The State of the Bay: Water Quality

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The State of the Bay Water Quality
Jay Davis, Mike Connor SFEI Russ Flegal - UCSC
Presented at RMP Annual Meeting October 2, 2007
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How is the Bay doing?
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• Need for a simple summary
• Does justice to the wealth of available
  information
• Synthesis articles
• CEP reports
• Not too simple

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A Pictorial Summary Example PCBs
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
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A Pictorial Summary Example PCBs
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
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A Pictorial Summary Example PCBs
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
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Problems Solved
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
Organic Waste
Nutrients
Silver
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The Biggest Problems
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
Total Mercury
Methyl-mercury
PCBs
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The Biggest Problems
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
Dioxins
Exotic Species
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Other Threats
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
Selenium
Legacy Pesticides
PAHs
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Below Thresholds
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
Nickel
Copper
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Rising Concerns
Health Risks
Spatial Pattern
Status
Pathways
Trend
Forecast
PBDEs
Pyre- throids
Sediment Toxicity
Mixtures
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• The Pulse Water Quality Summary
• Tailored to RMP
• Consistent with 303(d) List
• By pollutant
• Flexible - incorporates all available information
• Highlights information gaps
• Includes forecast
• Not boiled down to one score

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Lunchtime Referendum Summarizing Bay Water
Quality
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• Ecological Scorecard
• Single letter grade
• Includes trend info
• Formulas using water concentrations - rigid
• Multifaceted evaluation framework
• Inconsistent with 303(d) List
• Unfounded fluctuations

http//www.bay.org/ecological_scorecard.htm
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• State of the Sound Report Card
• Non-loaded grading terminology
• Incorporates trend
• Flexible
• Multifaceted framework water, habitat, species,
  climate

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www.eco-check.org/reportcard/ chesapeake/
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• Chesapeake Bay 2006 Report Card
• Geography-based
• Habitat health index one score
• Letter grades
• Works better for fixed-station design

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• Bay Health Assessment
• Goal-oriented
• Water quality boils down to one score - goals
  achieved
• Multifaceted framework
• Only works if goals exist

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Lunchtime Referendum Summarizing Bay Water
Quality
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