Water quality impacts from tidal flooding in Southern Chesapeake Bay

While threats to infrastructure from tidal flooding and sea level rise have been widely examined to support coastal adaptation to sea level rise, little is known about the chemical and biological effects of flooding on the adjacent aquatic environments we are trying to restore. Here, we leveraged a citizen scientist project mapping the extent of floodwaters to also quantify nutrient loads delivered to the Lafayette River, a tidal sub-tributary of the lower Chesapeake Bay. We found that the nitrogen load delivered during a single tidal flooding event exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency’s annual allocation for nitrogen from overland flow to this tributary. Because tidal flooding is increasing due to sea level rise, these loads need to be accounted for when setting restoration targets and goals for the Bay.