This is from the Web site of the Chesapeake Bay Program, which includes the EPA and state agencies. Look, no alarmism, nor anything about HW:
What are the major issues facing the Chesapeake Bay? The number one issue facing the Bay is the reduction of excess nutrients. Excess nutrients cause blooms of algae, which block sunlight needed by Bay grasses to grow. Algae also deplete oxygen as they die, robbing other living resources of the oxygen they need to live. In addition to excess nutrients, the other major stressors on the Bay are chemical contaminants, air pollution and landscape changes. For more on Bay stressors, click here.
Who’s polluting the Chesapeake Bay? In some way, everyone who lives in, works in or visits the Bay region pollutes the Chesapeake. Every time we drive or ride in a car or truck, tailpipe emissions pollute the air. This pollution eventually can be deposited on land or on water. Other sources of pollution include just about everything from farms to factories to parking lots to urban and suburban areas to wastewater treatment plants to our own yards and gardens. No one is exempt, so everyone has to be part of pollution prevention and reduction efforts.
What is the major source of pollution in the Bay? The major source of pollution is runoff from land into the Bay and its rivers. This runoff carries the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, which, in large amounts, are harmful to the Bay system. For example, fertilizers and animal waste contain both nitrogen and phosphorus; when it rains, these nutrients can be washed off the land into creeks and streams and can end up in the Bay. For more on nutrient pollution, click here.
How do storm drains affect the Bay? How do storm drains affect the Bay? Basically, anything that can be drained, spilled or dropped into a storm drain can end up in a waterway to the Bay. In most cases, storm drains dump directly into open water without treatment, so rain carrying pollutants, trash or debris eventually can make it to the Bay. This is why street and neighborhood cleanup efforts have an impact on water quality in our neighborhoods, as well as in the Bay.
What is Pfiesteria? Pfiesteria piscicida is a free-swimming, single-celled organism that's been linked to fish kills in the Bay region, as well as in other areas along the East Coast. Under certain conditions, this organism can reach toxic levels and may cause lesions on fish. Prolonged human exposure to an active outbreak of Pfiesteria may result in significant, but temporary, health impacts, including short-term memory problems and respiratory difficulties. Officials in Maryland and Virginia are monitoring waters for any future outbreaks while research on this organism continues. For more on Pfiesteria, click here.
Is seafood from the Bay safe to eat? Generally, seafood from the Bay and its rivers is safe to eat. However, there are some areas that have posted fish consumption advisories. That means that fish or shellfish harvested from these areas should not be eaten. Also, fish that do not appear to be healthy (taken from any area) should not be eaten, especially ones with lesions or other signs of disease. For more on crabs and shellfish, click here.
Is it safe to swim in the Bay? Though people do have some concern about water quality in certain rivers, especially near industrial areas, it is generally safe to swim in the Bay and its tributaries. However, swimmers (along with boaters and fishermen) should obey any signs posted by state officials that restrict certain activities. Because potential human health impacts are an important issue, state agencies constantly test for problems related to human health issues in the tidal rivers of the Bay. Where human health concerns are identified, appropriate fish consumption advisories or other warnings are issued.
What are algae? Algae are single-celled organisms that are capable of making their own food, sort of like plants. They are mobile, and some are large enough to see with the naked eye. Many types, including blue-green, brown and red, can be found in the Bay watershed. Algae harm the Bay when they grow excessively, causing what's known as an algal bloom. Blooms block sunlight needed by Bay grasses, and as algae die, they use up oxygen needed by finfish and other living things in the water.
What is happening to water quality? Generally, the Bay and its rivers are cleaner than they were 10-15 years ago. Reductions in nutrients and sediments are having an effect in many portions of the Bay system. There also is improvement in the amount of dissolved oxygen available to aquatic living resources -- another indicator of water quality. However, more work is needed in certain areas. For more on water quality, click here.
Are toxic chemicals a problem in the Bay? Since the 1980s, Bay scientists have agreed that the nature, extent and severity of toxic effects vary widely throughout the Chesapeake system. Based on research, scientists determined that -- unlike nutrient pollution -- there was no evidence of severe, system-wide toxics problems in the Bay or its rivers. However, scientists identified three localized problem areas called toxic hot spots in the Bay's tidal rivers. These hot spots, or Regions of Concern, were characterized in 1993. They are the Elizabeth River in Virginia, the Baltimore Harbor/Patapsco River in Maryland, and the Anacostia River in the District of Columbia. These three specific areas were targeted for intense management efforts by the partners in the Bay Program because scientific experts agreed that these are areas where data indicate that there is a probable chemical contaminant-related impact on living resources (other than humans). In a Bay Program report released in 1999, ten more areas in the tidal Bay were designated as Areas of Emphasis, which means there is significant potential for chemical contamination to impact living resources. In the same study, eight areas were given a clean bill of health. For more on toxic pollution, click here.
How will human population growth affect the Bay? The population in the Bay region is at 15.3 million people and it shows no signs of slowing down. Basically, more people mean more pollution and more demands on resources. For example, from 1970 to 1994, population in the Chesapeake Bay watershed grew 26%. During this same time frame, the amount of vehicle miles traveled in the watershed increased by 105%. The exhaust emissions from cars add to nutrient pollution in the Bay directly and indirectly. The quality of life in the Bay region is threatened by increased traffic congestion as residents of the region spend more of their time commuting on congested roads. Additional impacts to communities and local governments include: economic and fiscal impacts, due to the need for increased government services, and quality of life impacts, such as loss of open space and community identity. When the population of any area grows, demand for goods and services also increases. That's great when the growth occurs in an area that's already developed. But, when people start living farther from jobs and services, demand also grows for infrastructure, such as roads, so that people can reach stores, schools and work places. All of these factors put a strain on the Bay watershed, mainly because more people create more pollution. For more on population, click here.
What is suburban sprawl? Suburban sprawl is the development of land father away from populated areas and from centers of business. Because this construction tends to be located in more rural areas, farms, forests and wetlands may be replaced by new housing developments and infrastructure needed to support these developments. The accompanying pollution -- including wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks, more vehicle miles traveled, more storm water runoff, more impervious surface and other factors -- disrupts or harms the Bay system. Sprawl also harms wildlife and other creatures. When land including farms, wetlands or forests is used for development, animals may be displaced and must find a new habitat and new areas to search for food.
How can individuals help the Bay? We all live downstream, so most everything that occurs in the Bay watershed eventually can affect the quality of our lives - and the quality of the lives of the wildlife, plants and other living resources around us. Participating in recycling efforts, energy conservation and car pools are fairly easy activities that any individual can choose to do. On a larger scale, individuals can join a local watershed group or environmental organization. To learn more about how you can help, click here.
chesapeakebay.net are the major |
