The “choose and implement actions” component allows users to identify an optimal suite of practices to improve water quality in a cost-effect manner. Some Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partners have already identified priority practices based on nutrient reduction and cost effectiveness.

Water Quality

The initial version of COAST provides summaries of management practices and selected CBP watershed model outputs to evaluate alternative management scenarios to help choose the optimal approach to reduce nutrient loads. In the future, the CBP will have a WWW-based interface to allow testing of different nutrient and sediment reduction scenarios. The interface will allow users to explore different scenarios of reducing loads applied to lands by controlling multiple inputs and variables including:

• Best management practices (BMPs) location, type, and efficiencies.
• Animal population locations and numbers.
• Land use using the CBP-specified 25 land-use categories.
• Crop management parameters, such as fertilizer application rates and tillage practices.

Choosing Implementation Actions: Review Activities of the Mid-Atlantic Water Program (MAWP) BMP Project Review MAWP BMP-Efficiency Reports See current efforts to identify priority BMPs Cost effectiveness strategies for the Bay NRCS “core” practices Virginia Implementation Plan of priority practices Results from CBP watershed model (Phase 4.3) simulations Identify potential BMPs for selected area. Use scenario builder tool (when available) to test different combinations of practices to reduce nutrients to desired levels and the associated costs. Assess opportunities to use available resources and programs to help implement BMPs. Choose suite of priority BMPs to be implemented based on load reduction and cost effectiveness. Develop an implementation plan with partners. Set milestones for number of practices to be implemented based on available resources. Design an evaluation program to monitor implementation of BMPs and associated water-quality changes (see monitoring change component of COAST for more information). Implement practices Go to “Monitor change and assess progress” component of COAST.

Learn more:

• More information on the Phase V model, the interface, and other modeling efforts is available from the CBP at www.chesapeakebay.net/model_phase5.aspx?menuitem=26169.
• CBP Modeling Overview
• Tributary strategy tools and management actions
• DOI technical guide on how to implement adaptive management and monitoring
• Economic Analysis of nutrient and sediment reduction actions

BMP Models:

• Agriculture
• Urban