A Report to the Citizens of the Bay Region CBP/TRS 283/07

EPA 903R-07001

www.chesapeakebay.net April 2007

PART ONE: Ecosystem Health

CHESAPEAKE BAY

2006 Health & Restoration Assessment
The Chesapeake Bay Program is a 

unique regional partnership that 

directs and conducts the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay by 

bringing together local, state and 

federal governments, non-profit 

organizations, watershed residents 

and the region’s leading academic 

institutions in a partnership effort 

to protect and restore the Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay Program 

signatories – the state of 

Maryland; the commonwealths 

of Pennsylvania and Virginia; 

the District of Columbia; the 

U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency representing the federal 

government; and the Chesapeake 

Bay Commission representing 

Bay state legislators – have 

committed to reducing pollution, 

restoring habitat and sustainably 

managing fisheries since signing 

the Chesapeake Bay Agreement 

of 1983.

Subsequent agreements have 

augmented the original program, 

and most recently culminated 

in signing Chesapeake 2000, an 

agreement intended to guide 

restoration activities throughout 

the Bay watershed through 2010. 

Chesapeake 2000 also provided 

an opportunity for the headwater 

states of Delaware, New York and 

West Virginia to join in regional 

efforts to improve water quality

of the Bay and its tributaries.

To learn more and find out how 

you can help, visit the Chesapeake 

Bay Program website at

www.chesapeakebay.net

Chesapeake Bay Program

410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109

Annapolis, Maryland 21403

800-YOUR-BAY

www.chesapeakebay.net

CHESAPEAKE BAY

2006 Health & Restoration Assessment
1

ABOUT THIS REPORT

The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary – a place of transition between the land and the sea, where 

incoming fresh water mixes with salty ocean water. The Chesapeake Bay is a productive ecosystem 

and is the largest estuary in North America, home to more than 3,700 species of plants and animals.

A healthy Bay requires balancing the needs of the region’s people and economy with the needs of 

the Bay for clean waters and ample habitat for aquatic life. The goal of Bay restoration is to restore 

this balance by reducing pollution, protecting critical habitat and ensuring sustainable populations 

of fish and shellfish.

The Chesapeake Bay 2006 Health and Restoration Assessment is presented this year in two parts. 

Part One: Ecosystem Health draws on the most up-to-date monitoring data gathered by Bay 

Program partners to assess the overall health of the Bay ecosystem last year.

Progress toward a restored Bay is tracked with 13 indicators grouped in three priority areas that 

represent major components of the Bay ecosystem. Quantitative restoration goals have been set for 

most of these indicators. For each indicator, a chart shows, as a percent of the goal, current status 

and a history of progress toward achieving the goal. A summary bar chart shows

the current status of each indicator with respect to its restoration goal.

Although there are a number of smaller-scale success stories, the overall ecosystem health of the 

Chesapeake Bay remains degraded. For more than twenty years, restoration efforts have managed 

to offset the impact of the region’s growing population while making modest ecological gains in 

some areas. Major pollution reduction, habitat restoration, fisheries management and watershed 

protection actions taken to date have not yet been sufficient to restore the health of the Bay.

In Part Two: Restoration Efforts, key restoration actions are measured against long-term goals.

We hope that, by presenting data in this manner, watershed residents can better understand the 

health of the Bay relative to what is needed for a balanced ecosystem.

Electronic versions of the Chesapeake Bay 2006 Health and Restoration Assessment reports can be 

found at www.chesapeakebay.net/press.htm. For more information about the data, methodology 

and restoration goals discussed in this report, please visit www.chesapeakebay.net.

1
2 C h e s a p e a k e B ay 2006 Health & Restoration Assessment — PART ONE: Ecosystem Health

HEALTH ASSESSMENT SUMMARY INTRODUCTION

The human population in the Chesapeake watershed is now 

growing by more than 170,000 residents annually. The cumulative 

impact of centuries of population growth (currently over 16 million) and landscape changes has taken its toll. For over 20 years, 

restoration efforts have been underway to reverse the decline of 

the Chesapeake Bay’s health. Progress is not calculated on a dayto-day basis, but by using detailed scientific data that have been 

carefully analyzed and interpreted; we can see changes in the 

health of the Bay over time. Change is occurring, but slowly.

Water Quality – Most of the Bay’s waters are degraded.

