STAC Review of the Water Clarity and SAV Components of the Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality and Sediment Transport Model

Late in 2009, the CBP requested that STAC formally review the updated water clarity and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) components of the estuarine Water Quality Sediment Transport Model (WQSTM). The objective of the review was to determine the suitability of these components for setting tidal sediment and nutrient allocations as part of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) process. STAC convened a 5-member independent expert panel to perform the review during a two-day meeting in March 2010, through which the reviewers were informed by CBP modelers and through discussion with the broader Bay scientific community.