In addition to the Overview information provided for Water Quality, the Agriculture and Wastewater Workgroups have described their priorities and progress in the tabs below. Other important work is being conducted by the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership to restore water quality by implementing pollution reduction practices on urban and suburban lands and reducing pollution deposited in the watershed from the air. Additional information on these efforts will be included over time. Progress in implementing the Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and in achieving milestones set at the 2009 Executive Council Meeting is also described below.
Chesapeake Bay TMDL Tracking and Accounting System
The Chesapeake Bay TMDL Tracking and Accounting System (BayTAS) was developed to inform EPA, the Bay Jurisdictions, and the public on progress in implementing the Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (Bay TMDL). BayTAS stores the TMDL allocations (based on the Watershed Model Phase 5.3.0 and tracks implementation progress (based on the Watershed Model Phase 5.3.2 and the jurisdictions’ Phase II Watershed Implementation Plans). Explore the data by selecting the options below. Learn more about BayTAS and the terminology of the TMDL in the glossary found in Section 13 of the TMDL. Get answers to frequently asked questions about the Bay TMDL.
What do the source sectors mean?
Agriculture – Allocations of pollutants to farmlands that are not federally regulated and contribute to the overall load allocation for a particular water body (segment).
Agriculture (Regulated) – Allocations of pollutants to farmlands that are federally regulated (e.g., concentrated animal feeding operations) and contribute to the overall waste load allocation for a particular water body.
Forest – Allocations of pollutants to forests (as part of overall load allocation) because, although wooded areas filter pollutants from the air and runoff from urban and suburban development and farmlands, ultimately, those pollutants that are not filtered out enter receiving waters from wooded areas.
Load Allocation - A load allocation (LA) is the portion of a pollutant emanating from non point (or diffuse) source sectors that can enter a receiving water (segment) without violating applicable water quality standards.
LA Reserve – That portion of a segment’s load allocation that is not allocated to an existing non point source sector.
Non-Tidal Water Deposition – Allocation of nitrogen pollutants that come from air sources directly to waters in the Bay watershed not influenced by the tides.
Onsite – Allocations of pollutants to septic and other onsite systems designed to collect, treat, and disperse effluent on property owned by the individual or entity as part of the overall load allocation for a particular water body.
Regulated Stormwater – Allocations of pollutants to federally regulated industries and municipalities to be controlled by stormwater management practices. These allocations contribute to the overall waste load allocation for a particular water body.
Significant Discharge Facility - A municipal or industrial wastewater facility (defined as such by the jurisdiction in which it is permitted) is distinguished from a nonsignificant facility on the basis of flow for municipals and loads for industrials. In general, but not always, significant municipal facilities have flows larger than 0.4 million gallons per day, and significant industrial facilities discharge loads larger than 3,800 pounds per year of total phosphorus and 27,000 pounds per year of total nitrogen.
Tidal Atmospheric Deposition – Nitrogen that is added to a tidal river segment or the Bay by precipitation. Atmospheric deposition allocations are the responsibility of EPA, not the States.
Urban – Allocation of diffuse source pollutants from densely populated areas. This runoff primarily contributes to a segment’s load allocation after rain or snow events.
Waste Load Allocation - A waste load allocation (WLA) is the maximum load of a pollutant emanating from point source sectors that can enter a particular waterway (segment) without violating applicable water quality standards.
Wastewater – Allocations of pollutants to municipal or industrial wastewater facilities that discharge into a particular waterway and contribute to the overall waste load allocation for that segment.
Wastewater (CSO) – Allocations of pollutants to Combined Sewer Overflows as a portion of the overall waste load allocation for a particular waterway.
WLA Reserve - That portion of a segment's waste load allocation that is not allocated to an existing point source sector or discharger.
What do I need to know about the data?
Aggregate - Aggregated allocations are the sum of loads from multiple facilities.
Download Data – If an entry shows 0, there is no allocation. If an entry shows N/A, the sector or facility is not applicable in this allocation.
Nitrogen – Nitrogen means Total Nitrogen.
Increasing Targets - Some states show an increase from current loads to projected future loads because their milestones assume that all wastewater facilities are discharging at their full permitted capacity, rather than at projected capacity levels.
Nitrogen – Nitrogen means Total Nitrogen.
Permitted Facilities – Facility data are not yet available in the 5.3.2 Watershed Model.
Phosphorus – Phosphorus means Total Phosphorus.
Segment and Basin Allocations – The TMDL assigned allocations at the State-Segment basis, however Segments can cross multiple Basins within a single State. The full allocation for a Segment is associated with each Basin that it crosses.
Tidal Atmospheric Deposition – Tidal atmospheric deposition allocations are only calculated for the segment or for the entire tidal area of the Chesapeake and are not calculated at the State, Basin, or Segment level.
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) – Small particles of solid pollutants that float on the surface of, or are suspended in, sewage or other liquids. Since TSS is predominantly sediment, total suspended solids and sediment are often used interchangeably. Total suspended solids resist removal by conventional means.
