3/28/2007

Coastal waters show ‘disturbing trend’
By Don Klein

The executive director of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program David P. Blazer said there are factors that indicate a "disturbing trend" that waters along the coast may be in a state of decline. This conclusion was based on monitoring the bay waters by the group's scientific and technical committee.

Summarizing the finding for the Worcester County Commissioners at its March 20 meeting, the organization said in general, water quality in Maryland's Coastal Bays "does not meet thresholds established to support healthy resources."

The report added:

Water quality conditions are worse in the tributaries and northern bays and better near the inlet and southern bays.

MCBP chlorophyll goal is not met at 25 to 30 percent of locations.

In general nutrient and chlorophyll concentrations have remained level or declined in the southern bays sine the late 1980s.

Rates of nutrient and chlorophyll improvement in the southern bays have leveled off or be reversed in recent years. This recent worsening of water quality conditions is reflected in sea grass trends.

Dr. Dave Goshorn, of the Department of Natural Resources, told the commissioners that the primary stress on the bays is pollution. Nutrient and sediment pollution are the primary threats to coastal bays, he said. Unlike the Chesapeake, coastal bays' unique problem is that it is shallow and lacks flushing, making most areas sensitive to pollution.

Testing began in the lower bays in 1986 and continued in 1999. Commissioner Virgil Shockley, who speaks for farmers in the county, claimed the decline in nutrient in the lower bay was the result of farmers implementing a nutrient management plan some 15 years ago. He indicated there was no room for further improvement.

Asked by Commissioner Judy Boggs "how do we compare" with the clean up of the Chesapeake Bay, which has been underway for 30 years, Mr. Blazer responded, "We are better than the Chesapeake."

Harmful nutrients in coastal waters are concentrated at St. Martin River and the Newport Bay locations. They include chlorophyll, nitrogen, phosphorous and dissolved oxygen. Mr. Blazer said they plan to develop local programs to solve the bays' problems. "We are looking to have a policy committee meeting in June to address the red flags we have coming up," he said, adding, "I hope to show improvement in a couple of years."

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