Can TMDL Models Reproduce the Nutrient Loading - Hypoxia Relationship?
Abstract
Some studies suggest that eutrophied estuaries have exhibited unexpected responses to nutrient reduction, i.e., hypoxic volume has continued to increase while nutrient loading has plateaued or decreased. This project sought to construct a long-term time series of nutrient loading for the Chesapeake Bay (1950-present) from nutrient loading observations (Susquehanna, Potomac, and Patuxent Rivers), as well as proxies for other non-tidal rivers, long-term records of point sources, and proxies for changes in atmospheric loading. This loading reconstruction was then used to force the 4,000 segment Chesapeake Bay Program Environmental Modeling Package (CBEMP). Published by WERF. 52 pages. Online PDF. (2015)
Originally funded as WERF project U4R09.
