Publications about Choptank River
Midshore Rivers Report Card 2014
1 April 2015
This is the fourth annual Midshore Rivers report card. It presents data and information on four different ecological health indicators. It also gives examples of what the public can do to improve health of the rivers.
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Nitrogen source tracing in the Choptank River Watershed
Simon Costanzo ·
30 May 2014
This project analyzed existing aquatic sediments, plants, and animals collected throughout the watershed to pinpoint key sources of nitrogen. As submerged aquatic vegetation has disappeared in regions heavily impacted by land-use activities, macroalgae and oysters were deployed and incubated in situ to help trace the origin of nitrogen inputs by identifying, delineating and mapping the relative influence of the varied urban and agricultural land uses in the watershed.
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Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan: Chapter 8 Adaptation
Caroline Donovan,
Marcus Griswold ·
24 July 2013
Climate change will affect Maryland in a variety of ways. More obvious impacts could include an increased risk for extreme events such as drought, storms, flooding, and forest fires; more heat-related stress; the spread of existing or new vector-born disease; and increased erosion and inundation of low-lying areas along the State’s shoreline and coast. Adaptation, together with mitigation, is necessary to address climate change.
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Best Management Practices: Preserving clean water in a changing climate
Marcus Griswold,
Caroline Donovan ·
22 July 2013
Risk management is critical in any restoration project. Risks include those associated with climate patterns, such as more intense storms, as well as those associated with land use change, site selection, and design. Addressing these risks in conjunction with ongoing restoration efforts will prepare communities for greater variability and may result in cost savings and reduced risk. Best Management Practices (BMPs) should be sited and designed with climate change impacts in mind.
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Watershed Management: Conservation in a changing climate
Marcus Griswold,
Caroline Donovan ·
12 July 2013
Maryland’s extensive aquatic ecosystems range from freshwater swamps and bogs to freshwater rivers and marshes to coastal bays and salt marshes. These ecosystems are influenced by precipitation, temperature, tropical storms, and human activity. Human development and pollution have degraded their natural resilience, leaving them more vulnerable to climate change and extreme events.
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2012 Chesapeake Bay Report Card
Caroline Donovan,
Bill Dennison,
Heath Kelsey,
Alexandra Fries ·
3 July 2013
This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. In 2012, the methods for the report card have changed to include five water quality indicators and two biotic indicators. In 2012, the overall grade for Chesapeake Bay is a 47%, 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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2012 Report Card - Eastern Bay, Choptank, Miles, and Wye Rivers
12 April 2013
This report card is an assessment of the aquatic health of the Eastern Bay, Choptank, Miles, and Wye Rivers, and is based on data collected by the Midshore Riverkeeper scientists and Midshore Creekwatchers. It is the third annual report card which discusses the status of river health in the midshore during 2012 based on five different indicators.
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2011 Chesapeake Bay Report Card
Bill Dennison,
Caroline Donovan,
Jonathan Kellogg,
Alexandra Fries ·
17 April 2012
This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. The overall health of Chesapeake Bay, determined using water quality and biotic indicators, declined slightly in 2011. The overall grade of D+ was a decrease for the second year in a row, down from a C- in 2010. Only two reporting regions, the Patapsco and Back Rivers, and the Lower Western Shore (MD), had improved grades in 2011.
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Chesapeake Bay Report Card 2010
Bill Dennison,
Heath Kelsey,
Caroline Donovan,
Sara Powell ·
27 April 2011
This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2010 Chesapeake Bay health. The overall health of Chesapeake Bay, assessed using water quality and biotic indicators, declined slightly in 2010. The overall grade decreased from a C in 2009 to C- in 2010. Only two reporting regions (James River and York River) had improved grades in 2010, three were unchanged, and nine declined.
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