Student Inquiries Go to the Heart of Bay Questions

This interaction I just had with a visual journalism student here at Penn State. Worth a broader discussion. If you haven't had a chance to see the Doug Beegle story on the nutrient imbalance in the Bay - the student's message below contains the URL to it.

Hi Jill.

Interestingly – the story that you’ve referenced is one that Doug Beegle has told well and often across the Chesapeake Bay region – and the nation. Yet – this more recent article has garnered a lot of interest and spawned more communication about the policy issues that we have – a mass imbalance of nutrients – in terms of where feed is grown – and where the concentrations of animal are located.

For the State College ‘community’ – and residents in particular – there are broad questions about water quality that must be addressed. The challenge is how to make it 1) of interest to society – given that we are so far removed from where the Bay real estate is located and 2) tie local efforts to improving both LOCAL water quality AND Bay water quality.

That said – it is important to keep in mind that for streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds (and groundwater) that contribute to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay – there are TWO levels of water quality goals. We have local water quality goals – meaning that we want to ensure that our local streams are meeting their designated uses (aquatic life, recreation, drinking water, and a number of others). These local water quality goals are important to the people who live here – and depend upon the local water resources – for drinking water, livelihoods, quality of life, and the local economy. However – with the Bay – we have an added water quality goal that is more regional in nature…. What level of aggregate pollutants that are degrading the Bay (sediments, phosphorus, and nitrogen) are discharged FROM the Spring Creek Watershed - of which the State College community makes a portion of that watershed? For streams within the State College vicinity – some are agriculturally impaired – and some are impaired more by urban runoff. Both sources of impairments are important for our community to address – in terms of protecting and improving local water quality. However- there is a possibility that we could IMPROVE local water quality – remove the impairments and STILL be a source of the pollutants that are of concern to REGIONAL water quality – that is the Bay.

The issue is important because ALL communities – State College included – have social responsibility for the quality of the water that discharges (leaves) their community – and flows downstream to the next community – which needs to know that it too can have the water quality it requires for drinking water, aquatic habitat, recreation, etc. In the case of State College – we are literally at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. There are no other communities that are “upstream” of us – as Spring Creek’s origins are many seeps, springs, and sinks along the Tussey Mountain ridge. However – there are many, many communities “downstream” of State College – that rely on our choices and willingness to ensure that water quality here is protected and to the extent possible, even improved.

“Upstream” of State College there are farms along the headwaters of Spring Creek – and Slab Cabin – many of which have improved practices – or implemented “best management practices” to decrease the nutrient/sediment runoff from their farm. In some cases – we have model farms that have done extraordinary jobs in partnership with a number of local entities – including Penn State, the Centre Co. Conservation District, US Fish & Wildlife Foundation, ClearWater and others. In other cases – we have farms that still have much opportunity to improve. Likewise on the urban front. We have some residential areas, golf courses, commercial-, and other enterprises that are paying attention to how the stream is buffered with riparian forests – and actively and intentionally paying attention to reducing fertilizer use – and others that have huge opportunities for improvements.

The bottom line is that this is not an Ag v. Urban problem – this is a COMMUNITY challenge – and will require all individuals to undertake a robust look at their respective “sphere of influence” and determine what their role can be to reduce nutrients, chemical use, and sediment loss from all human activities on the landscape.

Hope this is helpful!
Kristen

Kristen Saacke Blunk
Senior Extension Associate and Director
Penn State Agriculture & Environment Center
206 Armsby, University Park, PA 16802
ksaackeblunk@psu.edu ofc: 814.863-8756
cell: 814.360-9766 fax: 814.865-3746
http://aec.cas.psu.edu
Join me on http://WaterNotesPa.blogspot.com/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/WaterNotes



From: Jillian Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 9:47 AMTo: Kristen Saacke BlunkSubject: Chesapeake Bay Story

Kristen Saacke-Blunk,

My name is Jill and I am currently a junior at Penn State studying visual journalism. As a part of a class assignment, I have been assigned to write a news article in response to a press release issued by the university (http://live.psu.edu/story/50747) in regards to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. While researching my topic, I found that you have great involvement in this area of study. I was wondering if you could answer two short questions for me so that I may use a quote for my article. The article will not be published and is strictly for practice purposes. The responses can be very short and I would be so grateful to have a quote from you.

The questions are as follows:

1. How will the nutrient imbalance in the Chesapeake Bay affect residents on State College?

2. Why is this issue so important?

I am working with a Tuesday February 15, 2011 9:00am deadline. I greatly appreciate your time and look forward to your response.

