Chesapeake Bay Program - A Watershed Partnership

About the Bay

The Chesapeake Bay — the largest estuary in the United States — is an incredibly complex ecosystem that includes important habitats and food webs. The Bay and its rivers, wetlands and forests provide homes, food and protection for diverse groups of animals and plants. Fish of all types and sizes either live in the Bay and its tributaries year-round or visit its waters as they migrate along the East Coast.

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Facts & History

Learn the basics about the Chesapeake Bay, including facts, figures and a good dose of history about pirates, shipwrecks and Captain John Smith's voyages around the Chesapeake.
Facts & Figures | Bay FAQ | Bay Fun | Bay History | Suggested Reading List

The Bay Watershed

The Chesapeake Bay watershed stretches across more than 64,000 square miles, encompassing parts of six states — Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia — and the entire District of Columbia.
Watersheds | Bay Geology | The Estuary System | Chemical Makeup | Food Web

Animals & Plants

Learn about the fish, shellfish, birds and other plants and animals that call the Chesapeake Bay watershed their home.
Fish | Crabs & Shellfish | Birds | Bay Grasses | Lower Food Web | Mammals | Reptiles & Amphibians

Habitats

Explore the Chesapeake Bay watershed's diverse habitats and learn how each protects the Bay while providing a home for the region's plants and animals.
Forests | Wetlands | Streams & Rivers | Shallow Waters | Tidal Marshes | Aquatic Reefs | Open Waters

Water Quality

Clear, healthy water is crucial to the well-being of the animals and plants that live in the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers. Learn about the many components that make up the Bay's water quality and how pollution can affect them.
Dissolved Oxygen | Chlorophyll a | Water Clarity | Physical Characteristics

Bay Health Assessment:

The health of the Chesapeake Bay, as assessed in March 2009:

• Water Quality: Water quality was again very poor in 2009, meeting just 24 percent of health goals, a 2 percent increase from 2008.
• Habitats and Lower Food Web: The Bay’s critical habitats and lower food web showed signs of improvement in 2009, increasing by 7 percent from 2008. However, they remain far below what is needed to support thriving populations of underwater life.
• Fish and Shellfish: Most fish and shellfish populations in the Bay remain far below desired levels. Overall, 59 percent of the health goals for fish and shellfish abundance have been met, a 9 percent increase from 2008.

To learn more about the health of the Chesapeake Bay, visit our Bay health assessment section.