The Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed

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The Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed

• An Introduction to an Estuary in Danger

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CB Watershed Facts

• 64,000 square miles with 16 million people
• New York, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
  Virginia, Delaware
• Major rivers include Susquehanna, Potomac,
  Rappahannock, James, York

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Salinity Zones

• Freshwater
• 1 -10 ppt
• 10-18 ppt
• 18-30 ppt

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The Bay We Have The Bay We Want
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Nutrient Inputs
Algae Bloom
Die Off
Reduced Light
Die Off of SAV
Decay
Low Oxygen
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Indicators of the Health of the Chesapeake Bay
Plus nitrogen/phosphorus, crabs, and rockfish
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Indicators - Toxics reduction

• billions of pounds released into air and water
• polluted hot spots - Elizabeth, Anacostia,
  Patapsco Rivers
• Goal reduce by 50

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Indicators - Dissolved oxygen

• DO - free oxygen in water
• photosynthesis and air-water interaction
• essential for respiration of aquatic animals
• 5ppm- min. healthy level

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Indicators - water clarity

• turbidity
• sediment and algae cloud the water and block
  sunlight
• Goal secchi depth average 6 feet

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Indicators - Resource lands

• forests and well managed farms are least
  polluting land uses
• provide habitat and filtering
• Goal reduce loss by 25 per year to 67,500 acres
  annually

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Indicators - Forested Buffers

• wildlife habitat, recharge groundwater, moderate
  temperatures, control storm water, reduce erosion
• Goal increase by 1500 miles of shore line

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Indicators - Wetlands

• control erosion and flooding act as filters
• food and habitat for 2/3 species harvested
  commercially
• Goal increase by 125,000 acres in watershed

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Indicators - Underwater Grasses

• SAV - Submerged aquatic vegetation
• serves as habitat and food
• Goal 225,000 acres

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Indicators - oyster abundance

• economic base, habitat, filters
• problems overharvesting, disease, pollution
• Goal 8 of 1870 levels

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Indicators - migratory fish
shad herring - anadromous - migrate from ocean
to freshwater to spawn eels - catadromous -
migrate from freshwater to ocean to
spawn Goal1500 miles reopened (Embrey Dam opened
in 2004)
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State of the Bay
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Additional Concerns

• Crabbing industry
• Sport fishing - rockfish
• Menhaden decline
• Economic health of watermen
• Invasive/introduced species- phragmites, Japanese
  oysters