This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. In 2015, the report card includes five water quality indicators and two biotic indicators. In 2015, the overall grade for Chesapeake Bay is a 53%, a C. This means the Bay is in moderate health. Long term trends of each reporting region health and a fisheries index are also presented. For further details, visit the Report Card website.

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A coupled estuarine hydrodynamic model and water quality model were used to analyze differences in destratification and anoxia/hypoxia reduction by wind directions in the north-south oriented Chesapeake estuary, USA. The predominant cross-channel bathymetry in the Bay's anoxic center is asymmetric with a steeper and narrower shoal on the eastern shore than on the western shore, which modifies wind-induced circulation differently for two opposite wind directions.

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Ecological restoration of the Chesapeake through the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load (TMDL) requires the reduction of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads in the Chesapeake watershed because of the tidal water quality impairments and damage to living resources they cause. Within the Chesapeake watershed, the Conowingo Reservoir has been filling in with sediment for almost a century and is now in a state of near-full capacity called dynamic equilibrium.

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Reduction of suspended sediment (SS), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen is an important focus for Chesapeake Bay watershed management. The Susquehanna River, the bay’s largest tributary, has drawn attention because SS loads from behind Conowingo Dam (near the river’s mouth) have been rising dramatically. To better understand these changes, we evaluated histories of concentration and loading (1986−2013) using data from sites above and below Conowingo Reservoir.

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This poster outlines the project objectives and goals, three areas of focus, and requests input from nontraditional monitoring groups.

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This poster illustrates some results from work on a climate change resilience index for Chesapeake Bay. One aspect analyzed in the index was coastal wetland resilience to sea level rise. Overall, coastal wetlands currently have good resilience but under future sea level rise rates coastal wetlands will have moderate to very poor resilience.

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This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. In 2014, the report card includes five water quality indicators and two biotic indicators. In 2014, the overall grade for Chesapeake Bay is a 50%, a C. This means the Bay is in moderate health. A fisheries index and climate change resilience index as well as trajectories of reporting region health are also presented. For further details, visit the Report Card website.

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To assess historical loads of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and suspended sediment (SS) from the nontidal Chesapeake Bay watershed (NTCBW), we analyzed decadal seasonal trends of flow-normalized loads at the fall-line of nine major rivers that account for >90% of NTCBW flow.

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The annual West & Rhode Rivers report card was released on June 12th, 2015. It presents data and information on six different ecological health indicators. It also gives examples of what the public can do to improve health of the rivers.

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This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. In 2013, the report card includes five water quality indicators and two biotic indicators. In 2013, the overall grade for Chesapeake Bay is a 45%, a C. This means the Bay is in moderate health. Fisheries indicators as well as trajectories of reporting region health are also presented. For further details, visit the Report Card website.

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