Chesapeake Bay and Land Use

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Chesapeake Bay and Land Use
Chesapeake Bay and Land use
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Land Use Issues in Bay Watershed

• Herbicides and Pesticides
• Fertilizer
• Sediment Runoff
• Pet Waste

• Removal of Forests
• Removal of Wetlands
• Farms
• Gasoline and Oil Pollution

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Bay and River Water Quality

• Because things on land are easily washed into
  streams and rivers, our actions on land
  ultimately affect the Bay.
• Including sediment, pesticides, herbicides, and
  fertilizers

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Cause of the Problem

• The amount of nutrients that would naturally
  enter the Bay would be okay, but the amount going
  into the Bay now has been amplified by people.
• When we use fertilizers, dispose of sewage, drive
  cars, and generate electricity, we harm the Bay.

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Sources of Nutrient Pollution

• Point Sources - can be traced back to a specific
  area
• Waste water treatment plants, broken sewage pipes

• Non-Point Sources - pollution comes from large
  areas
• Farms, lawns, golf courses

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Nitrogen Pollution

• Burning fossil fuels (coal, gas, or oil power
  plants) puts nitrogen oxide into the air
• Vehicle exhaust also puts nitrogen oxide into the
  air
• Rain washes nitrogen out of air and into the bay

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What Needs To Be Done

• Reduce the amount of nutrients like nitrogen and
  phosphorous entering the Bay
• Reduce the amount of sediment entering the Bay

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Who Can Help

• EVERYONE, DOING EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE!

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Water Quality Improvement Is NOT The Only Issue

• Must manage fisheries
• Protect and restore ALL habitats
• Effective management of land in the watershed

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Modified From

• Restoring and ProtectingChesapeake Bay and
  RiverWater Quality
• June 2005