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Remotely mapping stormwater facility footprints and storage volumes

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Using monitoring data to measure conditions over time in Chesapeake Bay streams

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Prioritizing Marsh Restoration Needs Throughout Chesapeake Bay

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Evaluating the Risks of Tire-Derived Compounds to Fish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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Regional Assessment of Fish Health in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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Informing Freshwater Management Strategies in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by Using Observational Data and Expert Knowledge to Identify Influential Stressors

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The Nonpoint Source Challenge:

Obstacles and Opportunities for Meeting Nutrient Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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Informing Chesapeake Bay Watershed Management by Monitoring Trends in River Nutrient and Sediment Loads

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Discovering Connections Across America's Lands and Waters

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Publications

Discover Chesapeake related science in reports and journal articles authored by USGS scientists

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Chesapeake Bay Activities

The Chesapeake Bay is our Nation’s largest estuary and provides over $100 billion in annual economic value. The USGS works with Federal, State, local, and academic partners to provide research and monitoring and to communicate results to inform management for the Chesapeake and other important landscapes across the Nation.

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Accomplishments in 2025

Photo of a brook trout observed in Owens Creek, Maryland

Central to our mission is communicating decision-ready science to help partners better manage lands, water, and wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Read more about our accomplishments that were used to inform management decisions and advance Department of the Interior priorities.

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500 Years of Extreme Potomac Floods at Washington D.C.

Nick Giro at Potomac River overlooking Washington, DC

Washington D.C. faces one of the highest 100‐year flood risks of any major city along the U.S. East Coast. In addition to sea-level rise and storm‐surge inundation during hurricanes and nor'easters, extreme water‐levels at Washington are strongly skewed by major floods on the Potomac River.

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Quick Links

Learn more about USGS science activities in the Bay from our Science Strategy. Additional summaries of the USGS Chesapeake Bay Activities are available in the science topics section.

News

New Research Shows a Troubling Trend for Chesapeake Bay Osprey

New Research Shows a Troubling Trend for Chesapeake Bay Osprey

Research shows Chesapeake Bay streams are getting saltier

Research shows Chesapeake Bay streams are getting saltier

Maryland Mainstem Tributary Summary

Maryland Mainstem Tributary Summary

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Publications

Widespread reproductive deficits in Chesapeake Bay ospreys Widespread reproductive deficits in Chesapeake Bay ospreys

Introduction: Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) are well-known sentinels of aquatic ecosystem health and are indicators of both environmental contaminants and fish stocks. The Chesapeake Bay supports one of the largest osprey breeding populations in the world, but recent studies have documented declining reproductive performance and increasing food stress in some portions of the estuary...
Authors
Bryan D Watts, Chance Hines, Mitchell Byrd, Reese F. Lukei, Barton J. Paxton, Laura Duval, Keriann Spiewak, Gregory D. Kearns, Daniel D. Day, Barnett Rattner
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Eastern Ecological Science Center, Chesapeake Bay Activities

Changes in suspended sediment concentration along tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay: The tidal freshwater “sediment shadow” Changes in suspended sediment concentration along tidal rivers of the Chesapeake Bay: The tidal freshwater “sediment shadow”

Transport of terrigenic sediment from nontidal watersheds into estuaries has important impacts on coastal habitat quality, pollutant transport, and resilience to sea-level rise. However, relatively little is known about changes in suspended sediment as nontidal rivers encounter tide, transition into tidal rivers through the tidal freshwater zone (TFZ), and enter saline portions of...
Authors
Gregory E. Noe, Rebecca Murphy, Ken Krauss
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center

Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system

Computation of detailed groundwater flow budgets for subdivisions of the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system has enabled quantification and more thorough understanding of groundwater flow within this important water resource. A zone budget analysis based on previously published groundwater models of the Virginia Coastal Plain and Virginia Eastern Shore indicates that groundwater...
Authors
Jason P. Pope, Alison D. Gordon, Ryan S. Frederiks
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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Science

A gadwall duck with GPS transmitter in flight

Avian Influenza Spread, Prevalence and Persistence

USGS researchers seek to understand the factors influencing the spread and persistence of avian influenza viruses on the landscape. This research also addresses how novel strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza are impacting a larger number and diversity of host species, including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and other birds.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Environmental Health Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Avian Influenza Spread, Prevalence and Persistence

Avian Influenza Spread, Prevalence and Persistence

USGS researchers seek to understand the factors influencing the spread and persistence of avian influenza viruses on the landscape. This research also addresses how novel strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza are impacting a larger number and diversity of host species, including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and other birds.
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Geese on a small pond, poultry house in background

Avian Influenza Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay Region

USGS is investigating factors that influence the risk of avian influenza transmission from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry within the Chesapeake Bay region, a hub of poultry production for the United States.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Avian Influenza Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay Region

Avian Influenza Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay Region

USGS is investigating factors that influence the risk of avian influenza transmission from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry within the Chesapeake Bay region, a hub of poultry production for the United States.
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Lesser Scaup

Combining Field and Laboratory Studies to Understand Viral Ecology in Avian Species

USGS researchers are pairing field and laboratory studies to gain deeper insights into the role of Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis) in the spread and persistence of avian influenza viruses.
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Environmental Health Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Combining Field and Laboratory Studies to Understand Viral Ecology in Avian Species

Combining Field and Laboratory Studies to Understand Viral Ecology in Avian Species

USGS researchers are pairing field and laboratory studies to gain deeper insights into the role of Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis) in the spread and persistence of avian influenza viruses.
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