Informing Freshwater Management Strategies in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by Using Observational Data and Expert Knowledge to Identify Influential Stressors
Informing Freshwater Management Strategies in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by Using Observational Data and Expert Knowledge to Identify Influential Stressors
The Nonpoint Source Challenge:
Obstacles and Opportunities for Meeting Nutrient Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Obstacles and Opportunities for Meeting Nutrient Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Informing Chesapeake Bay Watershed Management by Monitoring Trends in River Nutrient and Sediment Loads
Discovering Connections Across America's Lands and Waters
USGS Chesapeake Accomplishments and Highlights for 2024
Road salt elevates salinity above background levels in freshwater streams and rivers across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Publications
Discover Chesapeake related science in reports and journal articles authored by USGS scientists
Discover Chesapeake related science in reports and journal articles authored by USGS scientists
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.
Regional Assessment of Fish Health
Regional Assessment of Fish Health
atFish diseases in freshwater ecosystems pose significant ecological and socioeconomic challenges; yet, monitoring them in wild populations is complex due to interactions between pathogens, hosts, and environmental conditions.
Prioritizing Marsh Restoration Needs
Prioritizing Marsh Restoration Needs
Using a suite of models, USGS researchers identified how future potential marsh changes can be used to prioritize present-day site-specific planning and restoration needs.
Quick Links
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
Potomac Tributary Summary
Potomac Tributary Summary
EESC in the News: Scientists see trouble in the number of osprey chicks in the Chesapeake Bay
EESC in the News: Scientists see trouble in the number of osprey chicks in the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Shows Mixed Results
Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Shows Mixed Results
Publications
A simple predictive model for salt marsh internal deterioration under sea-level rise and sediment deficits: Application to Chesapeake Bay A simple predictive model for salt marsh internal deterioration under sea-level rise and sediment deficits: Application to Chesapeake Bay
Salt marshes are dynamic biogeomorphic systems reliant on autochthonous and allochthonous input to maintain their three-dimensional configuration. Sea-level rise, subsidence, and sediment deficits can lead to submergence, open-water expansion, and ultimately loss of the vegetated marsh plain and associated ecosystem services. Widely used management-focused models focus on vegetation...
Potomac Tributary Summary: A summary of trends in tidal water quality and associated factors, 1985 - 2022 Potomac Tributary Summary: A summary of trends in tidal water quality and associated factors, 1985 - 2022
The Potomac Tributary Summary outlines change over time for a suite of monitored tidal water quality parameters and associated potential drivers of those trends for the period of 1985 to 2022, and provides a brief description of the current state of knowledge explaining these observed changes. Water quality parameters described include surface (above pycnocline) total nitrogen (TN)...
Tracking status and trends in seven key indicators of river and stream condition in the Chesapeake Bay watershed Tracking status and trends in seven key indicators of river and stream condition in the Chesapeake Bay watershed
Freshwater streams and rivers are recognized as vital habitats within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which has been undergoing extensive restoration efforts for more than 30 years. Resource managers need to understand stream and river condition and how these conditions are changing over time to determine whether regional long-term restoration and conservation goals are being met. The...
Science
Prioritizing marsh restoration needs throughout Chesapeake Bay
A new USGS study estimates potential losses of Chesapeake Bay salt marshes that could occur in the next 80 years if no marsh restoration is undertaken. Using a suite of models, USGS researchers identified how future potential marsh changes can be used to prioritize present-day site-specific planning and restoration needs.
Advancing Risk Modeling for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
Ongoing global outbreaks demonstrate the capacity of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) to impact poultry, wild birds, and even human health. USGS research is advancing the understanding of the spatial and temporal interface between wild and domestic bird populations from which these viruses emerge to aid biosecurity planning and outbreak response.
Key considerations to accurately predict tidal marsh longevity
A recent study provides key considerations about modeling the timeline of tidal marsh longevity. These timelines can help resource managers envision what future marsh conditions may look like, informing current and long-term adaptive management strategies.