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Nicole CarlozoNOAA Coastal Management

FellowApril 10, 2013

Integrating Water Quality and Coastal Resources into Marine Spatial Planning in the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays

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The Project will address:

– Water quality (Total Maximum Daily Loads)• Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment allocations

– Coastal conservation and restoration• Wetlands, riparian buffers, and living shorelines

– Oyster aquaculture expansion• Aquaculture as a natural filter• Bottom, caged, and column/float cultures

– Competing coastal and marine uses

– Climate change• SLR considerations• Climate impacts to BMP function

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Goals:

• Identify high priority aquaculture and coastal restoration areas that align with TMDL water quality goals.

• Prioritize identified areas where investment in or support of aquaculture and natural filter projects would result in water quality improvements related to the TMDL.

• Develop recommendations about the best ways to balance competing water uses and coastal restoration practices.

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Project Phases:

General Targeting Model

Prioritization Methodology for select (pilot) areas

Estimate nutrient reduction potential (pilot areas)

Integrate Climate Change

Develop Recommendations for balancing restoration with competing coastal/marine uses

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Riparian Buffer – General Targeting

• Land Use– Exclude forest and

open water

• Hydrology– ≤ 300 feet from

stream/river– ≤ 100 feet from

stream/river

• Other Considerations– Sensitive Species

Areas– Ditches

Forest

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Riparian Buffer – Prioritization• Depth to water table (0 – 2 meter range)• Poor soil drainage• Saturated soils (hydric, clay, silt, floodplain)• Adjacent to headwater streams• Distance to water source - streams/surface flow• Downslope of nutrient sources• Land use (wetlands and existing buffers = low priority)• Land use (agricultural lands/row crops = high priority)

• Low slope (water and N retention)• Percent Organic Matter

Nitrogen Model Phosphorus/Sediment Model

• High percent slope• Highly erodible soils (K factor)• High P source (P index)

DRAFT

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Wetland Restoration – General Targeting

• Land Use– Exclude forest, wetland,

and open water

• Soil Type– Hydric (potential

wetland landscape SSURGO grid)

– ‘Poorly’ or ‘very poorly’ drained soils

• Other Considerations– Wellhead Protection

Areas

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Wetland Restoration – Prioritization

• Land use (urban, commercial, industrial, and transportation = low priority)

• Land use (agricultural lands draining to wetlands and ditched / diked / drained land = high priority)

• Soil Drainage • Saturated soils (hydric, clay, silt, floodplain)• Distance to water source – ground/surface water• Wetland size and geomorphic region

• Percent Organic Matter

Nitrogen Model Phosphorus/Sediment Model

• High P source (P index)

DRAFT

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Living Shoreline – General Targeting

Erosion and Energy– < 8 ft/yr– Fetch ≤ 5 miles– Waterway width > 100 feet

*See MDE guidance maps for where structural

components are authorized.

Other Considerations– 6 hours of sunlight/day

MDE Waiver Process for Living Shorelines:

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Living Shoreline – Prioritization

• Wave energy (High wave energy is not ideal. Prioritize medium to low wave energy)

• High erosion or erosion risk (50 year planning window erosion vulnerability layer)

• Bottom substrate – prioritize medium (sand/silt) and soft (organic/silt/clay) bottom material

• Exclude shores adjacent to SAV (5 year SAV zone) DRAFT

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Oyster Aquaculture – General Targeting

• Environmental Parameters– Dissolved Oxygen– Salinity– Temperature– Bacteria– Substrate

• Policy Parameters– SAV zone– Artificial Reef sites– Buffers around historic oyster

bars, pound nets, reserve, Public Shellfish Fishery Area, shoreline, navigational channels

• Other Factors– Sanctuary Status– Waterfowl Concentration

Areas– Sensitive Species Project

Review Area– Wetlands of Special State

Concern– Cultural/Historical Resources– Navigation Buoy buffer– Bathymetry– Blind Spots

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Oyster Aquaculture – Prioritization

• Quantifying Nutrient Reduction– Nutrient Assimilation

(tissue, shell)– Biogeochemistry

(denitrification, burial processes)

– Bottom, Cage, and Float Cultures vs. reefs

– Chesapeake Bay Program STAC review

– Identify site characteristics that enhance nutrient uptake or denitrification

Dissolved Oxygen

> 4 mg/L summer average

Salinity 8 – 12 ppt (bottom/caged)8 – 25 ppt (float/triploid)

Bacteria Non-conditional areas

Substrate Hard > shell > mixed > gravel

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Integrating Climate Change

• TMDL pollution control measures must be implemented by 2025. Where should we invest considering an uncertain climate future?– Assess climate vulnerability of natural filter BMPs and invest at

sites with long term nutrient reduction benefits.– Potential scenarios: 2025, 2050, 2075, 2100

• Potential GIS layers:– Sea level rise, elevation, wetland adaptation areas,

erosion rates

• Develop new GIS layers:– “Climate Risk Areas” – areas at risk of exceeding habitat

thresholds for wetland, riparian, and aquaculture species.

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Marine Use Conflicts

Where will BMP implementation impact coastal and marine users?

Photos by Chris Cortina

Participatory GIS (pGIS) Workshop

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Programmatic Conflicts and Priorities

• Easements, restored areas, protected lands• Habitats of special interest, sensitive species

project review areas• Cultural/historic sites• Wellhead protection areas• Nutrient Removal Priority Areas

– Trust Fund watersheds– Biological Restoration Initiative watersheds– Priority Forest Watersheds

• Ecological Value Priority Areas: – Greenprint Targeted Ecological Areas (TEAs)– Adjacent to Green Infrastructure Hubs and Corridors– Adjacent to protected lands

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Timeline

– March 2013: Advisory Groups discuss general targeting parameters.

– May 2013: Complete general targeting models. Finalize prioritization parameters for living shoreline, wetland, and riparian restoration models.

– June 2013: STAC oyster review to be completed. Finalize oyster aquaculture prioritization parameters for bottom, cage, and float models.

– Summer 2013: Complete targeting/prioritization models. Develop “Priority Restoration Area” GIS layers – BMP sites with most impact to water quality.

– Fall 2013: Hold participatory GIS workshops.

– 2013 – 2014: • Climate Change Vulnerability Analysis and development of

“Climate Risk Area” GIS layers.• Develop recommendations for balancing marine uses• Develop BMP recommendations for oyster aquaculture

– August 2014: Complete