The Northern Coastal Bays (Assawoman Bay and Isle of Wight Bay) were identified on the States 1996 list of water quality limited segments (WQLSs) as impaired by nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). The St. Martin River, a tributary of Isle of Wight Bay, was first identified on the 1994 303(d) list, also impaired by nutrients. To begin addressing these impairments, this document proposes to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus in the tributaries of the Northern Coastal Bays. The Northern Coastal Bays are located in the northeast section of Worcester County, Maryland and include Assawoman Bay and Isle of Wight Bay. The portion of these bays within Maryland can be delineated into nine separate water bodies. The following outline identifies these nine water bodies. Tributaries of a given water body are indicated by sublevels of the outline.