Island Beach State Park naturalists and visitors get ready to go clamming in Barnegat Bay during the inaugural "Harvest the Bay" festival on July 23, 2013 (File photo by
Doug Hood/Staff Photographer)
Want to check out the major sources of nutrient pollution in Barnegat Bay and other estuaries and watersheds across the nation?
The U.S. Geological Survey has posted maps and tables describing the major sources of nutrients in, and watershed contributions to, the bay and 114 other estuaries along the Atlantic Coast, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Northwest, according to a statement.
The maps and tables also cover 160 watersheds that drain into the Great Lakes, according to the statement. (I grew up in the Rochester, N.Y., area, which is along Lake Ontario).
Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus stimulate the growth of algae, reducing water quality for aquatic life, according to the Mid-Atlantic Water Program.
Nutrient pollution is widespread in streams, lakes and estuaries. Aside from contributing to harmful algal blooms, it can boost drinking water costs and cause declines in ecosystem health, the USGS statement says.
Barnegat Bay and its watershed (Source: Barnegat Bay Partnership)
Barnegat Bay gets 59 percent of its nitrogen and 56 percent of its phosphorus from urban land, according to the USGS. Other sources of nutrients include fertilizer, manure and power plant and vehicle emissions.
Long-term trends in Barnegat Bay show that 11 of 19 indicators are not improving or worsening, according to a 2011 State of the Bay Report by the Barnegat Bay Partnership.
Gov. Chris Christie's administration launched a 10-point bay action plan in 2010, but environmental activists have complained about overdevelopment in the bay area, among other issues.
Water resource managers can use the USGS interactive tool to estimate how changes in nutrient inputs (source, type and amount) affect nutrient loads at a downstream location, according to the USGS statement.
Some more images:
Map in the online tool showing the mid-Atlantic and Northeast (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Barnegat Bay and New Jersey Inland Bays (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Raritan Bay and watersheds to the north, etc. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Nutrient data for Barnegat Bay and inland bays (Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
