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Browse History: Rappahannock River (2008) | Upper Bay (2008) | Upper Western Shore (2008) | York River (2008)

Chesapeake Bay - Reporting Region Summary:



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Scores & Conceptual Diagram


Bay Health Index
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon
25%
D		York River: 2008

Poor ecosystem health. Health getting worse over the past five years, largely due to an overall decline of aquatic grasses and phytoplankton community condition.
  • Water quality: Water clarity has been consistently poor over the past 20 years, with 2008 (4%) being no exception. In contrast, dissolved oxygen tends to vary more significantly between years—in 2008, dissolved oxygen score increased to 63% from 56% in 2007.
  • Biotic indicators: Phytoplankton community condition in 2008 was the lowest on record. While aquatic grass distribution did increase slightly in 2008 compared to 2007, distribution is still significantly lower than the highest score (35%) recorded in 2003. The benthic community condition improved significantly in 2008 (32%) compared to 2007 (20%), but is still in poor condition.

Score Legend 		Locator Map
  Index/Indicator Score     Index/Indicator Score
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Chlorophyll a
26%
   Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Aquatic grasses
22%
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Dissolved oxygen
63%
   Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity
32%
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Water clarity
4%
   Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Phytoplankton Index of Biotic Integrity
5%
 
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity Icon Water Quality Index
31%
   Biotic Index Icon Biotic Index
20%
 
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Dynamic Conceptual Diagram

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Region Info

The York River watershed drains approximately 2,600 square miles of land. The York River watershed includes all of the area flowing into the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Rivers and their many tributaries. The Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers begin in the Blue Ridge Mountains and meander through the Piedmont. Major cities in the watershed include Ashland, Gloucester Point, Hampton, and West Point. The census population for 2000 in the watershed was 372,488. Based on information in Dauer, et al., 2005 and The York River and Small Coastal Basins Roundtable.

york_riverconceptual diagram.png

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