Streams & Rivers
Hundreds of thousands of streams, creeks and rivers thread through the watershed and eventually flow to the Bay. Some species live their entire lives in fresh water, while others travel from the Bay and the ocean to spawn.
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Alewife
Alosa pseudoharengusAlso known as the big-eye or branch herring, the alewife is a thin, silver fish with a single dark shoulder spot located behind its head.
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American Brook Lamprey
Lampetra appendixThe American brook lamprey is a jawless filter feeder than can be found in freshwater streams and rivers.
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American Eel
Anguilla rostrataThe American eel is a smooth, snake-like fish with a greenish, yellowish-brown or blackish body. It lives in rivers, streams and other freshwater areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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American mink
Neovison visonThe American mink is a semiaquatic mammal inhabiting most of North America. This animal is a key predator of small mammals, fish, amphibians and insects.
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American Pondweed
Potamogeton nodosusAlso known as longleaf pondweed, American pondweed is a rooted, perennial herb that has both submerged and floating leaves.
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American Shad
Alosa sapidissimaAlso known as white shad, the American shad is a thin river herring with a metallic body and dark spots on its shoulder. It visits the Chesapeake Bay each spring to spawn in freshwater rivers and streams.
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Arrow Arum
Peltandra virginicaArrow arum is a native perennial plant with large, arrowhead-shaped leaves. It grows in shallow, tidal fresh waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
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Atlantic Sturgeon
Acipenser oxyrhynchusThe Atlantic sturgeon is a bony, ancient-looking fish that visits the Chesapeake Bay in spring to spawn in Virginia’s James and York rivers. It was once found throughout the Bay and its freshwater rivers, but is now very rare.
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Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalusThe bald eagle is a large raptor with a yellow, hook-shaped bill and a white head and tail. It lives in forested, sparsely developed areas near rivers, wetlands and other waterways throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Beaver
Castor canadensisThe beaver is a large, brown, semi-aquatic mammal with a distinctive flattened, paddle-like tail. It lives in lakes, streams and forested wetlands throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyonThe belted kingfisher is a stocky, powder blue bird that can be found in the Chesapeake region year-round.
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Black-crowned Night Heron
Nycticorax nycticoraxThe black-crowned night heron is a small, stocky wading bird that lives year-round in marshes and wetlands throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
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Black-Fingered Mud Crab
Panopeus herbstiiAlso known as the Atlantic mud crab, the black-fingered mud crab is muddy brown in color with stout, black-tipped claws. It can be found on oyster reefs and along the muddy bottoms of marshes.
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Blue Catfish
Ictalurus furcatusThe blue catfish is a large, smooth-skinned fish with a slate blue body and whisker-like barbels around its mouth. It was introduced to the region in the 1970s, and is now considered an invasive species.
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Blueback Herring
Alosa aestivalisThe blueback herring is a small, silvery fish that migrate from the brackish waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the open ocean.
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Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirusThe bluegill is a colorful sunfish with an olive green, saucer-shaped body. It lives in lakes, ponds, streams and other freshwater bodies throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Brazilian Waterweed
Egeria densaSimilar to hydrilla in appearance and growth, Brazilian waterweed is recognizable by its stem and whorls of two to six small leaves. Generally, it can be found drifting or rooted at depths of 20 feet or less.
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Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalisThe brook trout is a brilliantly colored fish that lives in clear, cold freshwater streams and rivers in undeveloped areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Brown Bullhead
Ameiurus nebulosusThe brown bullhead is a smooth-skinned catfish with a mottled, brownish body and whisker-like barbels around the mouth. It lives in slow-moving ponds, streams and rivers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Channel Catfish
Ictalurus punctatusThe channel catfish is a large, smooth-skinned fish with a bluish- or greenish-gray body and whisker-like barbels around the mouth. It lives in fresh and brackish rivers throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Chinese Mitten Crab
Eriocheir sinensisThe Chinese mitten crab is a light brown crustacean with a distinct pair of hairy, white-tipped claws. Native to East Asia, the invasive species has been reported in small numbers in the Chesapeake Bay.
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Common Carp
Cyprinus carpioThe carp is a large, sturdy fish with thick scales. Native to Europe, the carp was introduced to the Chesapeake region in the late 1800s and can now be found throughout the rivers, lakes and ponds of the watershed.
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Common Goldeneye
Bucephala clangulaThe common goldeneye is an active diving duck that can be identified by its golden yellow eyes and white, rounded face patches. It visits the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers from late autumn through spring.
