The Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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The Chesapeake Bay Watershed

• The Bay
• The Watershed
• The Issues
• The Workshop
• Follow-up Activities for the school-year

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The Chesapeake Bay
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• Chesapeake Bay facts
• Name is from the Native American word
  "Chesepiooc," meaning "Great Shellfish Bay
• The bay is largest estuary in the country
• The Bay is almost 200 miles long and 30 miles
  across at its widest point with 4400 miles of
  shoreline
• An average depth of 27 feet
• 48 larger rivers and nearly 100 smaller rivers
  drain into the Bay
• Susquehanna river provides X of freshwater to
  the Bay?

50 of freshwater
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A healthy estuary can produce more food per acre
than even the most productive farmland
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Importance of the Bay

• The Bay supports more than 3,600 species of
  plants, fish and animals, including 348 species
  of finfish, 173 species of shellfish and over
  2,700 plant species.
• The Chesapeake is home to 29 species of
  waterfowl and is a major resting ground along the
  Atlantic Migratory Bird Flyway. 
• The Chesapeake is a commercial and recreational
  resource for the more than 15 million people who
  live in its basin.
• The Bay produces 500 million pounds of seafood
  per year.

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The Problems

• In 50 years, over half of the aquatic grasses in
  the Bay disappeared.
• Shellfish and other aquatic life have declined
  dramatically.
• Other?

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The Chesapeake Bay Watershed

• Land from 64,000 square miles in six states feeds
  freshwater into the Chesapeake Bay.
• Over 15 million people reside in this area.

NJ
DE
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A Watershed is an area of land that sends all
water to a common place.
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Causing the Problems

• Population growth and development in the
  watershed
• Industry and agricultural practices
• Transportation
• Pollution
• Nutrients
• Toxins
• Sediment
• Air Pollution
• All water from the watershed drains into the Bay

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Agricultural Pollution
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Storm water Runoff
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Effects of Nutrient Pollution
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Toxins Pollution

• Point sources
• Includes industries and wastewater treatment
  plants discharging wastewater directly into local
  waterways.
• Relatively easy to locate and regulate.
• Non-point sources
• Includes agricultural, urban and suburban storm
  water runoff.
• Significant sources of chemical contaminants such
  as pesticides, oil and gas.
• Very difficult to control.
• Air pollution
• Particles in the atmosphere precipitate into
  water and accumulated

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Dermo and MSX are diseases that kill oysters, and
are caused by parasitic protozoans
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Solutions

• Education
• Action!
• Better planning
• Example cluster housing and reduce land use
• Control pollution and run-off
• Example restore riparian buffers
• Clean-up
• Example- oysters

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Agricultural Pollution
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Riperian Buffers Can Help
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Activities and information on the Internet

• http//chesapeakebay.net/
• Background and links
• http//www.epa.gov/owow/nps/nps_edu/index.html
  EPA site with activities and information sheets
• http//www.pawatersheds.org
• PA information

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Workshop Activities

• Stream-study field trip
• Background lectures on the science and issues
• Investigative activities for your students

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CBW Topics and Activities

• Data collection and analysis
• Acid rain
• Weather
• Water testing
• Physical and chemical characteristics of a stream
• Sampling and examining aquatic organisms
• Effects of toxins
• Global climate change
• Ecology

• Spectroscopy
• Microscopy
• Alternative fuels
• Groundwater
• Soil testing
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Using GPS and GIS
• Data presentation (PowerPoint and posters)

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Chesapeake Bay Watershed Activities

• Summer October teacher workshops
• Field trip for grade 5-12 students
• Costs paid for at least 125/participating
  teacher
• Teacher chooses the site to visit and schedules
  this
• Teacher coordinates with AS for equipment and
  support
• Investigative activities supported as needed by
  van visits and equipment loans (6-8 student
  activities in year)
• Student conference for grades 5-12 at Gettysburg
  in May
• Students will give powerpoint presentation or
  poster on one or more of their investigative
  activities
• CBW website where students can post results of
  stream analysis and link to maps

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Benefits

• Students learn to conduct investigative work
• Students contribute to longitudinal study by
  posting results on website
• Students disseminate information to others
• Teacher networking and stipends!
• Half after workshop, and half at end of school
  year