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Scope and Purpose

The Criteria Assessment Protocol Workgroup objectives are to create a partnership agreement on and MD, VA, DE and DC adoption of criteria assessment protocols for the remaining DO criteria in time for the April 2016 303(d) listing cycle to inform the 2017 mid-point assessment and prioritize and resolve additional water quality criteria assessment protocol questions from the partnership.

Projects and Resources

STAC Criteria Addendum Review: Ambient Water Quality Criteria for DO, Water Clarity and Chla

The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership requested that the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) provide a scientific review of the 2017 Technical Addendum to the document: “Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Dissolved Oxygen, Water Clarity and Chlorophyll-a for the Chesapeake Bay and Its Tidal Tributaries.” This addendum was developed by the Criteria Assessment Protocol Workgroup of the Scientific, Technical, Assessment and Reporting (STAR) team, and provides refinements and clarifications to the previously published Chesapeake Bay water quality criteria assessment procedures.
The Criteria Addendum Review Team was selected based on their expertise in estuarine dissolved oxygen, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), chlorophyll, water clarity, statistics and application of water quality criteria in the context of a total maximum daily load (TMDL). The team was asked to address questions regarding the overall appropriateness and justification of the approach taken, the clarity of the document in providing a complete set of guidance for assessing water quality standards attainment, the scientific rigor of the methods used, and provide recommendations to the CBP about potential future enhanced criteria-assessment procedures.

STAC Peer Review for the James River Chlorophyll-a Criteria Re-evaluation

  The CBP-STAC peer review of the James River CHLA Criteria re-evaluation has just been released. This report has been submitted to the CBP Management Board and a written response has been requested on its recommendations.

CHLA Assessment Review/Recommendations Aug 9, 2016 Initial Meeting

These are the minutes from the first meeting of the CAP workgroup, held August 9, 2016, to discuss the short-term task of 1) critically reviewing the existing tidal waters chlorophyll a assessment procedures and 2) providing consensus recommendations on any alternatives to consider in revision of the existing procedures by mid-September 2016.

Ambient WQ Criteria for DO, Water Clarity & Chlorophyll a for the Chesapeake Bay & Its Tidal Tribs

Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Dissolved Oxygen, Water Clarity, and Chlorophyll a for the Chesapeake Bay and It's Tidal Tributaries & Technical Support for Criteria Assesment Protocols Addenda

Since the signing of the multijurisdictional Chesapeake 2000 agreement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with its six watershed State partners and the District of Columbia, has developed a series of water quality criteria guidance documents in accordance with Section 117b of the Clean Water Act. Chesapeake Bay regional water quality criteria were developed and adopted into state water quality standards regulations protective of living resources and their habitats.

These documents include the 2003 Chesapeake Bay water quality criteria document and it's following addenda; as such readers should regard the sections in these addenda as new or replacement chapters and appendices to the original published report. The criteria assessment procedures published in these addenda also replace and otherwise supersede similar criteria assessment procedures originally published in the 2003 Regional Criteria Guidance. Publication of future addenda by EPA on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay Program watershed jurisdictional partners is likely as continued scientific research and management applications reveal new insights and knowledge that should be incorporated into revisions of state water quality standards regulations in upcoming triennial reviews.

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Publications

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