NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science David Moe Nelson, Dan Dorfman, Ken Buja, Ayman Mabrouk, Laurie Bauer, Chris Clement, Larry Claflin

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science NOAA’s Habitat Blueprint • Integrate habitat conservation throughout the agency • Focus efforts in priority areas • Develop internal and external partnerships • Achieve measurable results for key habitats

Ten Habitat Focus Areas Choptank River MD, Penobscot River ME Biscayne Bay FL, NE Marine Corridor & Culebra PR Russian River CA, Kachemak Bay AK West Hawaii (Kona) HI, Manell-Geus (Guam) GU Muskegon Lake MI, St. Louis River WI/MN

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Choptank River HFA Tidal rivers and creeks, tributaries, watershed, communities

Objectives Restore and Protect Habitat Science to Inform Management Engage Community

Key Habitats Bottom Habitat Native Oysters Wetlands SAV

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science The Choptank Digital Atlas Collect information from a range of natural resource themes, make it available to researchers, managers, and decision makers.

Products • Web-Based Mapping Tool • Technical Report • Distributable Geodatabase

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science • Land Cover • Shoreline Condition • Water Quality • Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity • Submerged Aquatic Vegetation • Fish • Oysters • Crabs – stay tuned

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Watershed Area: 2,367 square km Watershed Land Area: 1,922 sq mi Open Water: 445 square km

Developed Area: 96 square km, 5% Impervious Surface: 1.5% of land area

Agriculture: 1,121 square km, 58% Cultivated: 886 square km, 46% Pasture/Hay: 236 square km, 12%

Forested Area: 556 square km, 29%

Wetlands: 407 square km, 21%

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science C-CAP: 2010 2006 2001 1996 & 2010 Agriculture/Urban Subset

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Data Sources NOAA Office of Response and Restoration Environmental Sensitivity Index (2007) Virginia Institute of Marine Science Shoreline Situation Report (2005)

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Details available at fine scales (1:24K)

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Assessments of key subwatersheds

NAME km hard % Broad Creek-Choptank River 159.52 70.75 44.35 Harris Creek-Coptank River 99.42 38.89 39.12 Tred Avon River-Choptank River 240.87 81.53 33.85 LaTrappe Creek-Choptank River 106.85 32.05 29.99 Brannock Bay-Choptank River 55.94 16.7 29.85 Bolingbroke Creek-Choptank River 81.58 15.4 18.88 Fishing Creek-Little Choptank River 145.84 25.98 17.81

Slaughter Creek-Little Choptank River 219.06 29.69 13.55 Warwick River-Choptank River 52.88 5.63 10.65 Marsh Creek-Choptank River 93.00 2.33 2.51 Hunting Creek 24.64 0.45 1.83

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Water Quality Data Sources A. Choptank Nutrients and Sediments Loads

1) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Tracking System 2) Point Source Loads from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs)

3) Non-Point Source Loads (USGS non-tidal monitoring stations)

B. Assessment for Choptank Water Quality

1) Choptank Long Term Water Quality Chesapeake Bay program (CBP)

2) Maryland Biological Stream Survey Program (MBSS)

3) Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) Water Quality Program

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science On the Web: Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy (MRC) Water Quality Program Detailed Assessment for Choptank (52 sampling stations) using MRC Data for DO, TN, TP, Chla and Secchi disk depth for 2014

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Seasonal Variation Tracked Through Time TOTAL PHOSPHORUS TRENDS OVER MONTHS: JAN - DEC

Estimated annual cycle of total phosphorus Jan – Dec (2000 - 2015)

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science • A measure of benthic community health NOAA NCCOS and environmental quality in Chesapeake Bay

• Metrics included in the calculation of the B-IBI score include measures of diversity,

abundance and biomass of benthic NOAA NCCOS infauna.

• We compiled and synthesized monitoring data for both tidal and non-tidal portions of the Choptank watershed

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science On the web: • Tidal- Versar (in conjunction with State of MD and U.S. EPA Chesapeake Bay Program) – Fixed sites – Randomly selected sites – Coded by year and condition • Non-tidal – MD DNR – Sentinel site – Randomly selected sites – Coded by year and condition

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science In the Report: • Further details about data sources and methods • Discussion of condition values in relation to watershed subsections • Graphs showing temporal patterns of B-IBI and additional benthic community metrics

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science • 531 hectares of SAV in 2013 • 2,072 hectares in 1978 • Since 1978, the highest areal coverage was recorded at 3,903 hectares in 2002.

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science • 10 years of distribution data • 5 year persistence data

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science • The Choptank River complex includes important habitat for numerous anadromous and resident fish species

• We compiled and synthesized monitoring, habitat, and fisheries data for the Choptank watershed

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science On the Web: • Fish survey locations and data: – MD DNR Juvenile Fish Seine Survey – MD DNR-FHEP Estuarine Community Sampling – MD Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) – University of Maryland • Herring spawning habitat surveys (SERC) • TNC’s fish passage prioritization sites • Fish blockage locations • MBSS non-tidal fish IBI – condition levels • Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) consultations • Additional information included in attribute tables

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science In the Report: • Information about fish spawning habitat • Time series of community metrics and key fish species abundance data from long-term datasets • Additional maps focusing on fish survey data sets • Commercial landings data for striped bass and white perch

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science • Historic Distribution • Protection • Restoration • Monitoring

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science • Oysters – key parameters available in online mapping tool: • Historic Oyster Bars – incl. “Yates Bars” (Smith et al. 1997) • Oyster Protected Areas – incl. sanctuaries & reserves (MD DNR) • Oyster Public Shellfishery Areas (MD iMAP) • Anthropogenic and Biogenic Oyster Bottom (CMECS) • Recent and Historic (<1999) Oyster Plantings (MD iMAP) • Choptank 11 Long Term Monitoring Stations (MD DNR) • Spatfall, Mortality (1985-2014), Dermo, MSX (1990-2014) • Benthic Habitats (CMECS) • Harvest 1985-2014 (MD DNR)

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Oysters In the Report: 11 long term monitoring sites for MD DNR annual fall survey. Parameters include Spatfall, Mortality, Dermo, MSX.

Waterbody Site Name Longitude Latitude Notes Choptank River Cooks Point -76.284105 38.650878 Key Bar, Disease Bar, Sanctuary Royston -76.245194 38.685425 Key Bar, Disease Bar Lighthouse -76.186172 38.654660 Disease Bar Sandy Hill -76.117063 38.596414 Key Bar, Disease Bar, Sanctuary Oyster Shell Point -76.002097 38.588184 Disease Bar, Sanctuary Harris Creek Tilghman Wharf -76.321632 38.705571 Key Bar, Disease Bar Eagle Point -76.307490 38.731062 Key Bar Broad Creek Deep Neck -76.247963 38.733933 Key Bar, Disease Bar Tred Avon River Double Mills -76.138159 38.731290 Key Bar, Disease Bar, Sanctuary Little Choptank River Cason -76.245345 38.531022 Key Bar, Disease Bar, Sanctuary Ragged Point -76.295802 38.533805 Key Bar, Disease Bar

National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Ocean Service National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science