About the Program:
Program Committees & Work Groups - Nutrients

Goals of the Nutrient Module:

• To eliminate adverse impacts of eutrophication, including hypoxia, resulting from human activities
  
  
• To better understand the causes of eutrophication and its symptoms including hypoxia, algal blooms, and changes in the abundance and diversity of marine organisms

An overabundance of both carbon and nitrogen from a variety of sources can lead to low levels of oxygen in the waters of the harbor.  Fish kills and die-offs of bottom-dwelling organisms can be attributed to low levels of oxygen in the water, particularly in the summertime when warmer waters naturally hold less oxygen. Although these hypoxic (low-oxygen) conditions seem to be more of a problem in Long Island Sound than in the Harbor Estuary, there are some places in the Harbor Estuary where nutrient enrichment and hypoxia are problematic.

The Nutrients Work Group is now focused on the assessment of loadings of both nitrogen and carbon to the harbor, the impacts those loadings cause, and what management actions that can be taken to improve water quality.  This is being done primarily through the use of the System-Wide Eutrophication Model (SWEM) and the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). 

Preliminary costs analyses for potential upgrades to waste water treatment plants have also been assembled and will be considered as the TMDL implementation plan is developed.

For more information, contact NWG chair Robert M. Nyman at 212-637-3816.

Meeting Minutes

• April 20, 2007 | PDF
• January 18, 2007 | PDF
• July 25, 2006 | PDF
• May 9, 2005 | PDF
• September 29, 2004 | PDF
• August 18, 2004 | PDF
• June 03, 2004 | PDF
• May 18, 2004 | PDF
• February 12, 2004 | PDF
• March 28, 2003 | PDF
• December 17, 2002 | PDF
• November 26, 2002 | PDF
• September 18, 2002 | PDF
• July 24, 2002 | PDF
• April 19, 2001 | PDF
• March 8, 2001 | PDF

Reference Documents

• Task 1 - Tables of C and N Loadings (English Units) | PDF
• Task 1 - Tables of C and N Loadings (Metric Units) | PDF
• Task 2 - Technical memo regarding estimates for MS4 load reductions | PDF
• Scope of work for Tasks 4, 5, 6 and 7 | PDF
• Technical Memo: Planned Improvements and Limit of Technology
  Regional SWEM Simulations. June 2008 | PDF
• HEP Adoption of SWEM (2006) | PDF
• Tech memo: SWEM Calibration in NJ Tributaries (2002) | PDF
• Progress Report and Recommendations on SWEM (2000) | PDF

 

New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program • 290 Broadway, 24th Floor • New York, NY 10007-1866
Phone: 212-637-3816 • Fax: 212-637-3889 • E-mail: info@harborestuary.org