Clune, John, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 439 Hepburn St., Williamsport, PA 17701, jclune@usgs.gov; Schmer, Natalie, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 1025 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA 15017, nschmer@usgs.gov; Webber, James, Virginia Water Science Center U.S. Geological Survey 1730 East Parham Road Richmond VA 23228, jwebber@usgs.gov; Soroka, Alex, Maryland Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 5522 Research Park Dr, Catonsville, MD 21228, asoroka@usgs.gov.
The wide and majestic Susquehanna River is one of the oldest rivers in the world. Despite its beauty, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay downstream has been facing the detrimental effects of excess nutrients. This communication product provides a unique synthesis of the story of nutrient water quality in the Susquehanna watershed. With few exceptions, trends in stream nutrient loads at long-term (1985-2020) monitoring sites have been improving, but a considerable percent of the short-term (2011-2020) monitoring sites show degrading trends. Resource managers have varying control over the intricate blend of factors that affect nutrient delivery to the river. Resource managers have less control over physical factors (geology, climate, and hydrology) and more control over source inputs (atmospheric and land use) such as surplus nutrients from manure and fertilizer use. Regulation and technological advances in wastewater treatment and atmospheric deposition have improved water quality, and recent focus is towards management of urban nonpoint sources. Lastly, legacy storage of nutrients (dams and groundwater) remains a challenge for resource managers toward meeting water quality goals.
Susquehanna River, Chesapeake Bay, Nutrients, Eutrophication
