So even those of us who live far from the Bay itself need to see how our actions affect it. We all can help the Chesapeake by cleaning up the pathways to the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is the land area drained by the Bay. The Bay's watershed is made up of the thousands of smaller watersheds drained by the streams that crisscross our land and flow, by way of our rivers, into the Chesapeake. The Bay watershed extends 64,000 square miles.
Storm drains are a pathway to the Bay.
Pollutants from storm drains reach the Bay by way of local streams and rivers. Wastewater treatment plants are a pathway to the Bay. They cleanse the water we have used before releasing it back into our waterways. These plants remove pollutants such as solids, oil, grease, and in some cases, nitrogen and phosphorus from the water they receive. As consumers, we've come to rely on power plants, industries and businesses for services and products that make our lives more comfortable.