Publications
Access hundreds of Bay Program publications, from scientific reports to factsheets to memorandums.
Forested Riparian Zones and their Benefit to Anadromous Fish in Chesapeake Bay
Published on November 11, 2001 in BackgrounderRiparian forests are essential interfaces between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They intercept surface runoff, subsurface flow and deeper ground water flows for purposes of removing or buffering effects from nutrients, pesticides or other pollutants which could otherwise enter streams and other larger bodies of water.
View detailsSAV 2000 Survey: Preliminary River Segment Data
Published on May 1, 2000 in BackgrounderNumber of Hectares of SAV in 1999 and 2000 and Percent Change for Chesapeake Bay Segments and Zones
View detailsSAV 2000 Survey: Preliminary Executive Summary
Published on May 1, 2001 in BackgrounderThe distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and the coastal bays of the Delmarva Peninsula, was mapped from 2,033 black and white aerial photographs. These were taken between May and October 2000, at a scale of 1:24,000, encompassing 173 flight lines covering 2,340 miles of shoreline.
View detailsRiparian Forest Initiative
Published on November 10, 1995 in BackgrounderThrough the efforts of the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area, and its partners in the Forestry Workgroup, a riparian forest initative has brought more focus on the need to better manage riparian areas and to recognize forests along waterways.
View detailsChesapeake Bay Underwater Grasses
Published on September 22, 2003 in BackgrounderBay grasses are a unique yardstick for measuring the progress of Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts because they are not under harvest pressure and their health is closely linked to water quality. In recent years both the health and diversity of bay grass communities have been severely threatened, and in 1984 SAV surveys could find only 38,000 acres of grasses throughout the Bay. To help the ailing estuary, the Chesapeake Bay Program partners recently adopted a bold, new goal to restore bay grasses to 185,000 acres in the Chesapeake and its tidal tributaries by 2010.
View detailsChesapeake Bay Underwater Grasses
Published on September 22, 2003 in BackgrounderBay scientists believe that underwater bay grasses, also called submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), once blanketed nearly 200,000 acres in the shallow waters along the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners recently adopted a bold, new goal to restore bay grasses to 185,000 acres in the Chesapeake and its tidal tributaries by 2010. It is important to restore Bay grasses because they provide essential food and habitat for many Bay species of waterfowl, fish, shellfish and invertebrates; remove suspended sediments from the water; protect shorelines from waves and erosion; and reoxygenate the waters of the Bay. Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as sediment in the water have choked the growth of SAV in many areas, and have contributed to declines in grass acreage throughout the Bay.
View detailsEnvironmental Accomplishments by the Kaine Administration
Published on January 5, 2010 in BackgrounderUnder Governor Kaine’s leadership, the Chesapeake Executive Council adopted in May 2009 a new transparent accountability system – two-year milestones for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus – for Bay restoration efforts by the six Bay watershed states and the District of Columbia.
View detailsUnderwater Bay Grasses in the Chesapeake Bay and Rivers in 2008
Published on April 29, 2009 in BackgrounderBackgrounder: Underwater Bay Grasses in the Chesapeake Bay and Rivers in 2008
View details2004 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grant Recipients
Published on January 1, 2004 in BackgrounderThe Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program provides grants to organizations working on a local level to protect and improve watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay basin, while building citizen-based resource stewardship. Under the 2004 program, 93 projects from across the Bay watershed have been selected to receive nearly $3 million in funding. Primary support for these projects is provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; additional support for this year’s program has been provided by the USDA Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Altria, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
View detailsRestoring Migratory Fish Passage in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Published on February 23, 2004 in BackgrounderOver the past two centuries numerous mill dams, hydroelectric dams and small blockages were constructed, which prevented fish throughout the Bay watershed from reaching their natal rivers. Migratory fish populations consequently suffered severe declines. In recent years many of the largest blockages have been breached or removed; however, many small dams and blockages remain.
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