SAV Beds Show Improvement in Parts of Middle Bay, Virginia Tributaries
Underwater bay grasses are flourishing in some parts of the middle Chesapeake Bay this summer.
August 2006 -- Widgeon grass beds are flourishing in many areas of the middle Bay this year, and eelgrass beds in the same part of the Bay have rebounded from last year's late-season loss and are so far doing well, according to aerial observations taken in late July by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).
In addition to these improvements in the middle Bay, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) beds in some of Virginia's western shore freshwater areas are thriving. However, there are still many parts of both the middle Bay and Virginia 's freshwater tributaries that are sparse or less dense than previous years.
One noteworthy find was around Bloodsworth Island, where there was a significant increase from 2005 in widgeon grass beds, especially between Adam and Northeast islands, and into Northeast Cove. Also, the large widgeon grass bed in Okahanikan Cove is present and dense for yet another year.
There were some other notable SAV observations in the middle Bay, both improvements and decreases from last year:
- Two large, very dense beds, most likely of widgeon grass, have grown this year along the east side of Holland Island.
- Dense, abundant beds of eelgrass and widgeon grass were found around Tangier and Smith Islands, especially in Mailboat Harbor, South Point Marsh and the area around Fishbone Island. However, the amount of SAV found this year is still less than the amount reported in the 1990s.
- SAV in the Maryland portion of Pocomoke Sound, around Broad Creek and into Crisfield, is patchy compared to last year's findings. This is most likely due to the loss of eelgrass late last summer.
The news is good in the some of the freshwater portions of Virginia's western shore tributaries:
- In the upper Piankatank River, thick beds of SAV were present, after being mapped for only the second year in a row.
- Several smaller creeks entering the James River, particularly Herring Creek, are loaded with SAV.
- Widgeon grass beds are blooming along the north shore of the Rappahannock River, from the Route 3 bridge to the Corrotoman River.
Read more about this series of aerial observations, as well as data and narratives from earlier SAV observations this summer.