Algal blooms fed by nutrient pollution block sunlight from 

reaching underwater bay grasses and can lead to low oxygen 

levels in the water and fish kills in some areas. Sediment from 

urban development, agricultural lands, as well as some natural 

sources, is carried into the Bay and clouds its waters. Portions of 

Chesapeake Bay tidal tributaries are contaminated with chemical 

pollutants that can be found in fish tissue. In 2006, less than

one-third of Bay water quality goals were met.

Habitats and Lower Food Web – The Bay’s critical habitats 

and food web continue to be at risk. Nutrient and sediment 

runoff have harmed bay grasses and bottom habitat, while 

disproportionate algae growth has pushed the Bay food web

out of balance. Currently, the Bay’s habitats and lower food web 

are at about one-third of desired levels.

Fish and Shellfish - Many of the Bay’s fish and shellfish populations are below historic levels. Blue crab abundance has been 

below management targets for the past ten years. American 

shad are recovering slowly, while other species like striped bass 

(rockfish) show mixed signals. The striped bass population has 

increased over the past decade in the Chesapeake Bay. Scientists 

attribute the increase to responsible fisheries management.

While biomass remains high, scientists are concerned about

the species’ health.

As ecosystem-based goals are not yet developed for 

menhaden, those data are not included in the average this year. 

Currently, the Bay’s fish and shellfish are at about two-fifths of 

desired levels.

C h e s a p e a k e B ay 2006 Health & Restoration Assessment — PART ONE: Ecosystem Health
3

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WATER QUALITY

To support a vibrant Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, waters must 

become clearer, oxygen levels higher, and the amount of algae 

and chemical contaminants in its waters must be reduced. Water 

Quality goals in this section are based on published water quality criteria designed to protect aquatic life in the Bay. Rain in the 

winter and spring washes pollutant loads into the Bay, largely 

determining summer water quality conditions. Summer weather 

plays a role as summer storm intensity leads to greater erosion 

and nutrient load. The health of the Bay in the critical summer 

season will improve as actions are taken year-round to reduce the 

level of pollutants in the watershed.

DISSOLVED OX YGEN

Like terrestrial animals, the Bay’s fish and shellfish need oxygen 

to survive. During summer months, some of the Bay’s waters still 

do not hold enough oxygen to support aquatic life. Throughout 

summer 2006, scientists estimate about 37 percent of the Bay 

met dissolved oxygen restoration goals designed to protect 

resident aquatic life. 

Over time, large-scale reductions in the amount of nutrients 

flowing into the Bay will help improve low oxygen conditions.

MID - CHANNEL WATER CL ARIT Y

Good water clarity is important for the growth of underwater 

bay grasses. Because bay grasses provide vital habitat for a number of living resources in the Bay, it is essential to maintain good 

water clarity and restore bay grasses to historical levels.

In 2006, scientists estimate that only 7 percent of the Bay’s 

waters had acceptable water clarity. Measurements for this indicator are from fixed stations located in open water areas of the 

Bay and do not necessarily reflect water clarity in shallow water 

areas where bay grasses are most abundant.

Clarity will always fluctuate annually, as it is greatly impacted 

by weather events; however, reduced nutrient and sediment 

loads, abundant bay grasses and healthy Bay life will help 

improve annual conditions.

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D I SSO LVE D OX YG E N :

The amount of oxygen dissolved 

in a stream, river, lake or bay is an 

indication of the degree of health of 

the water and its ability to support a 

balanced aquatic ecosystem.

Source: EPA

4 C h e s a p e a k e B ay 2006 Health & Restoration Assessment — PART ONE: Ecosystem Health
CHLORPHYLL a

Scientists measure the amount of chlorophyll a in the Bay’s 

waters to assess the amount of algae present. The Bay needs the 

right amount of algae to maintain a balanced food web. Excess 

algae can cause large-scale algal blooms that block sunlight 

from reaching bay grasses, reducing available habitat for Bay life. 

Lower algal levels promote better water quality, more available 

habitat and fewer harmful bloom effects.

Every year harmful algal blooms cover a portion of the Bay and 

its tributaries. In 2006, scientists estimate that about 26 percent 

of the Bay’s waters had acceptable chlorophyll a concentrations.

CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS

Portions of Chesapeake Bay tidal tributaries are contaminated with chemical pollutants that can be found in fish tissue. 

The states and the District of Columbia use this information to 

develop risk assessments and fish consumption advisories to 

protect the health of recreational fishermen and their families. 

Listings for all toxic contaminants in fish tissue were considered. 

