Table III-2. EPA recommended reference curves for conducting 303(d) list Chesapeake Bay 
dissolved oxygen criteria assessments. __ 
Season and Designated 
Use 
U.S. EPA 2007 July Addendum 
Reference Curve 
U.S. EPA 2010 Addendum 
Reference Curve 
Summer Open Water 
(30-day mean) 
Published biologically-based 
reference curve. 
Published default 10% 
reference curve 
Refer to U.S. EPA 2007 
p. 41, Figure IV-2. 
Refer to U.S. EPA 2007, pi3, 
Figure II-4 and Equation 1. 
Non-summer Open Water 
(30-day mean) 
Published default 10% reference 
curve. 
Published default 10% 
reference curve 
Refer to U.S. EPA 2007, 
p. 13, Figure II-4 and Equation 1. 
Refer to U.S. EPA July 2007, 
p.13, Figure 11-4 and Equation 
1 . 
Summer Deep Water 
(30-day mean) 
Published biologically-based 
reference curve. 
Refer to U.S. EPA 2007, 
p. 41, Figure IV-3. 
Revised Biologically-based 
reference curve. Figure III.4, 
and Appendix C. this 
document. 
Summer Deep Channel 
(instantaneous minimum) 
Published Biologically-based 
reference curve. 
Published default 10% 
reference curve 
Refer to U.S. EPA 2007 
p. 42 Figure IV-4 and Appendix F 
and G. 
Refer to U.S. EPA 2007, pi3, 
Figure II-4 and Equation 1. 
Sources: U.S. EPA 2003, 2007. 
LITERATURE CITED 
Adelson, J. M., G. R. Helz and C. V. Miller. 2000. Reconstructing the rise of recent coastal 
anoxia; molybdenum in Chesapeake Bay sediments. Geochemica et Cosmochemica Acta 
65:237-252. 
Alden III, R.A., D.M. Dauer, J.A. Ranasinghe, L.C. Scott, and R.J. Llanso. 2002. Statistical 
verification of the Chesapeake Bay benthic index of biotic integrity. Environmetrics 13:473-498. 
Bratton, J. F., S. M. Colman, R. R. Seal and P. C. Baucom. 2003.In press. Eutrophication and 
carbon sources in Chesapeake Bay over the last 2,700 years: Human impacts in context. 
Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 
Batiuk, R.A., D.L. Breitburg, R.J. Diaz, T.M. Cronin, D.H. Secor and G. Thursby. 2009. 
Derivation of habitat-specific dissolved oxygen criteria for Chesapeake Bay and its tidal 
tributaries. / Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 381 :S204-S215. 
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