The Chesapeake Bay watershed stretches from Cooperstown, New York, to Norfolk, Virginia , and includes parts of six states—Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia—and the entire District of Columbia.
What states does the Chesapeake Bay run through?
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);
Where does Chesapeake Bay start?
The Bay extends from Havre de Grace, Maryland , south to Virginia Beach, Virginia. That’s almost 200 miles. If you include the tidal portions of the Bay’s tributaries, the estuary covers around 4,480 square miles.
What counties border the Chesapeake Bay?
It forms the border between Kent County and Queen Anne’s County, Maryland , with its headwaters extending into New Castle County and Kent County, Delaware.
Are there sharks in the Chesapeake Bay?
The Chesapeake Bay is visited by multiple species of sharks, typically in the summer. Most of these species are found in the higher salinity waters of the lower Bay.
Why is the Chesapeake Bay so dirty?
The Chesapeake Bay has been on EPA’s “dirty waters” list for decades. ... This excess nitrogen and phosphorus feeds algal blooms that block sunlight to underwater grasses and contribute to the formation of dead zones, areas in the Bay and its tidal waters without sufficient levels of oxygen.
Is Chesapeake Bay fresh or saltwater?
Chesapeake Bay salinity
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.
Is the Chesapeake Bay a drinking water source?
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 . One of the biggest suppliers, the Susquehanna River, provides drinking water to millions of residents across New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
What is Chesapeake known for?
Chesapeake is consistently ranked by the FBI as one of the five safest cities of its size in the country. ... Chesapeake consists of more than 353 square miles of land area, which makes us the 11th largest city in the U.S. Chesapeake contains more miles of deepwater canals than any other city in the country.
What rivers empty into Chesapeake Bay?
These tributaries are direct conduits carrying runoff and pollution into the Bay. Major rivers that empty into the Bay include the James, York, Rappahannock, Potomac, Patuxent, Patapsco, and Susquehanna from the west and the Pocomoke, Wicomico, Nanticoke, Choptank, and Chester from the east.
What happened at Chesapeake Bay?
The Chesapeake Bay was the site of the Battle of the Chesapeake (also known as the “Battle of the Capes”, Cape Charles and Cape Henry) in 1781, during which the French fleet defeated the Royal Navy in the decisive naval battle of the American Revolutionary War.
Are there alligators in the Chesapeake?
A Maryland man found a nearly 8-foot-long alligator over the weekend in a pond off the Chesapeake Bay, caught it using chicken breasts as bait, shot it with a crossbow and put the meat in his freezer. ... State wildlife officials said it is likely that someone had been trying to raise the gator as a pet, then released it.
Can you swim at Chesapeake Beach?
The park boasts 2,188 acres of sandy beaches, marshlands, and heavily wooded bluffs overlooking the North East River, the Elk River and the Chesapeake Bay. A sandy beach at the North East Beach Area offers swimming access on the Chesapeake Bay with shallow waters perfect for young children.
Does Chesapeake Bay have a beach?
Enjoy a Day at the Beach
There are public beaches scattered up and down the shores of the Chesapeake Bay . Some are large, some small, all are nice places to get out and enjoy the Bay.
Is it safe to swim in the Chesapeake Bay 2021?
They are especially dangerous for dogs and one of the main threats to the Bay’s entire ecosystem. Despite these health concerns, beaches along the tidal rivers and the Chesapeake Bay are often safe for swimming, fishing and boating .
