2/24/2009 Describe how environmental issues of the Chesapeake Bay affect watermen, farmers, businessmen, and citizens of the Bay. What kinds of “environmental issues” affect the Bay?

Chesapeake Bay ??? o

Estuary -A body of water, open at one end to the ocean, in which salt water from the ocean mixes with freshwater draining from surrounding land. -The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States.

Bay Facts Approximately 64,000 square miles. It includes parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and also includes all of the District of Columbia. Averages about 21 feet in depth About 200 miles long

Bay Species Home to more than 3,600 species of plants and animals –hammerhead shark –Manatee’s –Whales –Dolphins –350 different species of fish –Oysters –Crabs –Bay Grasses –Terrapins

Bay Problems #1 - Too Many Nutrients –Used in fertilizers to help farm crops grow. –When it rains, nutrients runoff into the Bay. –Causes algae to grow, which blocks sunlight to the floor of the bay, and keeps bay grasses from growing. –Fish, crabs all depend on the bay grasses to survive.

Bay Problems #2 -Non-point source pollution –includes the nutrients and other contaminants that are washed off the ground and into waterways from any land use, such as lawns, crop lands, feedlots, parking lots, roads, etc. –After heavy rains, water washes pollutants off our driveways, roofs, and yards, and into our waterways.

Bay Problems #3 - Pfiesteria - A free-swimming, single- celled organism that's been linked to fish kills in the Bay. - Causes lesions on fish. - Human exposure to an active outbreak of Pfiesteria may cause short term memory loss and breathing difficulties.

How can we help the Bay? Reduce your use of electricity. Reduce your input of pollutants. Recycle and reduce your waste. Use pesticides carefully. Decrease air pollution.

–Which of these best describes why DE, NY, WV, VA, PA, MD work together to save the Bay? –A. MD watermen are losing their jobs –B. There aren’t enough oysters, crabs and fish to go around –C. More people are moving into the area –D. What one state does affects everyone around the Bay.

Bay Vocabulary Phosphorus – element found naturally – used in fertilizer CBF – Chesapeake Bay Foundation Haphazard – doing something that could be bad/dangerous without thinking about it or caring Abundance – A lot of something Eutrophic – an abundance of nutrients in a body of water, not allowing sunlight to penetrate the surface Shenandoah – River Located in VA - Implementation – putting something in place Pfiesteria – single celled organism which causes lesions/sores on fish Neuropsychological – Nervous System/Brain Potomac – River in VA/MD Buffer – provides a natural filter, keeping pollutants/sediment out of the Bay Agriculture – farming/having to do with farms Riparian – along a river bank