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Statistical Power to Detect Regional Temporal Trends in Riverine Contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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USGS Conducts Assessment to Inform Black Duck Habitat Decisions

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Summarizing Scientific Findings for Common Stakeholder Questions

To Inform Nutrient and Sediment Management Activities in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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Chesapeake Bay Researchers Go With The Flow

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A temporary boost to surviving trees in tidal freshwater swamps but steadily increasing

salinity associated with sea-levels rise ultimately creates 'ghost forests'

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Greatest Opportunities for Future Nitrogen

Reductions to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed are in Developed and Agricultural Areas

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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. See our Science page to learn about our themes and topics being

Accomplishments for 2021

tidal freshwater forest transitioning to brackish marsh

The USGS works with Federal, State, and academic science partners to conduct monitoring and research in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, the Nation’s largest estuary. The USGS interacts through the Chesapeake Bay Program to apply science for restoration and conservation decisions.

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Factors Driving Instream Habitat and Biology

Conceptual model showing the potential pathways through which variables could affect benthic macroinvertebrate and fish

The USGS is conducting research to better understand the complex factors affecting stream health, including efforts to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of the various landscape, climate, and in-stream predictors on biological condition through time.

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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

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Chesapeake Bay Activities Newsletter October-December 2021

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Nutrient pollution in Bay’s 3 largest rivers trending downward

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Experts find an average Chesapeake Bay dead zone in 2021

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Publications

Nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay watershed—A century of change, 1950–2050

ForewordSustaining the quality of the Nation’s water resources and the health of our diverse ecosystems depends on the availability of sound water-resources data and information to develop effective, science-based policies. Effective management of water resources also brings more certainty and efficiency to important economic sectors. Taken together, these actions lead to immediate and long-term e
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Water Resources, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, New York Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), Utah Water Science Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Movement dynamics of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in a large river-tributary system

Smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède, movement dynamics were investigated in a connected mainstem river-tributary system. Smallmouth bass moved large distances annually (n = 84 fish, average = 24.6 ± 25.9 km, range = 0.03 to 118 km) and had three peak movement periods (pre-spawn, post-spawn and overwintering). Movement into and out of tributaries was common, but the movement between main
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Cooperative Research Units, Chesapeake Bay Activities

The Chesapeake Bay program modeling system: Overview and recommendations for future development

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest, most productive, and most biologically diverse estuary in the continental United States providing crucial habitat and natural resources for culturally and economically important species. Pressures from human population growth and associated development and agricultural intensification have led to excessive nutrient and sediment inputs entering the Bay, negatively
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Climate Research and Development Program, Land Change Science Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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Science

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Water quality sensors deployed at Arctic Village

The statistical power to detect regional temporal trends in riverine contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Issue: Chemical contamination of riverine ecosystems is a global concern, with potentially negative effects for human and ecological health. Land management activities (e.g., Best Management Practices; BMPs) are an important tool that can be used to reduce point and non-point sources of pollution. The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) has goals for (1) reducing toxic contaminants and (2) reducing...
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Cooperative Research Units, Chesapeake Bay Activities
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The statistical power to detect regional temporal trends in riverine contaminants in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Issue: Chemical contamination of riverine ecosystems is a global concern, with potentially negative effects for human and ecological health. Land management activities (e.g., Best Management Practices; BMPs) are an important tool that can be used to reduce point and non-point sources of pollution. The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) has goals for (1) reducing toxic contaminants and (2) reducing...
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USGS Research Hyrologist Neil Terry preparing for resistivity surveys in Northern Minnesota

Time marches on, but do factors driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?

Issue: Stream ecosystems are affected by a complex set of interacting terrestrial and aquatic stressors. With many streams experiencing degraded conditions that often correspond with increased anthropogenic activities, an important outcome of the Chesapeake Bay Program is to improve stream health. The USGS is conducting research to better understand the complex factors affecting stream health...
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
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Time marches on, but do factors driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?

Issue: Stream ecosystems are affected by a complex set of interacting terrestrial and aquatic stressors. With many streams experiencing degraded conditions that often correspond with increased anthropogenic activities, an important outcome of the Chesapeake Bay Program is to improve stream health. The USGS is conducting research to better understand the complex factors affecting stream health...
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Chesapeake Bay at Edgewater, MD

Summarizing Scientific Findings for Common Stakeholder Questions to Inform Nutrient and Sediment Management Activities in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership is striving to improve water-quality conditions in the Bay by using a variety of management strategies to reduce nutrient and sediment loads. The partnership uses monitoring results and modeling tools to implement management strategies, relying on the scientific community to synthesize existing information and direct new research to address...
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Chesapeake Bay Activities, Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Water Science Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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Summarizing Scientific Findings for Common Stakeholder Questions to Inform Nutrient and Sediment Management Activities in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership is striving to improve water-quality conditions in the Bay by using a variety of management strategies to reduce nutrient and sediment loads. The partnership uses monitoring results and modeling tools to implement management strategies, relying on the scientific community to synthesize existing information and direct new research to address...
Learn More
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