CHESAPEAKE BAY

In North America, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary, a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with a free connection to the open sea. Fresh water from land drainage measurably dilutes seawater within the Bay. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science conducts research on the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. The Bay watershed provides rich habitat for an abundance of life. In addition to resident species of fish and wildlife, the Bay supports large winter populations of migratory waterfowl and provides spawning, nursery and feeding grounds for ocean fish.

Native Americans living along its shores named the Bay "Chesepiook," meaning great shellfish bay, because of its abundant crabs, oysters, and clams. Generations of watermen have made their living harvesting the bounty of the Bay, while recreational fishing, hunting, and boating attract millions of people each year and contribute significantly to Maryland's economy.

For ocean-going ships, the Bay is navigable with two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean: north through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Cecil County, and south through the mouth of the Bay between the Virginia capes.

Three Maryland agencies bear particular responsibility for Bay matters. The Department of Agriculture directs Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Programs. The Department of the Environment works on behalf of the Bay through its Technical and Regulatory Services Administration. The Department of Natural Resources supports the work of the Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas Commission and oversees the Regional Chesapeake Bay Program and the Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Programs.

Watershed. The rivers, creeks, and streams which flow into the Bay, the land surrounding them, and the Bay itself make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Main tributaries-Susquehanna River, Potomac River, James River-contribute 80% of the Bay's fresh water. Total tributaries: 419. Watershed area: 64,000 square miles in parts of six states-Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, West Virginia-and the District of Columbia. Watershed population: 16.4 million (1990).

Main Basin
Area
	Maryland	1,726 square miles
	Virginia	1,511 square miles
Length		195 miles
Width
	(widest near Cape Charles, Virginia)	30 miles
	(narrowest at Annapolis)	4 miles
Shoreline		4,600 miles
Depth
	average	25 feet
	greatest (southeast of Annapolis)	174 feet
Tidal Range
	at Annapolis	1 foot
	at head	2 feet
	at mouth	3 feet
Volume		18 trillion gallons
Surface Salinity (parts per thousand)
	at mouth	30 ppt
	midway to head	15 ppt
	above fall line	00 ppt
	surface to bottom	2-3 ppt

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