Document Type
Report
Publication Date
1-2005
Abstract
The Virginia Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries continue to show some environmental trends indicating progress toward restoration of a more balanced and healthy ecosystem. However, the Bay system remains degraded and some areas and indicators show continuing degradation. Progress in reducing nutrient inputs has made demonstrable improvements and we expect that continued progress toward nutrient reduction goals, along with appropriate fisheries management and chemical contaminant controls, will result in additional improvements to the Bay. Findings from the last 18 years of the monitoring programs are highlighted below.
In 1995, the Virginia DEQ instituted changes to its analytical techniques for determining nutrient concentrations in the tidal waters of Virginia. These changes resulted in step trends in the data for both the nitrogen and phosphorus parameters for which status and long-term trends were assessed. An appropriate statistical technique was employed to determine long-term trends for the entire period of record (1985-2003) and for trends that occurred during the pre-method change and post-method change periods. For the tidal waters of Virginia, all information presented in this summary concerning long-term trends in nutrient parameters refers only to trends detected for the entire period of record and focuses only on the James, Elizabeth, York and Rappahannock rivers.
Rights
included with kind permission from the author(s).
Repository Citation
Dauer, Daniel M.; Marshall, Harold G.; Donat, John R.; Lane, Michael F.; Doughten, Suzanne C.; and Hoffman, Frederick A., "Status and Trends in Water Quality and Living Resources in the Virginia Chesapeake Bay: James River (1985-2003)" (2005). Status and Trends for Virginia Chesapeake Bay. 17.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/chesapeakebay-archive_status_reports/17
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Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment Commons, Environmental Monitoring Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons