The Nutrient Subcommittee's primary charge is to coordinate and provide support to the Bay Program partners in implementing nutrient and sediment reduction efforts necessary to meet the water quality goals of Chesapeake 2000 to restore the Bay's living resources. The primary focus of the Subcommittee is to support efforts to reduce and cap the nutrient and sediment loads entering the Bay and to ensure that these reductions are maintained over time.
The Subcommittee and its workgroups focus on efforts to accelerate pollution reductions from each source sector such as municipal and industrial dischargers, including stormwater; urban lands and development; septic systems; agricultural cropland and animal operations; multiple sediment sources and atmospheric deposition. This is achieved through collaborative efforts of the Bay watershed jurisdictions; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Chesapeake Bay Commission; federal, state, and local agencies; academic institutions; and citizen and environmental groups.
The Subcommittee responsibilities are to:
(1) Support the Bay Program partners in implementing the Tributary Strategies to achieve the nutrient and sediment reductions necessary to restore the Bay.
- Identify and promote high performing nutrient and sediment reduction practices and programs that can be employed in the watershed to achieve significant nutrient and/or sediment reductions.
- Inform and refine management approaches for reducing or preventing nutrient and sediment loads to the Chesapeake Bay based on the latest scientific understanding.
- Enhance communication between the Bay Program partners and promote the sharing of information.
(2) Identify ways to better utilize existing resources and programs and promote approaches for maintaining the cap on nutrient and sediment reductions over time, even in the face of population increases, urban land growth, and other land use conversions.
(3) Ensure that projects funded through the Chesapeake Bay Program, as well as other funding sources, help benefit nutrient and sediment load reductions. Identify ways to better utilize existing funding and programs to meet the Bay restoration goals and better advise outside groups.
(4) Track and evaluate the nutrient and sediment reduction progress and provide regular updates to the Implementation Committee.
(5) Coordinate Subcommittee activities with the other Chesapeake Bay Program committees and subcommittees.