This read across america day help your young reader learn more about the chesapeake bay and the world around them. By providing educators with information about funding opportunities, field studies, and curriculum guides and lesson plans related to the chesapeake bay, bay backpack helps educators find the tools they need to give their students meaningful watershed educational experiences, or mwees. Environmental economic impact of pollution in the chesapeake bay 2753 words 12 pages. Bay backpack is an online resource that supports handson environmental learning. The book also recognizes for the first time that efforts to.
Reports and compiled data published by the numerous organizations dedicated to sustaining the ecosystem of the bay span a long range of topics, including pollution, water quality, oyster fishing, pesticides, and environmental sustainability. In february, the montgomery county watershed restoration and outreach grant program approved funding from the chesapeake bay trust for the first bandalong litter trap. In may 2009, president obama issued an executive order to recognize the chesapeake bay as a national treasure and. Agricultural runoff in southcentral pennsylvania has been identified as one of the leading causes of chesapeake bay pollution, according to harry campbell, pennsylvania executive director of. However, through updates on the positive health of the river and by connecting with local. Chicken poop a real concern for chesapeake bay waters. Journalist tom pelton pays homage to chesapeake bay. Developing the chesapeake bay tmdl took many years and involved significant collaboration between epa, the jurisdictions delaware, maryland, new york, pennsylvania, virginia, west virginia and the district of columbia, stakeholders, and the general public.
Featured destinations explore the chesapeake bay region by map use the map below to help find your way around the chesapeake bay area. Books in the maryland collection maryland and the environment. Addressing nutrient pollution in the chesapeake bay. Maryland to sue the epa, pennsylvania over chesapeake bay. Use a short slideshow to engage students with the chesapeake bay. Polluted runoff is a huge issue facing the watershed, what we do on land ultimately impacts our water and waterways emptying out into the bay. When pollutants like excess nutrients, sediment and chemical contaminants enter local waterways, they threaten the health of plants and animals that live in the. Dead zones in the chesapeake bay why are there dead zones in the chesapeake bay. The chesapeake bay is north americas largest estuary and has a shoreline of more than 12,800 kilometers 8,000 miles. The chesapeake bay is having a crisis with ever increasing pollution affecting the quality of the water and the appeal of the bay the chesapeake bay has been inundated with nitrogen as a result of agricultural runoff, septic system leakage, runoff from roadways, development, residential and commercial fertilizers and air deposition from factories.
Larry hogan asked marylands attorney general wednesday to file a lawsuit against the commonwealth of pennsylvania for not doing its part to reduce pollution in the chesapeake bay. Inch by inch, nautical mile by nautical mile, the chesapeake bay is getting cleaned up. Click on a place name for information scroll past the map for. Death of the chesapeake wiley online books wiley online library. Without an ambitious effort to fairly but effectively regulate pollution coming from farm fields throughout the watershed, there is simply no chance that the chesapeake bay will recover. The bay is located in the midatlantic region and is primarily separated from the atlantic ocean by the delmarva peninsula including the parts. That resulted in the epa developing a limit on the amount of pollution the bay can withstand and remain healthy, and cbf agreed to drop the lawsuit. Resources for teachers and students chesapeake bay foundation.
The chesapeake bay foundation is a nonprofit, taxexempt charitable organization under section 501c3 of the internal revenue code. Death of the chesapeake explores this important aspect of the nations environmental health. For the 18 million people living in the chesapeake bay region, clean water is key. Loose particles of sand, silt and clay are a natural part of the chesapeake bay ecosystem. Water pollution california san joaquin valley to waterpower environmental aspects nepal periodicals include extended shelves. River of dreams explores the rich history of the susquehanna river and ultimately connects the history to our current pollution problems towards the chesapeake bay. This timeline highlights the steps taken to develop the tmdl.
Anacostia river to get new trash trap chesapeake bay. Its a crime, punishable by imprisonment and steep fines. In 1983, virginia, maryland, pennsylvania, the district of columbia, the chesapeake bay commission, and the epa signed the chesapeake bay agreement the first multistate effort to restore the bay. It may be the future of offsetting nutrient pollution in the chesapeake bay. The chesapeake bays cleanup program is beginning to produce just that, and it promises to demonstrate the value of efficient, marketbased pollution controls, too. I seized on my book project as an opportunity to conduct a sweeping. While military munitions sources contribute significantly to the pollution and degradation of chesapeake bay, they have been completely overlooked in many of the efforts to restore the bay. Restoration efforts to improve water quality in the chesapeake bay include reducing pollution, restoring habitats, managing fisheries, protecting watersheds, and fostering stewardship through communication and outreach programs. Locations of the more than 300 sewage treatment plants across the watershed. In the chesapeake bay watershed agreement, the chesapeake bay program set a goal to reduce nitrogen and other pollutants and improve water quality 331 million. Recommended by our team members in our pennsylvania office, susquehanna. Developing the chesapeake bay tmdl chesapeake bay total. But he and numerous other bay area scientists say nutrient pollution, not sediment, is the major threat, noting that most of the pollutants flowing into the chesapeake come from upstream.
