The Chesapeake Bay, formed from a large crater more than thirty-five million years ago, has been designated as one of the largest environmental clean-up campaign sites in the United States.
How the Chesapeake Bay is Made Up
The Chesapeake Bay formed from melted glaciers that flooded the Susquehanna Valley 15,000 years ago and is the largest estuary in the United States. It ranges from Havre de Grace, Maryland to Norfolk, Virginia and is approximately 200 miles long. It is measured at 35 miles at its widest point. Ten thousand small tributaries flow into the 150 rivers that make up the bay. The nine main tributaries are:
- The Susquehanna River
- The Potomac River
- The James River
- The Appomattox River
- The Pamunkey River
- The Rappahannock River
- The Mattaponi River
- The Patuxent River
- The Choptank River
The Susquehanna River provides more than half the fresh water to the Bay.
Why the Chesapeake Bay is Important
According to Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee, the bay supports more than 3,600 species of animals, plants, and fish. Among these species are:
- 348 species of finfish
- 173 species of shellfish
- over 2,700 species of plantlife
The Chesapeake Bay is a migratory flyway and more than 500,000 Canada geese winter or rest in the bay area.
Commercial fishermen rely on the bay for income and have been known to harvest over a million dollars worth of various species per year. The bay has the largest population of oysters and soft-shelled crab in the United States.
Tourism has a large impact on the bay’s local economy as well. Thousands of vacationers visit the bay every year for swimming, boating, and fishing.
How Pollution Threatens the Chesapeake Bay
The tributaries that flow into the bay bring large amounts of sediment from industrial plants, farms, and towns located along the rivers and streams. In 1972, The Clean Water Act was passed to enhance the water quality and limit toxic waste to enter waterways. However, the Act has done little to prevent pollution from entering the bay.
The main source of the bay’s pollution is from increased development along tributaries, which increases storm water runoff and increased nutrients, primarily nitrogen. The result is a decrease in the shellfish population and other aquatic species.
Saving the Chesapeake Bay
Nonprofits, state and local agencies and the federal government have all been finding ways to preserve the bay and to restore it to its once pristine condition. Still, one of the nation’s national treasures is at risk of being lost.
On May 12, 2009, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order setting goals reducing the bay’s pollution. The order established a Federal Leadership Committee with senior representation from EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, the Interior, Transportation and other agencies. The committee will work closely with state governments from the seven bay jurisdictions, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
According to the Whitehouse website, on November 9, 2009, “the Federal Leadership Committee released its draft Strategy for Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay for public comment”. The key areas of focus are:
- Agricultural on Federal Lands: controlling nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from agriculture
- Development on Federal Lands: maintaining and restoring predevelopment hydrology
Sources:
Chesapeake Bay Program. "Bay Restoration" Chesapeakebay.net Accessed April 30, 2010
The Whitehouse Website. "Learn: Our Environment" Whitehouse.gov Accessed April 30, 2010
The Water Encyclopedia. "Chesapeake Bay" Waterencyclopedia.com Accessed April 30, 2010
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