With its northern part in Maryland and the southern part in Virginia, Chesapeake Bay is a very important feature for the ecology and economy of those two countries. More information about the bay, including its history and its effect on regional culture, can be found at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. The Chesapeake Bay watershed extends approximately 524 miles from Cooperstown, New York, to Norfolk, Virginia. It includes parts of six states: Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, and the entire District of Columbia.
Chesapeake Bay, the largest and once the most productive estuary in the United States, and the third largest in the world, is an integral part of our natural and national history. The Chesapeake Bay Basin, home to more than 18 million people and 3,600 species of plants and animals, is a truly extraordinary place. The bay's watershed, which spans six states and the District of Columbia, never ceases to amaze with its rich history, vital economic importance and astounding beauty. The following are just a sample of some of the impressive facts and figures about our wonderful watershed.
Do you want more? Discover 10 things you didn't know about Chesapeake Bay. Visit our map portal to view a variety of interactive maps about the bay, its geography, land cover and local watershed. The State of the Bay report makes it clear that the bay needs our support now more than ever. Your gift helps the Chesapeake Bay Foundation maintain our momentum toward restoring the bay, rivers and streams for today and for generations to come.
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501 (c) (of the Internal Revenue Code). Donations are tax deductible as permitted by law. Response of a benthic species that feeds in suspension (Crassostrea virginica Gmelin) to three centuries of anthropogenic eutrophication in Chesapeake Bay. Researchers are working in Chesapeake Bay to gather information on water quality, the abundance of plants and animals, coastal erosion, tides, waves and the proliferation of harmful algae.
This plan explains the steps Virginia localities can take to ensure cleaner rivers and streams and, ultimately, a cleaner Chesapeake Bay. That same year it sank in the Potomac River, in front of Chesapeake Bay, after a test with high explosive power organized by the U. I planned to spend my days sailing, eating as many blue crabs from Chesapeake Bay as possible and studying a little about the inhabitants of the East Coast. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, West Virginia and the District of Columbia are the six jurisdictions that comprise the 64,000 square mile area that drains water into the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Chesapeake Bay Flotilla, which was built with shallow barges and ships to counter British naval attacks during the War of 1812. Chesapeake Bay plays an extremely important role in the economies of Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, in addition to the ecosystem.
Growing concern about pollution also led the Maryland and Virginia legislatures to establish the Chesapeake Bay Commission, an advisory body, in 1980. The Chesapeake Bay watershed has 150 major rivers and streams, but contains more than 100,000 smaller tributaries. Just off the Atlantic coast, the enormous Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and a key part of the region's culture, economy and cuisine. In September 1781, during the War of Independence, the British sank more than a dozen ships in the York River, near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.
In the 1970s, Chesapeake Bay was discovered to contain one of the first identified marine dead zones on the planet, where the waters were so depleted of oxygen that they could not support life, causing the massive death of fish. Explore the entry points to Chesapeake Bay below to choose the way you prefer to enjoy this remarkable natural attraction.