Ultimately this indicator is comprised of impairments due to 

PCB tissue concentrations in Maryland and Virginia and mercury 

tissue concentrations in Virginia, as these are currently the only 

contaminants responsible for listings fitting criteria for inclusion in 

this indicator.

Surveys indicate that in 47 percent of monitored tidal rivers 

of the Bay, levels of bio-accumulative contaminants in fish tissue 

are low enough for unlimited fish consumption. The remaining 53 

percent of the monitored tidal rivers contain elevated contaminant levels that warrant advisories limiting the consumption of 

fish from those waters.

The data used in this indicator was also used by the states of 

Virginia and Maryland to determine fish tissue impairments for 

the 2006 impairment listing. Some of the 2006 listings were first 

determined during the 2002 listing cycle, which used data beginning in 1996. Therefore, an eight year period is reflected in the 

data. Prior to the 2006 listing year, there were insufficient spatial 

data to allow the indicator to be developed, resulting in the 

single point on the graph.

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5

C H LO RO PH Y LL a :

The pigment that makes plants 

and algae green. Measurement of 

chlorophyll a is an indicator of the 

quantity of algae in the water.

Source: EPA

C H E M I C A L CO N TA M I N A N T S :

Substances, elements, or compounds 

that may harm humans or other forms 

of life if released into the environment. 

Refers to concentrations that are above 

acceptable levels and/or are in a location where they should not be found.

Source: www.answers.com
HABITATS AND LOWER FOOD WEB

Life in the Bay needs high-quality food and habitat to thrive. 

From the clams and worms that live within the Bay’s bottom sediments, to the rockfish that prowl its open waters, to the juvenile 

fish and crabs darting among underwater grasses and wetlands, 

healthy and abundant habitat is critical for supporting the Bay’s 

aquatic life. When healthy habitat is supported by a balanced 

food web, healthy aquatic communities can flourish. As both 

of these key environmental elements improve, the ecosystem’s 

potential to support larger and more diverse populations of 

aquatic life expands as well.

BAY GR ASSES

Aside from the water itself, underwater bay grasses are one 

of the most important habitats in the Chesapeake Bay. As their 

health is closely related to the quality of local waters, grasses 

serve as an excellent barometer for the overall health of the 

estuary. Bay grass abundance has a profound effect on the Bay 

and its aquatic life, as it provides critical habitat to key species 

such as striped bass and blue crabs while improving the clarity

of local waters.

The most recent baywide data from 2006 show bay grasses 

covering 59,090 acres – or about 32 percent of the 185,000-acre 

restoration goal.

The total Bay grass abundance goal has also been broken 

down by 3 zones. Bay grasses in the Upper Bay in 2006 covered 

15,510 acres or 66% of the 23,630-acre goal. Middle Bay grasses 

covered 30,659 acres or 27% of the 115,229-acre goal, while 

grasses in the Lower Bay covered 12,922 acres or 28% of the 

46,030-acre goal.

As water clarity improves from nutrient and sediment pollution 

reductions, bay grass acreage should expand.

BOT TOM HABITAT

The health of the Bay’s bottom dwelling – or benthic – communities is greatly reduced when pollution levels increase and 

oxygen levels drop. Benthic habitats serve as a good indicator of 

long-term environmental conditions, as the inhabiting worms and 

clams are long-lived, have limited mobility and their responses to 

stress are well documented.

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B OT TO M H A B ITAT: 

The bottom of the Bay is home to 

bacteria, clams, worms and other 

creatures that serve as a key food 

source for higher levels of aquatic 

life, such as white perch, spot, 

croaker and crabs.

Source: Chesapeake Bay Program

6 C h e s a p e a k e B ay 2006 Health & Restoration Assessment — PART ONE: Ecosystem Health
7

PH Y TO PL A N K TO N :

Microscopic plants such as algae 

are capable of making food via photosynthesis. They float and cannot 

move independent of water currents.

Source: EPA

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T I DA L W E T L A N DS :

Wetlands that are tidally flooded 

by salt or brackish water and are 

found chiefly along the shores of 

Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers.

Source: Chesapeake Bay Program

7

In 2006, about 41 percent of the Bay’s benthic habitat was 

considered healthy as measured by the composite Benthic 

Index of Biotic Integrity. Scientists attribute the decline from 

2004 to persistent low dissolved oxygen levels during the 

summer. Reduced amounts of nutrients, sediment and chemical 

contaminants flowing into the Bay will help these bottom 

dwelling communities improve.

