ResearchTopic: Water Quality & Watersheds

A data-driven approach to evaluate and inform the effectiveness of agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs)

AbstractAgricultural runoff continues to be a leading cause of water quality degradation in the Susquehanna River Basin, the largest contributor of nutrients and sediment to the Chesapeake Bay. Despite widespread promotion of Best Management Practices (BMPs), decision-makers lack field-based data to evaluate their real-world effectiveness. This project addresses that critical gap by conducting a field-and […]

From streams to seas: Using community-based science to track the source and fate of marine debris from a mixed-use watershed

AbstractMarine debris (MD) has profound negative impacts on vital coastal ecosystems, including the Delaware River. Yet, few studies have investigated MD delivery to rivers, despite their substantial role in transporting MD to the ocean. Watersheds provide an opportunity to examine causal factors that deliver MD to the coast and allow local stakeholders to understand the […]

Harmful Algal Bloom Public Service Announement

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT When in Doubt, Stay Out! Harmful Algal Blooms Can Occur in All Bodies of Water Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a natural occurrence, but they can pose serious health risks to humans and animals. These blooms are often caused by certain types of Cyanobacteria that can produce harmful toxins and are most […]

Using sorbent media to address the impact of deicing salt on contaminant dynamics in infiltration-based green stormwater management: nutrients, metals, and trace organics

Abstract: Degraded water quality can negatively impact the key waterways of Pennsylvania. For example, excess nutrients can result in development of a Total Maximum Daily Load, metal concentrations can exceed aquatic life criteria particularly in saltwater ecosystems, and trace organic contaminants including poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are under increased scrutiny due to persistence, toxicity, […]

Groundwater and Nutrient Inputs, Sequestration and Direct and Indirect Fluxes to Lake Erie Coastal Waters associated with Viticultural Activities, Erie County, PA

Abstract: Along the Lake Erie coast, thousands of acres of fruit farms are cultivated over thick sand and gravel soils in catchments adjacent to coastal bluffs. These agricultural practices may be a significant source of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) entering Lake Erie via groundwater as these catchments have minimal surface runoff (runoff <25% of recharge). […]

Microbial Menaces on Microplastics: A Spatiotemporal Study in the Schuylkill River Watershed

Abstract: Rivers are sources of freshwater habitats for organisms, and conduits for transfer of natural and anthropogenic materials from land to sea. The societal and ecological services of rivers are threatened by numerous contaminants, of which microplastics (MP) are among the most pervasive. However, the ecological risks of MP, especially in urban rivers and downstream […]

The Influence of Freshwater Algal Blooms on the Fate of Anthropogenic Particulate Pollutants

Lake Erie, like many freshwater lentic ecosystems, is under threat from microplastics pollution and increasing prevalence of harmful algal blooms. Lake Erie has the highest concentrations of microplastic contaminants of all the Laurentian Great Lakes. In particular, very small microplastics (< 333 microns) have been under sampled and likely exist at higher concentrations than have […]

Flood Adaptation Co-benefits of Nutrient Management

Effectively managing nutrient pollution and flood risk are two decisive challenges for the sustainability and resiliency of the Susquehanna River Basin (SRB) and Chesapeake Bay. This project will advance an innovative strategy to simultaneously address these two challenges. The strategy integrates climate adaptation and hybrid green-blue-grey infrastructure to increase regional resilience, which is a focus […]

Ecosystem Services Assessment for Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Lancaster, PA

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is growing in interest and implementation. Though it is primarily implemented as part of efforts to manage stormwater quantity or quality concerns in urban areas, there is also an interest in leveraging it as a place-making tool to provide additional ecosystem services or co-benefits to improve people’s quality of life. Rarely […]

Developing flash-flood resilience in areas with buried streams and shallow groundwater: Improving stormwater design guidance and community understanding through science and ethnography

High-intensity rain events are increasing, often exceeding the pipe capacity, and resulting in flooding of streets and houses. In older towns, this pipe capacity also may be reduced because streams were buried in pipes and land development created compaction layers in the soil. These compaction layers reduce deep infiltration, resulting in shallow groundwater movement laterally […]

ResearchTopic: Water Quality & Watersheds

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