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Common snapping turtle
Chelydra serpentinaThe common snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It lives in both freshwater and brackish water environments.
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Common Waterweed
Elodea canadensisCommon waterweed is a bay grass that grows in slow-moving fresh waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Coontail
Ceratophyllum demersumCoontail is a bushy-looking bay grass with whorls of stiff, forked leaves along densely branched stems. It grows mostly in quiet freshwater areas such as the upper Chesapeake Bay and rivers, streams, lakes and ponds throughout the Bay watershed.
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Curly Pondweed
Potamogeton crispusCurly pondweed is a bay grass with broad, curly leaves along flat, branched stems. It grows in fresh non-tidal to slightly brackish tidal waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Devil Crayfish
Cambarus diogenesThe devil crayfish is a brownish red crustacean that resembles a miniature lobster. They typically have red-tipped claws. They can be found burrowing in forested areas where the water table is near the surface.
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Didymo
Didymosphenia geminataDidymo is a type of algae that forms dense mats at the bottom of freshwater streams. It is an invasive species.
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Eastern elliptio
Elliptio complanataThe eastern elliptio is a freshwater mussel that can be found throughout the Chesapeake watershed.
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Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensisEastern hemlocks are important riparian trees that can live for centuries.
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Eurasian Watermilfoil
Myriophyllum spicatumEurasian watermilfoil is a bay grass with whorls of feathery leaves along long, branching stems. It grows in quiet fresh and slightly brackish waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Flathead Catfish
Pylodictis olivarisAlso known as the yellow or mud catfish, the flathead catfish is a large, smooth-skinned fish with a yellow to purple-brown body and whisker-like barbels around its mouth. It was introduced to the region in the 1960s, and is now considered an invasive species.
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Hellbender
Cryptobranchus AlleganiensisHellbenders are large aquatic salamanders that can grow more than two feet in length. They live in freshwater streams in parts of New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
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Hickory Shad
Alosa mediocrisThe hickory shad is a river herring with a thin, grayish-green body and several spots on the shoulder. It visits the Chesapeake Bay each spring to spawn in freshwater rivers.
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Horned Pondweed
Zannichellia palustrisHorned pondweed is a bay grass with long, thread-like leaves and distinctive horned seeds in spring. It grows in fresh and medium-salinity tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers.
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Hydrilla
Hydrilla verticillataHydrilla is a nonnative underwater grass that grows in freshwater portions of the Chesapeake Bay and most of its tributaries.
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Largemouth Bass
Micropterus salmoidesAlso known as the green bass, the largemouth bass has a lower jaw that extends well past its eye and is considered one of the most popular sport fishes in the United States.
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Longnose Gar
Lepisosteus osseusThe longnose gar is a primitive-looking fish with a long, spotted body and a slender, beak-like snout. It lives in quiet, fresh- and brackish-water tributaries throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Mallard
Anas platyrhynchosThe mallard is an extremely common dabbling duck that is easily identified by its iridescent green head and white neck ring. It lives year-round on shallow waters such as lakes, rivers and marshes throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Mason Bee
Osmia spp.Mason bees are solitary bees of the Osmia genus, best known for their ability to pollinate fruit-trees. There are both native and non-native species within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicusThe muskrat is a semi-aquatic mammal with brownish fur and a long, rudder-like tail. It is found in marshes and other shallow-water areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Mute Swan
Cygnus olorThe mute swan is a large, white bird that lives on shallow waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. It is an invasive species.
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Naiads
Najas spp.Naiads are bay grasses with short, narrow leaves along slender, branching stems. They grow in non-tidal fresh waters and fresh and brackish tidal portions of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers.
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Northern Pike
Esox luciusAlso known as the American pike or northern pickerel, the northern pike’s range extends farther than that of any other freshwater gamefish.
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Northern Red Salamander
Pseudotriton ruber ruberThe northern red salamander is a small, reddish amphibian with black, irregularly shaped spots covering its back. It lives in cool freshwater streams and adjacent wooded areas throughout most of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Northern Snakehead
Channa argusThe northern snakehead is a large, long fish with a mottled, snake-like pattern. It is an invasive species that can be found in Maryland and Virginia.
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Northern Water Snake
Nerodia sipedon sipedonThe northern water snake is a non-venomous aquatic snake that lives in lakes, swamps, streams and other waterways throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Pumpkinseed
Lepomis gibbosusThe pumpkinseed is a bright, beautiful sunfish with a saucer-shaped body that is mottled orange, blue and green. It lives in freshwater lakes, ponds and streams throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Raccoon
Procyon lotorThe raccoon is a grayish mammal with a distinctive long, ringed tail and black “mask” over its eyes. It lives in nearly every part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, from cities and suburbs to swamps and marshes.