PHY TOPL ANK TON

Phytoplankton are an excellent indicator of the health of the 

Bay’s surface waters, as they are especially sensitive to changes in 

nutrient pollution, water clarity, day length, temperature, salinity 

and grazer communities. Phytoplankton are primary producers 

capable of converting sunlight and nutrients into food for the 

base of the food web.

While increased populations provide more food to organisms 

further up the food web, too much or the wrong type of algae 

can harm the overall health of the Bay. In some cases, harmful 

algal blooms can impact human health.

Scientists assess microscopic algal community health with a 

Phytoplankton Index of Biotic Integrity. Data from Spring 2006 

show that about 31 percent of the Bay’s phytoplankton communities were considered healthy.

TIDAL WETL ANDS

Wetlands link land to the water. In both tidal and non-tidal 

parts of the Bay, they serve as critical habitat to terrestrial and 

aquatic life, and act as natural filters and sponges by absorbing 

runoff and removing pollutants from water before they can reach 

local streams and the Bay.

Many researchers believe Chesapeake Bay tidal wetlands are 

threatened by sea level rise, storms, shoreline development and 

invasive species. As of 1993, there were approximately 282,000 

acres of tidal wetlands in the Bay. Assessments of acreage in 

2001 and 2005 are pending data analysis.

For more information about wetland improvement efforts,

see page 7 of Part Two: Restoration Efforts.
8 C h e s a p e a k e B ay 2006 Health & Restoration Assessment — PART ONE: Ecosystem Health

STRIPED BASS:

A North American food and game 

fish (Morone saxatilis) chiefly of 

coastal waters, having dark longitudinal stripes along its sides. Striped 

bass, which swim up the Chesapeake 

Bay to spawn, are occasionally found 

in landlocked bodies of water. Also 

called rockfish, striper.

Source: Chesapeake Bay Program
9

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FISH AND SHELLFISH

The long-term health and sustainability of the Bay’s fish 

and shellfish is critical to restoring ecosystem health. Ample 

aquatic habitat, clean water and well-managed fisheries are key 

components to restoring abundant fish and shellfish populations 

to the Bay.

Scientists and natural resource managers are working to 

develop ecosystem-based fisheries management strategies which 

take into account numerous factors when setting harvest targets, 

including the species’ role in the food web and other water 

quality, habitat and climatic considerations. As these strategies 

are further developed and ecosystem goals are defined, the Bay 

Program will compare annual data to population targets for a 

balanced Bay system.

BLUE CR AB

It is estimated that more than one-third of the nation’s blue 

crab catch comes from the Chesapeake Bay. Commercial harvest 

from the Bay between 1968 and 2005 averaged around 73 million 

pounds. The most recent harvests have been approximately 60 

million pounds, or below the time series average. The low harvest 

corresponds to low exploitable stock abundance and also reflects 

restrictive management measures in place since 2001 and 2002.

In 2006, the abundance of adult crabs in the Chesapeake Bay 

remained well below the restoration goal. Scientists estimate that 

the population of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay in 2006 is 

about 57 percent of the 232 million crab interim goal. Blue crab 

abundance has been below the target for the past ten years.

These numbers are estimated through winter dredge and 

summer trawl surveys. The blue crab fishery is vulnerable to 

exploitation; therefore, harvest restrictions will continue to remain 

in place. Proper management of the crab harvest, improved water 

quality and habitat restoration efforts will help restore the Bay’s 

blue crab populations.

STRIPED BASS

The striped bass population has dramatically increased over 

the past decade in the Chesapeake Bay. Scientists attribute this 

increase to a late 1980s fishing moratorium and responsible 

fisheries management since the lifting of the fishing ban. Striped 

bass are one of the top predators in the Chesapeake Bay food 

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web and prey availability is an important factor affecting abundance and growth. In 1995, populations had increased to the 

point where the species was considered restored. While biomass 

remains high, scientists are particularly concerned with the high 

prevalence of disease (mycobacteriosis) and the ability of the 

prey base to adequately support the population.

Research is underway to better understand the disease’s 

impact on the Bay’s striped bass population. The current 

status of Bay striped bass – high abundance but uncertain 

health – illustrates the need for an ecosystem-based fisheries 

management approach in Chesapeake Bay. The next assessment 

of striped bass will take place during 2007.

For more information, see page 8 of Part Two:

Restoration Efforts.

