP effort to improve verification of management practices implemented in support of the bay TMDL.
                                - Worked with the National Park Service (NPS) and NatureServe (a NGO) to enhance information in LandScope Chesapeake, a tool designed to help CBP partners collaboratively identify potential areas for land conservation. The USGS also completed an update of the Chesapeake Bay Protected Lands Database, which will be used as a tool for tracking progress toward the EO goal of conserving 2 million acres by 2025.
                                - Released a summary of sea-level rise in the Chesapeake Bay region that includes a discussion of the geologic record of sea-level rise, data on modern sea-level rise, and estimates of future sea-level rise in the region.
                                - Completed and released results of a study of the effect of groundwater withdrawals on land subsidence in the southern Chesapeake Bay area.

 

**Theme 4: Summarize science and provide tools to support ecosystem management.**

Activities are supported primarily by the USGS Environments and National Geospatial Programs and the Office of Communication and Publishing. In 2013, the USGS:
                                - Provided science results in coordination with Federal, State, and academic partners to inform the consideration of items for inclusion in the update of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. The agreement will set the goals for the partnership through 2025 and is scheduled to be signed in 2014. The previous agreement was signed in 2000.
                                - Prepared documents (science summaries, press releases, Web feature stories) summarizing several high-profile reports to communicate study results to multiple CBP partners. Topics included: (1) nitrogen transport in groundwater on the Eastern Shore, (2) trends in nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and (3) the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on fish. Additional summaries are discussed under their respective science themes.
                                - Worked with CBP partners to release three new decision-support tools: (1) Chesapeake Landscope (USGS, NPS, and NatureServe); (2) a nontidal trends Web site (USGS and CBP monitoring partners); and (3) a forest conservation tool (USGS and U.S. Forest Service). These tools are described under their respective science themes.
                                - Implemented an initial USGS Chesapeake Bay Data Hub on the USGS ScienceBase platform for data management. The data hub currently includes key regional-level USGS Chesapeake Bay datasets, publications, and links to Web sites. The data hub allows users to find, download, and access data via Web services. The USGS is working to improve management of its Chesapeake Bay information through a partnership with the USGS Community for Data Integration (CDI).
                                - Worked with other Federal agencies (NOAA and USEPA) to enhance data sharing among.

 

*« Return to Chesapeake Bay Activities and Accomplishments**« Return to Chesapeake Bay Activities — About*

### Study Area

### Contacts

####             Scott Phillips (Former Employee)          

##### Chesapeake Bay Program Coordinator

Northeast Region

#### Ken Hyer, Ph.D.

##### Chesapeake Bay Coordinator

Chesapeake Bay Activities

kenhyer@usgs.gov

804-382-7111

### Explore Search

                      - Biology
                      - Ecosystems

View All **