Impacts

Regional Framework

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Quality Coordination program is led by a Steering Committee of representatives from each of the five original Land Grant Universities (1862s) and four Historically Black Land Grant Universities (1890s) within the five-state region.

The goal of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Water Quality Program is to provide science-based expertise and education support needed to ensure that agencies and stakeholders have the most comprehensive and integrated science necessary to reduce nutrient impairments to the waters of the region from nonpoint sources of pollution. Our approach is to be state anchored, regionally organized and part of a national coordination team. Priority science-based educational programs are built upon existing state programs; new regional efforts are developed, and initiatives are undertaken with other universities, key federal and state agencies and regional stakeholders.

The Regional Program is becoming recognized as a prominent source for science-based water quality knowledge in the Mid-Atlantic. The program is developing a repository of comprehensive information and training programs on emerging technologies, practices and programs for watershed protection and nutrient pollution control. We support balanced decision-making through science-based approaches to water quality management by state and federal agencies in the Mid-Atlantic.

Selected Regional Impacts

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation - In order to ensure effective implementation of TMDLs, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Program is developing an Implementation Plan Support Tool for use by decision-makers and stakeholders. Incorporated into this support tool is a component addressing the means by which public stakeholders can be effectively engaged throughout the process.

Residential Nutrient Management - Nutrients from suburbanizing areas in the Mid-Atlantic are increasing as development moves into rural areas. Efficient nutrient use by homeowners and commercial nutrient managers, septic system maintenance and technology upgrades, and coordination among outreach providers across the region have been the focus of several initial activities.

Regional Nutrient Budget - The Regional Program is developing a nutrient budget to quantify nutrient excesses and deficits by county and sub-watershed. This information will be used to identify opportunities for redistribution of waste nutrients, drive the development and implementation of alternative uses for manure wastes, and assist decision-making related to animal production siting and manure management

Focusing Attention on Agricultural Ammonia - Ammonia emissions can be an important component of total nitrogen losses to Mid Atlantic estuaries. The Mid- Atlantic Regional Program Ammonia Initiative is aimed at highlighting emerging issues, linking stakeholders to available science, and promoting the role of science in current and future decision making related to the assessment and control of agricultural ammonia emissions.

Web-based Resources - The regional program is linking Extension resources from each state and University, as well as other regional resources through its developing website. All Topic Teams are working to develop web-based products with multi-state applicability. The Program is also focusing on the development of resource directories and web-based programming.

Addressing Drinking Water Threats in Underserved Communities - Spearheaded by the 1890 Land Grant Universities in the region, efforts are underway to address drinking water quality in underserved communities in Virginia , Maryland and Delaware . The Mid Atlantic Water Quality Program will develop educational materials and conduct community meetings to convey results and discuss issues related to source water protection and potential remediation assistance resources.

This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2002-51130-01522. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.