BLUE CRAB:

An edible, bluish swimming crab 

(Callinectes sapidus) that has a wide 

distribution in the Chesapeake Bay, 

and along the Atlantic and Gulf 

coasts of North America.

Source: Chesapeake Bay Program
10 C h e s a p e a k e B ay 2006 Health & Restoration Assessment — PART ONE: Ecosystem Health

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AMERICAN SHAD:

The American shad, Alosa sapidissima, occurs along the Atlantic 

coast from southern Labrador to northern Florida. American shad 

undergo extensive seasonal migrations, moving into rivers for spawning 

beginning in January in southern rivers, and continuing until July in 

the northernmost portion of their range. After spawning, shad migrate 

north along the coast to Canada where they feed during the summer. A 

southward migration occurs later along the continental shelf where the 

fish overwinter prior to spring spawning migrations to their natal rivers.

Source: NOAA

OYSTERS

For more than a century, oysters constituted one of the Bay’s 

most valuable commercial fisheries. Over-harvesting, pollution 

and the diseases Dermo and MSX have caused a severe decline 

in their numbers throughout the Chesapeake Bay. Scientists 

estimate that the population of native oysters in the Chesapeake 

Bay in 2005 was about 9 percent of current restoration goals.

SHAD

The introduction of hatchery raised fish, a moratorium on shad 

fishing, the removal of dams, and installation of fish passages on 

key Bay tributaries have helped to increase the number of shad in 

the Bay.

One of the ways scientists currently estimate spawning shad 

populations is by counting the number of fish annually lifted 

over Conowingo Dam near the mouth of the Susquehanna River, 

via the fish passageway installed in 1991. Annual estimates 

have increased from several hundred per year in the early 

1980s to 56,899 in 2006. In spite of the increasing abundance, 

the Susquehanna River population is far below the long-term 

restoration goal of two million fish per year.

Assessing annual baywide spawning populations is difficult as 

each river stock is unique. To provide better baywide estimates, 

scientists are developing new monitoring methods to estimate 

populations in other key Bay tributaries including the James and 

Potomac rivers. An updated assessment is expected in 2007.

ATL ANTIC MENHADEN

Scientists currently do not produce Chesapeake Bay-specific 

population estimates of menhaden. Estimates are made on an 

Atlantic Coast-wide basis. Populations along the Atlantic Coast 

appear to be healthy, but scientists are concerned about low 

OYSTERS:

An edible bivalve mollusk of

the family Ostreidae, species 

Crassostrea virginica, which lives 

in a wide range of depths and 

salinities of the Chesapeake Bay.

Source: Chesapeake Bay Program

10 C h e s a p e a k e B ay 2006 Health & Restoration Assessment — PART ONE: Ecosystem Health

regional abundances in Chesapeake Bay. The number of juvenile 

menhaden in Chesapeake Bay has been declining in recent years, 

with current recruitment levels being about 50% lower than the 

mid-1980s.

In 2006, Virginia placed a cap on the amount of menhaden 

that can be harvested annually from the Chesapeake Bay by the 

commercial fishing industry. Maryland currently prohibits the 

commercial industry from harvesting menhaden from Maryland 

waters. Since menhaden are an important forage species in the 

Bay food web, a number of studies are underway to assess their 

status in the Bay.
11

RIVER FLOW AND THE POLLUTANT 

LOADS REACHING THE BAY

The Bay’s watershed covers an enormous 64,000-square-mile 

area that includes parts of six states – Delaware, Maryland, New 

York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia – and all of the 

District of Columbia. Billions of gallons of water flow each day 

through thousands of streams and rivers that eventually empty 

into the Bay. The Bay must process runoff from a large amount of 

land with a relatively small body of water.

Annual Bay water quality conditions are largely determined by 

a combination of the amount of pollution deposited on the land 

and the amount of water flowing into the Bay. As the river flow 

increases, its potential to carry additional amounts of pollutants 

multiplies as well.

Precipitation doesn’t just increase river flows by washing 

directly off the land. Some water seeps into the soil, carrying 

nutrients into groundwater. It can take years for these waters and 

their associated pollutants to slowly travel through underground 

systems until they reach the streams that drain into the Bay. Each 

year, pollution that may be decades old reaches the Bay.

