Impacts of Multiple Environmental Changes on Long-Term Nitrogen Loading From the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Excessive nutrient inputs from land, particularly nitrogen (N), have been found to increase the occurrence of hypoxia and harmful algal blooms in coastal ecosystems. To identify the main contributors of increased N loading and evaluate the efficacy of water pollution control policies, it is essential to quantify and attribute the long-term changes in riverine N export. Here, we use a state-of-the-art terrestrial-aquatic interface model to examine how multiple environmental factors may have affected N export from the Chesapeake Bay watershed since 1900. These factors include changes in climate, carbon dioxide, land use, and N inputs (i.e., atmospheric N deposition, animal manure, synthetic N fertilizer use, and wastewater discharge). Our results estimated that ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) export increased substantially (66% for NH4+ and 123% for NO3-) from the 1900s to the 1990s and then declined (32% for NH4+ and 14% for NO3-) since 2000. The temporal trend of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) export paralleled that of dissolved inorganic N, while particulate organic nitrogen export was relatively constant during 1900-2015. Precipitation was the primary driver of interannual variability in N export to the Bay. Wastewater discharge explained most of the long-term change in riverine NH4+ and DON fluxes from 1900 to 2015. The changes in atmospheric deposition, wastewater, and synthetic fertilizer were responsible for the trend of riverine NO3-. In light of our model-based attribution analysis, terrestrial non-point source nutrient management will play an important role in achieving water quality goals. Plain Language Summary Excessive nitrogen can enter estuarine and coastal areas from land, disturbing coastal ecosystems and causing serious environmental problems. The Chesapeake Bay is one of the regions that have experienced hypoxia and harmful algal blooms in recent decades. This study estimated nitrogen export from the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW) to the estuary from 1900 to 2015 by applying a state-of-the-art numerical model. Nitrogen loading from the CBW continually increased from the 1900s to the 1990s and has declined since then. The key contributors to nitrogen export have shifted from atmospheric nitrogen deposition (before the 1960s) to synthetic nitrogen fertilizer (after the 1980s). Antipollution policies and implementation measures have played critical roles in the decrease of nitrogen export since the 1980s, and further reduction in riverine nitrogen export will likely require regulation on the application of nitrogen fertilizer.

Automated summary

This study examined nitrogen export from the Chesapeake Bay watershed since 1900 and found that the export of ammonium and nitrate increased until the 1990s and then declined. Precipitation was the primary driver of interannual variability in nitrogen export, while wastewater discharge explained most of the long-term changes in ammonium and organic nitrogen fluxes. Atmospheric deposition, wastewater, and synthetic fertilizer were responsible for the trend of nitrate export. Management of terrestrial non-point source nutrients will be crucial in achieving water quality goals.