All about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed About the

All about the…. . Chesapeake Bay Watershed

About the Watershed…. . The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is the biggest of 130 estuaries in the U. S. and include the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D. C. Ø The average depth of the watershed is 21 ft. Ø Is home to more than 3, 600 species plants and animals. Ø Is occupied by 30 million people. Ø

Say WHAT? I bet you’re wondering what estuary or watershed means…. well let me explain… A WATERSHED is the area of land where all of the water is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. • An ESTUARY is a partly enclosed body of water where fresh water from the river meets ocean salt water and the 2 mix. n FUN FACT: The Algonquian Indians named the watershed “Chesepioc” meaning the “Great Shellfish Bay”.

Animals and Plants The Chesapeake Bay Watershed supports a variety of species…. . in fact over 3, 600! • Animals in the watershed • Plants in the watershed include blue crabs, oysters, zooplankton, striped bass, sharks, shrimp, snakes, frogs, turtles, ospreys, barnacles, sea squirts, and bald eagles, great blue herons, sponges. Canadian geese, and raccoons.

Pollution Unfortunately, pollution is a big problem in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed……. . u u u Before European settlement, the watershed was 95% forest. Today, only 65% is forest. Today, much of the watershed is polluted with excess nutrients, toxic/chemical contamination, car pollution, fossil fuels, and garbage. Another huge source of pollution is landscape changes.

How you can Help? • Farmers and other people are helping the environment by making sure cows don’t go into streams and by making sure manure is cleaned up. • Other people help by holding events to pick up litter. • YOU can help by not polluting and asking other people to do the same. • Remember, anything you throw on the ground can effect what will happen to this watershed…. because you’re in it!

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