Scientists calculate annual pollutant loads to the Bay through a 

combination of monitored water samples and modeled information. Whenever practical, scientists measure pollution levels in 

water samples from the rivers and wastewater pipes that flow into 

the Bay. Model generated estimates are used where monitoring 

is not practical, when no data are available, or data do not meet 

specific requirements and/or are outdated. By capturing water 

samples at the point where large rivers meet the Bay, scientists 

can calculate pollution loads from 78 percent of the watershed 

land area. For the remaining area, loads from wastewater and 

model-generated estimates are used. This combination of monitoring and modeling data allows scientists to provide the most 

complete accounting of the amount of pollution reaching the Bay.

Spring 2006 weather conditions were considered extreme, with 

lower than average rainfall from mid-February to mid-May. The 

region was then deluged at the end of June with rainfall exceeding the 100-year-flood mark in some areas. The remainder of

the summer weather was fairly average until August, when the

remnants of Hurricane Ernesto soaked the area.

AT L A N T I C M E N H A D E N :

Brevoortia tyrannus are small schooling fish related to herring, shad, and 

sardines. Menhaden consume large 

quantities of phytoplankton and 

zooplankton, and are themselves a 

favorite food of striped bass, bluefish, 

sea trout, tunas, sharks, and sea 

birds. Menhaden spawn in the ocean, 

in shelf waters off Chesapeake Bay 

from March to May, and again in 

September and October.

Source: VIMS

11

R I V E R FLOW :

Volume of water flowing into the Bay.

Source: Chesapeake Bay Program
Total river flow to the Bay during the 2006 water year (October 

2005-September 2006) was very close to the long-term average. 

Provisional estimates indicate that approximately 331 million 

pounds of nitrogen reached the Bay during the 2006 water year, 

which is similar to the average load for 1990-2005 and slightly 

lower than 2005. This amount is almost double the restoration 

target of 175 million pounds of nitrogen.

Additionally, provisional estimates indicate that approximately 

13.4 million pounds of phosphorus reached the Bay during the 

2006 water year, which is well below the 1990-2005 average and 

almost half of 2005. This amount is above the target level of 12.8 

million pounds of phosphorus to reach the Bay.

While less nitrogen and phosphorus reached the Bay during 

the 2006 water year, additional pollution-fighting measures are 

being put in place throughout the watershed to reduce total 

pollution loads in the future.

Based on water samples collected at the point where large 

rivers meet the Bay, in 2006 2.5 million tons of sediment were 

delivered to the Bay. This is well below the average load for 

1990-2005. The sediment load estimates do not account for 

sediment from the coastal plain areas of the watershed. Scientists 

are currently developing methods to quantify the total loads of 

sediment to the Bay. 

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P O LLUTA NT LOA D :

The amount of stress placed upon

an ecosystem by pollution, physical 

or chemical, released into it by

man-made or natural means.

Source: General Environmental 

Multilingual Thesaurus (GEMET 2000)

12 C h e s a p e a k e B ay 2006 Health & Restoration Assessment — PART ONE: Ecosystem Health
III

This report was developed by the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership to help inform watershed 

residents about the health of the Bay and efforts to restore it. Staff from a large number of state 

and federal agencies, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations contributed 

data and interpretation to the report, including The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake 

Bay Commission, Del. Dept. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, D.C. Dept. of 

Health, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, Md. Dept. of Agriculture, Md. Dept. 

of the Environment, Md. Dept. of Natural Resources, National Park Service, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration, N.Y. Dept. of Environmental Conservation Old Dominion University, Pa. 

Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection, Pa. Fish and 

Boat Commission, Susquehanna River Basin Commission, University of Md. Center for Environmental 

Science, University of Md. College Park, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Natural Resource 

Conservation Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. 

Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Va. Dept. of Environmental Quality, Va. Dept. of Conservation 

and Recreation, Va. Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries, Va. Institute of Marine Science, Va. Tech, 

Versar, W.Va. Dept. of Agriculture and the W.Va. Dept. of Environmental Protection.

For a full list of contributing partners, visit www.chesapeakebay.net/baypartners.htm

T H E

CHESAPEAKE BAY

W A T E R S H E D

Images: Bruce Fritz; Chesapeake Bay Program; 

Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network; Mike Land;

Don Merritt©IAN Image Library; Donna Morelli; 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

(NASA); George Grall©National Aquarium in 

Baltimore; National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA); Jane Thomas©IAN Image 

Library; United States Fish and Wildlife Service 

(USFWS); United States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA); Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
Chesapeake Bay Program

410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109

Annapolis, Maryland 21403

800-YOUR-BAY

www.chesapeakebay.net

Printed on Recycled Paper

Printed by the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

for the Chesapeake Bay Program