Bellingham Bay Action Program: Initial Data Summaries and Problem Identification

摘要

The report provides a synthesis of information describing the geographic extent and severity of estuarine contamination in Bellingham Bay within Puget Sound in Washington State. Summaries of existing data are provided for chemical contamination of sediment and biota, microbial contamination, eutrophication and contaminant sources. Original, summarized, tabulated, and mapped data are presented. The objective of the report is to provide a mechanism for comprehensively evaluating pollution problems in the more urbanized embayments and for providing a basis for prioritizing corrective actions. A decision making framework is presented for evaluating and prioritizing both sub-areas within Bellingham Bay and specific contaminant sources.