The chesapeake bay is the nations largest estuary with six major tributaries, the james, the potomac, the susquehanna, the patuxent, the york, and the rappahannock rivers, feeding into the bay from various locations in maryland, virginia, pennsylvania, and the district of columbia chemical contaminants. Some of the harmful chemicals that persist in our waterways. The bay is a long, narrow arm of the atlantic ocean that extends northward into maryland and cuts the state into two parts. Cbf points out that the group sued the epa in 2009 for failing to enforce the clean water act in the chesapeake bay region, prompting a yearlong negotiation between the group and the epa. Air pollution released into the chesapeake bays airshed will eventually fall back to the earths surface, where it could wind up in our rivers and streams. Water quality had been in decline since the 1950s and was taking a turn for the worse. Sewage and wastewater plants in the chesapeake bay watershed executive summary. Experts warn of dead zone in chesapeake bay from pollution. In addition to maryland, the chesapeake bay drainage basin includes parts of the states of west virginia, virginia, pennsylvania, new. The chesapeake bay as a reflection of american political life by tom. Amish targeted over environmental problems washington times. He lives in salisbury, where he is also a professor of environmental studies at salisbury university.
Airborne nitrogen, for example, is one of the largest sources of pollution affecting the bay. Educator materials chesapeake bay food web before large scale harvesting and european settlers this worksheet prepares students to compare this historic food web of the chesapeake bay to the food. Chesapeake bay by air is mpts new onehour program that forever captures the unparalleled wild beauty, history and natural serenity of the bay, all from above. As measured by the parameter index developed by the well known nonprofit chesapeake bay foundation, with the health of the bay in the pristine year 1600 given a score of 100, the bay has shown marked decline since the 1950s, falling to around 20 in the mid1980s and hovering in the 2728 range over the past five years. Started in 1984, this program collects data 15 times a year at 22 stations located in marylands chesapeake bay mainstem and 12 times a.
In essence this book deals with an area that contributes significantly to the pollution and degradation of chesapeake bay, but has been. The writer discusses his new book the chesapeake in focus. While plants and animals need nutrients to survive, excess nutrients can fuel the growth of algae blooms that lead to lowoxygen dead zones harmful to underwater life. The chesapeake mermaid will bring her new book on tour beginning this spring. Sewage and wastewater plants in the chesapeake bay. This fall, montgomery county, maryland will get its first waterway trash trap, a surprisingly lowtech pollution fighter thats already in use along the anacostia river. Chesapeake bays pollution sinks are full, and thats a bigger challenge tom horton, special to salisbury daily times published 7. A reading list of books about the chesapeake bay watershed. Group preparing to sue epa over chesapeake bay pollution.
But sediment in excess amounts can cloud the water and harm underwater grasses, fish and shellfish. Books for the future bay saver chesapeake bay foundation. Environmental research comprises much of the literature written about the chesapeake bay. Michener, sea swept by nora roberts, jacob have i loved by katherine paterson, inner harbor by no. But an abandoned boat is much more than a sorrowful sight. Excess nutrient pollution is the leading cause of the decline and degradation of the chesapeake bay and its tributaries. The 2012 report is the result of the presidents chesapeake bay executive order eo 508 that directed federal agencies to prepare a report summarizing information on the extent and severity of the occurrence of toxic contamination in the chesapeake bay and its watershed. However, through updates on the positive health of the river and by connecting with local residents through interviews, stranahan leaves the readers feeling optimistic.
Your donation helps the chesapeake bay foundation maintain our momentum toward a restored bay, rivers, and streams for today and generations to come. No exact match for water pollution chesapeake bay region md and va measurement. The book also recognizes for the first time that efforts to restore the bay have failed because of the violation of a fundamental precept of environmental cleanup. Virginia, maryland and the district say the environmental protection agency has not taken action against two states that polluted the bay in. The chesapeake bay foundation announced it is preparing a notice of intent to sue the epa, saying the agency has failed to take action for what the foundation is describing as an inadequate. Across the chesapeake bay watershed, 21 sewage treatment plants violated their permit limits last year by releasing excessive amounts of nitrogen or phosphorus pollution that fuel algal blooms and lowoxygen dead zones in waterways, according to an environmental. But ridding the nations largest estuary of 300 years of pollution is a slow process that could be getting.
A look at just how much of the bay is affected by dead zones. Why the chesapeake bay is the best in the world the. The chesapeake bay watershed the area of land that drains into the bay is 64,000 square miles and has 11,600 miles of tidal shoreline, including tidal wetlands and islands. One such boat appeared in martins lagoon off middle river last year. William baker, president of the chesapeake bay foundation, said the epa has failed to uphold its responsibilities under the clean water act. Not an environmental problem but a political one cleaning up the. Discover the beautiful chesapeake bay in virginia beach, commonly known to locals as chics beach. Chesapeake bay magazine is an independent regional magazine, bringing you the best of the bayboating, fishing, food, nature, events, and culturesince 1971. How air pollution travels to our region from well outside the watershed. This agreement led to additional agreements to reduce pollution levels, and to clean water act amendments, designed specifically to restore and. Things you can do to help protect the chesapeake bay. The longterm chesapeake bay water quality monitoring program is a comprehensive water quality and habitat monitoring program. Unfortunately, these days, we are up against not just water pollution, but a. Tom horton has written about chesapeake bay for more than 40 years, including eight books.
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