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Rainbow Snake
Farancia erytrogramma erytrogrammaThe rainbow snake is a beautifully colored, non-venomous snake that lives in streams, swamps and marshes in southern Maryland and eastern Virginia.
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Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykissRainbow trout are common and widespread, in the U.S and across the world. U.S. Federal government, however, recognizes certain local populations of rainbow trout over their native range to be endangered. Such populations have become endangered due to impacts of river damming and sediment runoff.
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Red-bellied Cooter
Pseudemys rubriventrisThe red-bellied cooter is an aquatic turtle with a dark, highly domed shell and a distinctive red belly. It can be found basking along the edge of ponds, streams and rivers throughout the Potomac River and in coastal portions of Maryland and Virginia.
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Redhead Grass
Potamogeton perfoliatusRedhead grass is a bay grass with flat, oval leaves that wrap around the base of straight, slender stems. It grows in fresh to moderately brackish tidal waters in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Ribbon-leaf Pondweed
Potamogeton epihydrusThis perennial submerged aquatic grass can be found in slow-flowing waters that are 3 to 7 feet deep. Its buoyant leaves are identifiable by their light-colored center stripe. It produces small, green-brown flowers.
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Rusty Crayfish
Orconectes rusticusThe rusty crayfish is an invasive species that can be found in some rivers and streams in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. It has a spot on either side of its back that is rusty in color.
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Sago Pondweed
Potamogeton pectinatusSago pondweed is a bay grass with bushy clusters of thread-like leaves that grow alternately along slender, branching stems. It grows in fresh to moderately brackish waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Shortnose Sturgeon
Acipenser brevirostrumThe shortnose sturgeon is a bony, ancient-looking fish that lives mostly in the Potomac and Susquehanna rivers. It is an endangered species.
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Slender Pondweed
Potamogeton pusillusSlender pondweed is a bay grass with long, thin, grass-like leaves along slender, branching stems. It grows in quiet, fresh to slightly brackish creeks, rivers and other tidal tributaries throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Smallmouth Bass
Micropterus dolomieuAlso known as the black bass, the smallmouth bass has a pale brown or olive green body and is common in Chesapeake Bay tributaries north of the Rappahannock River.
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Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis maculariusThe spotted sandpiper is a medium-sized shorebird that can be found throughout the Chesapeake region during the summer.
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Tessellated Darter
Etheostoma olmstediThe tessellated darter is a small, sprightly relative of the yellow perch whose rapid movement along stream bottoms gives it its common name. It is a frequent find in the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay.
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Walleye
Sander vitreusWalleyes are nocturnal top predators that feed on other fish. They are the largest member of the perch family and are not native to the Chesapeake Bay.
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Water Chestnut
Trapa natansWater chestnut is an invasive aquatic plant with rosettes of triangular leaves that float on the water’s surface. It grows in the Bird and Sassafras rivers, which are tributaries of the upper Chesapeake Bay.
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Water Stargrass
Heteranthera dubiaWater stargrass is a bay grass with long, grass-like leaves and distinctive yellow, star-like flowers along freely branching stems. It grows in the fresh waters of the upper Chesapeake Bay and tributaries throughout the Bay watershed.
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Water Starwort
Callitriche spp.Water starwort is a bay grass with bright green, egg-shaped leaves that float on the surface of the water. It grows in quiet fresh waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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White Catfish
Ameiurus catusWhite catfish are members of the bullhead catfish family, Ictaluridae.
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White Perch
Morone americanaWhite perch is a small, silvery fish with a dark, highly domed back. It lives in fresh and brackish waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries.
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Widgeon Grass
Ruppia maritimaWidgeon grass is a bay grass with delicate, thread-like leaves that grow alternately along slender, branching stems. It ranges from slightly brackish upper and middle Chesapeake Bay rivers to the saltier lower Bay.
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Wild Celery
Vallisneria americanaWild celery is a bay grass with long, ribbon-like leaves that have a light green stripe running down the center. It grows in fresh and slightly brackish waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Yellow Perch
Perca flavescensThe yellow perch is a bright yellow fish with dark, vertical bars on its sides. It lives year-round in the Chesapeake Bay’s rivers.
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Zebra Mussel
Dreissena polymorphaThe zebra mussel is a tiny bivalve with zebra-like stripes on its triangular shell. It lives in freshwater lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs in parts of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It is a non-native and invasive species.