Section 320 of the CWA authorizes the administrator of the EPA to convene management conferences to develop comprehensive conservation and management plans for estuaries of national significance…

Section 320 of the CWA authorizes the administrator of the EPA to convene management conferences to develop comprehensive conservation and management plans for estuaries of national significance that are threatened by pollution, development, or overuse. The agreement provides funding to the peconic estuary partnership for national estuary program (NEP) to support implementation of the NEP comprehensive conservation and management plan (CCMP) and EPA strategic plan goal 5: ensure clean and safe water for all communities and objective 5.2: - protect and restore waterbodies and watersheds to improve the water quality, protect the natural habitat and living resources, and support sustainable human uses in the estuary. A grant agreement is provided to suffolk county department of health services to support implementation of the comprehensive conservation and management plan and accompanying action plan prepared by the peconic estuary partnership management conference. Activities under this grant agreement will help improve the water quality, protect the natural habitat and living resources, and support sustainable human uses of the peconic estuary by collecting water quality data to inform management decisions. The anticipated deliverables and expected outcomes of this award are the continuation of water quality monitoring in surface and marine waters within the peconic estuary, an annual water quality summary report that will be accessible to the public, the continuation of atmospheric deposition monitoring that will elevate the success of the clean air act by reducing the atmospheric deposition of nitrogen in the peconic estuary and track progress of total maximum daily load goals, and map individual eelgrass beds that will be reported out annually with a long term outcome of an extensive record of eelgrass beds on a microscale to allow for successful management decisions.activities:the projects included will support activities that address the key challenges facing the estuary including assessing trends in water quality, habitats, natural resources and uses; coordinating implementation of the CCMP by the NEP, along with the state, federal, local agencies, stakeholders, ngos, citizens, partners, and others; and monitoring the effectiveness of activities conducted under the management conference approved CCMP and annual workplan. Activities to be performed under this agreement include: 1) monthly monitoring at approximately 40 peconic surface water quality stations throughout the year, periodic monitoring of approximately 30 point source and stream stations, and weekly monitoring at the national atmospheric deposition program rain and atmospheric deposition gauge; 2) monitor local atmospheric deposition of major cations in precipitation and local mercury deposition in precipitation at site ID 96 at cedar beach southold, NY; and 3) monitoring of seagrass survival and bed expansion at thirteen eelgrass beds located throughout the estuary where nine sites are monitored annually and four additional sites are monitored biennially including long-term measurements of seagrass extent and deep edge location, eelgrass shoot density, measurements of light, temperature, macroalgae cover and sediment conditions are done at these sites.subrecipient:the activities conducted through two mechanisms are: 1) national atmospheric deposition program: monitor local atmospheric deposition of major cations in precipitation and local mercury deposition in precipitation at site ID 96 at cedar beach southold, NY. Objective is to evaluate success of clean air act policies and program in reducing atmospheric deposition of nitrogen in the peconic region and track progress toward nitrogen tmdl goals. ($8,000) 2) submerged aquatic vegetation long term monitoring and management: monitoring of seagrass survival and bed expansion at thirteen eelgrass beds located throughout the estuary. Nine sites are monitored annually and four addition