Pennsylvania State University has partnered with University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the USDA Agricultural Research Service to form the The Center for Integrated Multi-Scale Nutrient Pollution Solutions (Center for Nutrient Solutions or CNS for short). The project is funded under the EPA STAR program establishing “national centers for innovative and sustainable water research, incorporating a systems view of nutrient management.”
The goal of the project is to develop small-scale solutions to large-scale pollution. They are using modeling tools to identify targeted watersheds that are most vulnerable to nutrient and sediment pollution. The study compares nutrient pollution solutions in 4 small watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay region in order to meet sediment reduction goals specified in the Chesapeake Bay TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) by 2025. The team uses field assessments and modeling tools like GIS to identify where and when nutrient loads are the most damaging, and they use this information to develop cost-effective, targeted management strategies.
Major components of the CNS project
The nature of this project has been extremely collaborative from the beginning. University of Maryland Eastern Shore has a long working relationship with the USDA Agricultural Research Service lab at Penn State, mostly focusing on nutrient pollution in soils and local watersheds. This relationship led to collaboration in the CNS project, using expertise from both schools to inform project goals. In addition, scientists from both university met with local stakeholders in each of the 4 watersheds prior to designing their study. The stakeholders provided input on current trends and challenges unique to each watershed, helping to improve the accuracy of modeling efforts and inform scenarios to meet local objectives.
So far, the team has discovered that water quality goals can be met or nearly met by the target year of 2025, for significantly less cost than originally projected. Although results have varied in each watershed, the overall results have indicated that targeted management strategies, including location and timing, will greatly reduce nutrient pollution into the Bay.