In thanks,

Animal Agriculture and the Environment Team at Michigan State University has just released their latest "The Scoop" newsletter with a nice article titled Tracking the Raindrop Can Help Manage Runoff. The article explores farmscape to watershed runoff - and how the hydrologic characteristics of the raindrop can help reveal landscape level tendencies for increased environmental emissions. Check it out at: " http://animalagteam.msu.edu/BackflowPreventionandBoomSprayerCalibrationW/July2009Scoop/Trackingtheraindrop/tabid/362/Default.aspx

National Manure Expo Meets in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

"Pollution turned to nutrients at Penn State's 2010 Manure Expo"

Conservation Technology Information Center looks at Manure du jour

In the June 2010 issue of Partners - the quarterly publication of the Conservation Technology Information Center, Manure du jour - Serving PA's Best Practices for Animal Ag-, Air-, and Water Quality is showcased: http://ctic.org/CTIC%20HOME/PARTNERS%20MAGAZINE/Archived%20Issues/June%202010%20Issue/Livestock%20Waste%20Management/.

From their website:
"The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is a national, public-private partnership that envisions agriculture using environmentally beneficial and economically viable natural resource systems.CTIC, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is comprised of members of ag industry, ag publications, ag associations, conservation organizations and producers and is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and other public entities."

"Nutrient management research to benefit Chesapeake Bay"

Pennsylvania Water Symposium Underway

Today's gathering of scientists from Pennsylvania's multitude of research institutions, agencies, and consulting groups focuses on the theme: "Groundwater and Surface Water - A Single Resource" at the Pennsylvania Water Symposium sponsored by the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center at the Penn Stater, University Park, PA. The roughly 200 attendees come from all walks of water life and are discussing these areas (presentations will be posted on the Penn State Cooperative Extension's Water website http://www.extension.psu.edu/ - keyword "water"):

1. Priorities for Pennsylvania - An Overview of the Key Issues: Evolving policies, TMDLs, and Marcellus shale.


2. Watershed Processes & Management: Monitoring, legacy sediments, engagement and accountability.


3. Applied Ground Water Resources: Protecting groundwater/aquifers with increasing geothermal heat pump system borehole development, municipal water supply protection.


4. Contemporary Water Issues and Potential Solutions - Including emerging contaminants in Pennsylvania's waters - e.g. pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, hormones, wastewater compounds.

I was struck by the keynote addresses this morning. I've heard Deputy Secretary John Hines, PA Department of Environmental Protection speak on a weekly basis throughout the last few weeks, so I didn't expect a necessarily fresh message this morning. However, Hines delivered a compelling appeal to the scientists and colleague officials that crowded the room.

A far less articulate summary of his message then what he actually delivered follows. In Pennsylvania, there is much to take for granted when it comes to water resources - particularly abundance. Hines pointed out the global debates and challenges framed by the April 2010 issue of the National Geographic - a publication that rippled through the water world with photographic images and statistics, weaving the water web: quality, scarcity, and justice. Much of these issues we know, but little of it we consider on a day-to-day basis as we go about our respective work. For instance, the woman, far, far from Pennsylvania, who walks 5 miles to gather water. On the one hand, she is far from our thoughts, her world seemingly disconnected from Pennsylvania's water rich world - in which safe drinking water is a step away for those on public water supplies, and perhaps a little more elusive for those who depend on private drinking water supplies. On the other hand, the potential she holds for her community, her family is exhausted as hours of her day are spent hauling pounds of precious water, stealing her away from the capacity to solve problems and resolve issues that could improve day-to-day work and life, linking and drawing more closely our respective worlds.

Hines highlighted three priorities for Pennsylvania's water. First, the benefits anticipated by a new and improved Chapter 102 were outlined - including the requirement of erosion and sedimentation (E&S) plans in animal use areas is expected to decrease runoff of livestock manure to receiving waters. The new Chapter 102 will also require 150 foot buffers on exceptional value (EV) and high quality (HQ) waters that are not currently impaired, providing a protective mechanism for systems that are intact. For impaired waters, the 150 foot buffer is required, but must be upgraded to a riparian forest composition to maximize the potential for stream restoration through provision of the the added protection that only a tree canopy, extensive, permanent root system, and food source (leaf litter for enhancing the in-stream food chain) can ensure .

Secondly, Hines pointed to the Baywide Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and the state's efforts to develop an appropriate, benchmarked watershed implementation plan (WIP) for reducing Pennsylvania's combined sources of nonpoint and point source pollution that contributes to the nutrient and sediment-based degradation of the Chesapeake Bay.

And third, Hines identified the Marcellus shale issues confronting Pennsylvania as "probably the most focused, controversial issues that most of us will deal with during our careers". Amen brother.

Kudos to Penn State Cooperative Extension's State Water Specialist Bryan Swistock (brs@psu.edu) and Penn State Associate Professor of Hydrology and Director of the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center (ewb100@psu.edu) for developing an outstanding water science forum for Pennsylvania that explores our Commonwealth issues, but keeps in sight our connection to the global water challenges.