Modeling NonPoint Source Pollution and Erosion into Gulf Coast Bays and Marshes

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Modeling Non-Point Source Pollution and Erosion
into Gulf Coast Bays and Marshes

• Greg Easson UM PI

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Background

• Nonpoint Source Pollution and Erosion Comparison
  Tool (N-SPECT) model was designed by the NOAA
  Coastal Services Center (NOAA-CSC)
• GIS based modeling systems
• Predict potential water-quality impacts from
  nonpoint source pollution and erosion.

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Background

• Non-point source pollution is a major contributor
  to the decline in water quality in coastal areas.
  
• Sources of the pollution development and land
  clearing, deforestation, agriculture, lawn
  fertilizers and farm practices

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Background

• Users first enter information about their area
  (land cover, elevation, precipitation, and soil
  characteristics) to create the baseline
  information. They can then add different land
  cover change scenarios (such as a development) to
  get information about potential changes in
  surface water runoff, nonpoint source pollution,
  and erosion.

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Objectives

• Integrate existing and next generation NASA data
  streams into the N-SPECT model and test the model
  on two estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico
• Mobile Bay
• St. Louis Bay

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Model Inputs

• Land cover grid - LDCM
• Digital elevation model
• Precipitation grid - GPM
• Pollutant coefficients (based on land cover)
• Soil type

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Model Outputs

• Accumulated runoff, pollutant, and sediment load
  grids
• Pollutant concentration grids
• Pollutant assessment grid, which compares the
  resulting concentrations in receiving waters to
  user-specified water-quality standards

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Project Schedule and Issues

• Schedule under development
• Research Associate leaving 7-31-07
• Subcontract to NOAA

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Questions