The Chesapeake Bay is about 200 miles (300 km) long. At its narrowest point, the Bay is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) wide. At its widest point, just south of the mouth of the Potomac River, it is 30 miles (50 km) wide. The Bay and its tributaries contain an astounding 11,684 miles (18,804 km) of shoreline.
Is the Chesapeake Bay the largest Bay in the world?
The area of the watershed is about 64,000 square miles. The Chesapeake Bay’s land-to-water ratio is 14:1: the largest of any coastal water body in the world .
How deep is the hole in the Chesapeake Bay?
Roughly 51 billion gallons of water enter the Bay each day from the 100,000 streams, creeks, and rivers that feed it. A person 6 feet tall could wade through more than 700,000 acres of the Bay without becoming completely submerged. The deepest part of the Bay, called “The Hole” is more than 170 feet deep.
How many miles of coastline does the Chesapeake Bay have?
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed
covers 64,000 square miles; 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);
Are there sharks in the Chesapeake Bay?
According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, there are at least 12 species of sharks found in the Bay . While some are quite abundant, others are very rare. The five most common sharks in the Bay include the sandbar shark, bull shark, sand tiger shark, smooth dogfish, and spiney dogfish.
What is Chesapeake Bay famous for?
The Bay is also an important economic resource. Seafood, recreation and tourism generate significant revenue for all Chesapeake watershed states, producing jobs and boosting local economies. The Chesapeake is also home to two of the five major shipping ports in the North Atlantic: Baltimore and Hampton Roads.
How deep is the Chesapeake Bay at the bridge?
The depth of the water ranges from 25 to 100 feet , according to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission.
How deep is the deepest part of the Chesapeake Bay?
174′Which is bigger Chesapeake Bay or San Francisco Bay?
While San Francisco Bay is the largest estuary on the West Coast, several facts size up our Chesapeake as being far superior compared to its California counterpart. For starters, our 4479-square-mile Chesapeake is eight times larger than the 550-square-mile San Francisco Bay .
How deep is the channel in the Chesapeake Bay?
Width and Depth
The Bay and its tributaries contain an astounding 11,684 miles (18,804 km) of shoreline. Much of the Bay is quite shallow; more than 24 percent of the Bay is less than 6 feet (2 m) deep. The average depth is 21 feet (7 m). The deepest channel in the Bay is 175 feet (53 m) .
What is causing the dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay?
What Causes Dead Zones? Dead zones are caused by excessive nitrogen and phosphorous pollution from human activities , including: Agricultural runoff from farmland that carries nutrients from fertilizers and animal manure into rivers and streams, eventually flowing into the Chesapeake Bay.
Is Chesapeake Bay an ocean?
The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary —a partially enclosed body of water where fresh water from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean. About half of the water in the Bay comes from salt water from the Atlantic Ocean.
Do people get drinking water from the Chesapeake Bay?
There are more than 18 million people who live in the Chesapeake watershed and roughly 75% get their drinking water from rivers and streams that flow into the Bay .
Is Chesapeake Bay used for drinking water?
From providing an important source of drinking water to supporting a seafood industry that sustains families and generations-old ways of life, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is an integral part to the human health and wealth of 18 million people.
How long is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?
92,848′Are there alligators in Chesapeake Bay?
“That’s a big alligator — pretty big for Maryland that’s for sure,” William Adams said. Jack Cover, a curator for the National Aquarium, said alligators in the Chesapeake Bay are not a natural occurrence , but said they wouldn’t survive Maryland winters.
Can you swim in Chesapeake Bay?
Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Acceptable to swim unless a Preemptive Advisory is in effect .
What is the biggest fish in the Chesapeake Bay?
Sturgeons are the largest fish native to the Chesapeake Bay.
Why is it called Chesapeake Bay?
Today, fresh water from land drainage measurably dilutes seawater within the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay derives its name from the Algonquian word, Chesapiooc (Chesepiuk, Chesepiook, or Chesapoic), though its exact definition is unknown .
How cold is the Chesapeake Bay?
Water temperature in Chesapeake Bay today is 53.6°F .
Is Chesapeake Bay fresh or saltwater?
In general, the lower Chesapeake Bay is salty and the upper Bay is fresh . Salinity gradually decreases as you move north, farther away from the ocean, and increases as you move south. Salinity is highest at the mouth of the Bay—averaging 25 to 30 ppt—where water from the Atlantic Ocean enters.
How many cars have fallen off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?
In fact, only 15 vehicles have fallen from the bridge, according to bridge-tunnel spokesman Tom Anderson. Most of those have been tractor-trailers. Only two people have survived the fall, including a trucker who went over the side in January 2016.
Why is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge scary?
What makes the bridge so terrifying? “For some it’s the height,” says Medell. “For some it’s because there’s no shoulder and there’s nowhere to go if they want to stop.” A lot of drivers don’t like the low railings, which offer views of the water below.
How long does it take to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel?
Not to be confused with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is a total of 23 miles long from end to end — counting the bridges, tunnels, and approach spans. It usually takes no more than 30 minutes or so to drive the entire Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel route.
How many states does the Chesapeake Bay run through?
The Chesapeake Bay watershed spans more than 64,000 square miles, encompassing parts of six states —Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia—and the entire District of Columbia.
Where is Chesapeake Bay filmed?
This TV drama, adapted from a popular book series by author Sherryl Woods, is set on the east coast in Maryland, although it’s actually filmed on Vancouver Island . You can catch the family drama on the Hallmark Channel, but why settle for watching through a screen when you can visit Chesapeake Shores in real life?
What kind of oysters are in the Chesapeake Bay?
Eastern oysters, Crassostrea virginica , are a critical component of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, known as a keystone species. The reefs that oysters form provide important habitat for the Bay’s fish, crabs, worms, and other animals.
