A report released yesterday by the Susquehanna River Basic Commission shows that the Susquehanna river and its tributaries feeding the Chesapeake Bay are steadily "cleaning up". Compared to baseline data collected in the late 1980s, nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment loads in the streams are declining.
The 2008 data, collected from 23 monitoring sites in Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania, found substantial reductions in nutrient and suspended-sediments. "The commission's findings help validate that the aggressive nutrient and sediment reduction efforts over the years are working and supporting bay restoration efforts," says John Hines, deputy secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection.
SRBCs monitoring data and trend information are used by Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and federal agencies to determine areas where nutrient and sediment loads are increasing or decreasing. It helps target management options.
To check monitoring site results, you can find the technical report (Publication No. 267) and interactive map on the Web at www.srbc.net/programs/CBP/nutrientprogram.htm .
INTERACTIVE MAP: This map shows the watershed monitoring sites in the three states.
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