what rivers make up the chesapeake bay watershed?

Find out 10 things you didn't know about the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is the chief port on the upper (northern) portion of the bay. The bay forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. When this material is used, in whole or in part, proper citation and credit must be attributed to the Maryland State Archives. An important naval base is located at Norfolk. Stories by Kayli Ottomanelli The National Park Service supports efforts throughout the watershed. What's Going on with the Chesapeake Bay's Blue Crabs? Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay and coastal rivers Chowan Roanoke 8. The Chesapeake Bay is the nation's largest estuary. Resembling a work of art, the mountains of central Pennsylvania illustrates both the yearly cycle of The State of the Bay Report makes it clear that the Bay needs our support now more than ever. The impacts have accelerated due to rapid growth and development during the last few decades. Tributaries within a watershed are like pipelines, linking activities on the land to bodies of water. We all live in a watershed. In 2010, the largest and most complex total maximum daily load ( TMDL) in the Nation was initiated in the Chesapeake Bay for nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. Do you have a few hours to spare? Image of the Day You may be surprised to learn that the waterways right next to several cities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed can support oyster populations. Chesapeake Bay Program notes 12% increase in underwater grass abundance Donations are tax-deductable as allowed by law. These tributaries send fresh water into the Bay, offer vital habitat to aquatic plants and animals and provide people with public access points where they can fish, boat and swim. Excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous come from fertilizers, wastewater, septic tank discharges, air pollution, and runoff from farms, cities, and suburbs. Human Presence Over 41 million acres are connected through the waters that flow to and through Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Mud clouds much of the Chesapeake Bay in this image from September 13, 2011. One year later the English colonist Captain John Smith explored and mapped the bay and its estuaries, and soon afterward settlers came to the bays easily accessible, well-protected shores. (To download a large, 188 MB version of the scene, click on the link below the image.). More than 18 million people live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In addition to the largest rivers listed above, the following rivers drain directly into the Chesapeake Bay: Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. And for many of the most important rivers, manure and fertilizer remain the sources of half of all the nitrogen and phosphorus that drain into the Bay. supports more than 18 million people who live, work, and play within the watershed (10 million of these live along or near the Bay's shores); includes parts of six states (Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York) and Washington, D.C.; has 11,684 miles of shoreline, including tidal wetlands and islands (that's more shoreline than the entire West Coast of the United States); contains more than 100,000 rivers and streams; helps filter and protect the drinking water of 75 percent of Bay watershed residents through its forests and trees. Many dedicated individuals, government agencies, and private organizations are working hard to stem the degradation of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Remote Sensing. If so, you are one of MDE's non-government partners and a vital part of our Bay cleanup efforts. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the nation and the third largest in the world. Google Maps. When the algae die they are decomposed by bacteria that consume the oxygen in the water. List of Chesapeake Bay rivers - Wikipedia Chesapeake Bay, largest inlet in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the eastern United States.Created by the submergence of the lower courses of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, it is 193 miles (311 km) long and 3 to 25 miles (5 to 40 km) wide. Though humans have had negative impacts on the Bay, we are working hard to restore and sustain this special place. Caption by Mike Carlowicz, with Ginger Butcher and Mike Taylor. Pollution in the Bay - Department of the Environment Created by the submergence of the lower courses of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, it is 193 miles (311 km) long and 3 to 25 miles (5 to 40 km) wide. The Bay ecosystem consists of the Bay itself, its local rivers and They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Sitting at temperate middle latitudes, hemmed in by the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, there are almost always clouds somewhere over the watershed. An estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with a free connection to the open sea where fresh water from inland rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean. are proving effective and which are not. CBF has teamed up with VPM, Virginia's home for public media, to produce the TV series Backyard Bay Savers. The entire Chesapeake Bay watershed includes portions of six states (New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware) and the District of Columbia. Rights assessment, and full originating source citation, is the responsibility of the user. This list of Chesapeake Bay rivers includes the main rivers draining into the Chesapeake Bay estuarine complex on the mid-Atlantic eastern coast of the United States, North America. Others, like the Chesapeake Bay watershed, are large. Learn More Excess Nutrients Have Polluted the Chesapeake Humans are Responsible If you're thinking of planting trees, consider these species native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed There are many benefits to planting the right trees in the right places on your property. The The southern part of the bay is bordered by Virginia and its northern part by Maryland. Read part one here. The three largest rivers in order of both discharge and watershed area are the Susquehanna River, the Potomac River, and the James River. It is the largest estuary in the United States. which stretches from upstate New York to Newport News. How Farms Affect the Chesapeake Bay's Water - NASA Earth Observatory New Image of the Day More than 100,000 streams, creeks and riverscalled tributariesthread through this watershed. With an estuary water body area of only 11,600km2 (4,479mi2),[5] the land-to-water ratio is about 14:1. Forests and coastal lands were remade into farmland and cities, though in recent decades, much of that farmland has been returning to forest or being converted into cities and suburbs. Founded in 1967, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the largest independent conservation organization dedicated solely to saving the Bay. Once sculpted by ice, water, and powerful geologic forces over . For many people, the Chesapeake conjures up images of lazy days dropping chicken necks off a dock to catch blue crabs. 17 Native Trees for Your Yard - Chesapeake Bay Foundation - CBF In this clip, check in with the Contreras family three years after they joined dozens of volunteers to plant 100 trees at their church in Richmond, Virginia. The region is steeped in history, including the culture and stories of American Indians, arrival of European colonizers, inspiration of the American Revolution, and impact of the Civil War. But glimmers of hope have begun to emerge, and efforts to clean up the Bay are starting to make a difference. The Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, is an extremely productive and complex ecosystem. Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Maryland Constitutional Offices & Agencies, Maryland Executive Commissions, Committees, Task Forces, & Advisory Boards, Havre de Grace, Maryland, to Virginia Beach, Virginia, (mouth between Cape Charles, Virginia, and Cape Henry, Virginia). Poplar Island is rising back out of the Chesapeakewith a little help. The Chesapeake Bay watershed stretches approximately 524 miles from Cooperstown, NY, to Norfolk, VA. The Bay's waters represent a rich cultural heritage that includes world-renowned waterfowl hunting, trophy sport fishing, and the tradition of watermen who harvest fish, crabs, and oysters. The Potomac offers many recreational opportunities around the Washington DC area and has multiple access points within the capital region. They are also inspired to take concrete actions to make a difference. Once sculpted by The Susquehanna, Potomac, Rappahannock, York and James rivers are the five largest rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The rivers, creeks, streams, and smaller bays which flow into the Chesapeake Bay, the land surrounding them, and the Bay itself make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Chesapeake Bay Facts and Figures for Sailors - SpinSheet Oysters and other bottom-dwelling species can be smothered when that sediment finally settles to the bottom. Water Ecosystems can be as tiny as a patch of dirt in your backyard, or as large as the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed. Chesapeake Bay | NOAA Fisheries The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and third largest in the world. Chesapeake Gateways Grants & Assistance The National Park Service supports efforts throughout the watershed. More than 18 million people live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus fuel unnaturally high levels of algae growth in the water, blocking sunlight from reaching underwater grasses that serve as food and habitat. Driving Actions to Clean Local Waters and the Chesapeake Bay. Pollution reduction progress (source: Chesapeake Bay Program, Watershed Model 5.3.2) Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). There are three major contributors to the poor health of our streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Baynitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. According to data released by the Chesapeake Bay Program, these streams are getting healthier as a whole, improving by 6% since a 2008 baseline. The watershed around the Baythat is, the area of land that drains into itspans 64,000 square miles (166,000 square kilometers) and parts of six states. Four Things Bay-Savers Should Know about the Supreme Court's Wetlands Ruling. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Still Cloudy, With a Chance of Clearing. These, along with hundreds of thousands of smaller rivers and streams, provide habitat necessary for many fish species, as well as invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians. Ships, airplanes, and satellites all play a role in monitoring Chesapeake water quality. At the point where the river enters the bay, between Windmill Point, on the north, and Stingray Point, on the south, it is more than 3.5 miles (5.6 km) wide. Fish, invertebrates, amphibians and other wildlife species all depend on the Bay's tributaries for survival. Read more Two hundred years ago, a battle in the port city of Baltimore inspired the writing of America's national Scientists project that the population of the watershed will reach 22.3 million by 2050. According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, more than 18.4 million people lived within the Bay's watershed as of 2020. How do we know that trees and plants help absorb polluted runoff from storms? Within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, five major riversthe Susquehanna, Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James provide almost 90 percent of the freshwater that enters the Bay. Photo by Diane F. Evartt. The health of streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is improving Chesapeake Bay | National Wildlife Federation The Chesapeake produces about 500 million pounds of seafood each year, supporting jobs in both commercial and . Chesapeake Bay, Maryland The Chesapeake Bay watershed includes parts of six states and is home to some 17 million people, including the cities of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland. The Potomac River runs over 383 miles from Fairfax Stone, West Virginia to Point Lookout, Maryland and flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Along the way, researchers and advocacy groups have helped citizens better understand how lifestyle choices made far from the Baysuch as how farms are fertilized or how cities treat sewagecan affect coastal waters. Native plants have evolved and adapted to natural conditions in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Despite the bays calm waters, constant reminders of the city break through. Chesapeake Bay, largest inlet in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the eastern United States. They also have professional learning opportunities for teachers and student leadership programs. About the Chesapeake - Find Your Chesapeake Stretching across six states and the District of Columbia, the Bay watershed never ceases to amaze with its rich history, vital economic importance, and astounding beauty. The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requires states to identify polluted waterways and list them officially as "impaired." The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary off of the Atlantic Ocean. What rivers feed into the Chesapeake Bay? - Answers Toggle Other tributary rivers and tidal inlets subsection, Category:Tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, "Factors Affecting Nutrient Trends in Major Rivers of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Below are just a sampling of some of the impressive facts and numbers about our wondrous watershed. Learn how you, too, can help save the Chesapeake Bay so that it can inspire and provide for generations to come. December 1, 2016. The river is the fourth largest along the Atlantic Coast and has many creeks and streams that flow into it. A drop of water that falls in central New York takes a long ride to the sea. The rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay act as sources of nutrients and sediments from land, which affect the health of the downstream estuary. This sprawling watershed with nearly 12,000 miles (19,000 kilometers) of shoreline can be a challenge to see clearly by satellite. Will Wildfire Smoke Impact the Chesapeake Bay? CBF has teamed up with VPM, Virginia's home for public media, to produce the TV series Backyard Bay Savers.Born out of the learn-at-home environment during the pandemic and aimed at the elementary and middle school crowd, the roughly 25-minute episodes are great tools . It is important that they know about a watershed because they live within one - everyone lives within a watershed. The "Bay Savers in the City" episode shows how we can find nature in urban areas including Baltimore, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. Want to get started? Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Active - USGS.gov CAST - Map Tools & Spatial Data - Chesapeake Bay Your donation helps the Chesapeake Bay Foundation maintain our momentum toward a restored Bay, rivers, and streams for today and generations to come. Planting a tree and watching it grow is a great way for kids to connect with the environment and benefit their community. Here are a few video excerpts that can be used both in the classroom and for the budding Bay Saver at home. Colonial-era logging, farming, and later construction of mill dams have altered streams and trapped mud in much of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.[9][10].