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The NCC has established a literature review committee for the purpose of
enhancing the "in-house" level of competence in the scientific
underpinnings of any proposed nutrient criteria. Members are reviewing
papers according to a specific, NCC-developed format, using either an ExcelTM
or AccessTM template (click either one to download a template).
The current database information, as of 1/12/2004, can be downloaded here
as a PDF report output from Access in PDF format (about 280 KB).
The following paper has an excellent review of many of the issues that will
be confronting this committee, from definitions of impairment to measuring
nutrients, from some of the pre-emminent experts in this arena. A brief
excerpt is provided below. Click
here to download the entire draft paper (273 kb, PDF format).
A
Comparison Of Approaches For Establishing Nutrient Criteria Based On Algal
Attributes In Mid-Atlantic Streams. Draft.
R. Jan Stevenson, Brian Hill, And Alan T. Herlihy. EXCERPT.
"Nutrient enrichment by humans is recognized as a
leading cause of degradation of the ecological integrity of streams in the U.S.
(Vitousek et al. 1997, Carpenter et al. 1998, Smith et al. 1999, USEPA 2000b).
It has become the focus of a national effort to establish nutrient
criteria for all water body types in all regions of the U.S. (USEPA 1998b).
Nutrient enrichment should cause a predictable, subsidy-stress (Odum et
al. 1979) progression in degradation of ecosystems from natural condition and
the ecological integrity protected in the Clean Water Act (section 101(a)).
Productivity is nutrient limited in the natural condition of many
streams. Although ecosystem services such as fishery production and
support of high species richness may be enhanced by the subsidy of low levels of
nutrient enrichment, the natural condition of streams has been altered by
release of the ecosystem from nutrient limitation.
At higher levels of nutrient enrichment, nuisance algal blooms can alter
habitat and affect invertebrate assemblages (Dudley et al. 1986), may contribute
to de-oxygenation, and can produce foul taste, odor, and toxicity (Palmer 1969).
Recommendations
for characterizing the trophic status of streams with nutrient concentrations
and algal biomass have been proposed (Dodds et al. 1998), but they are based on
relationships with high variability. Identifying
the specific nutrient concentrations causing the problems has been a challenge
because of the high spatial and temporal variability in algal biomass and
nutrient concentrations in streams (e.g., Biggs 2001).
Complementary use of biological indices based on algal species
composition and species environmental tolerances shows great promise for
sensitively monitoring and assessing biological response to environmental change
and particularly, respond to nutrient enrichment (Kelly and Whitton 1995, Pan et
al. 1996, McCormick and Stevenson 1998)."
Of
course, the USEPA did a bit of work (not an "itty bitty" bit) before
they asked the States to begin the development of nutrient criteria, including
an exhaustive literature review. That work is codified in two documents -
one on "Lakes", another on "River and Streams." The
Lakes document in its 7 MB entirety can be downloaded here. The Rivers and
Streams doc can be downloaded as PDF files chapter by chaper below. Of
course you can also go the the USEPA website and download from there.
Nutrient
Criteria. Technical Guidance Manual: Rivers and Streams
