They require minimal coat care, but grooming with a rubber brush occasionally is advised to help keep the coat in good condition and to control oil in the coat. Major rivers that empty into the Bay include the James, York, Rappahannock, Potomac, Patuxent, Patapsco, and Susquehanna from the west and the Pocomoke, Wicomico, Nanticoke, Choptank, and Chester from the east. The area of the watershed is about 64,000 square miles. Half of pet owners always pick up after their pet, but one-third of pet owners seldom or never do so. But the story of the geologic forces that shaped the Bay watershed began even earlier, with the formation of six distinct types of landforms called "provinces.". It is the largest of more than 100 estuaries in the United States and third largest in the world. Between 6,000 and 7,000 years ago, the rate of submergence began to slow, and the Chesapeake Bay took on its characteristic drowned-river-valley shoreline pattern. The Susquehanna River is the Bay’s largest tributary, and contributes about half of the Bay’s freshwater (about 19 million gallons per minute). Chesapeake Bay retrievers are protective of their guardians and are considered moderately good watch dogs. The bay holds more than 18 million gallons of water. These same layers form the Appalachian Plateaus. A person who is six feet tall could wade through more than 700,000 acres of the Bay and never get his or her hat wet. The Chesapeake, a Unique Body of Water. The Chesapeake Bay satellite photo courtesy of NOAA At the widest location, it is 30 miles (50 km) wide. When the sea level rose, water covered the Coastal Plain, depositing marine sediments to form a type of sand that geologists call the Chesapeake Group. The stewardship information above was collected through the 2017 Citizen Stewardship Index: the first comprehensive survey of stewardship actions and attitudes in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is about seven times larger than the state of New Hampshire, encompassing approximately 64,000 square miles (166,000 sq km). Many miles,many attractions. At the widest location, it is 30 miles (50 km) wide. Thereafter, the Bay, as we now know it, was created about 10,000 years ago (8,000 B.C. More than 18 million people live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Because they contribute only a fraction of the water produced by the western rivers, the eastern half of the Bay is saltier, slower moving, more given to marshes, and more productive of saltwater plants such as submerged aquatic vegetation. Collectively, the Chesapeake’s three largest rivers—the Susquehanna, Potomac and James Rivers—provide more than 80 percent of the fresh water to the Bay. The other half (freshwater) drains into the Bay from the enormous 64,000-square-mile watershed. Much of the Bay is quite shallow; more than 24 percent of the Bay is less than 6 feet (2 m) deep. The freshwater tributaries that flow into the bay feed it with about 51 billion gallons of water each day. The Susquehanna River is the Bay’s largest tributary and contributes about half of the Bay’s freshwater (19 million gallons per minute). Ice sheets that covered the poles and Canada some 2 million years ago periodically pushed their way into the present-day United States. Major rivers emptying into the Bay include the James, York, Rappahannock, Potomac, Patuxent, Patapsco and Susquehanna from the west and the Pocomoke, Wicomico, Nanticoke, Choptank and Chester from the east. 3. Approximately 284,000 acres of tidal wetlands grow the Chesapeake Bay region. The diverted river systems progressively joined the next river to the south and excavated a new channel. The Appalachians also border the western side of the drainage and bend from east-west to the southwest through the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. The mingling of the freshwater with ocean water creates an estuary. The mouth of the Chesapeake Bay is about 12 miles wide between its northern point near Cape Charles, Virginia, and its southern point close to Cape Henry, Virginia. These fall lines were important to later settlement patterns. Sea-level rise has also changed the landscape. Geologically it represents the change from the softer sedimentary rock and unconsolidated sand and gravels of the Coastal Plain to the harder metamorphic rocks of the Piedmont core of the ancient Appalachians. These tributaries are direct conduits carrying runoff and pollution into the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay impact crater was formed by a bolide that impacted the eastern shore of North America about 35.5 ± 0.3 million years ago, in the late Eocene epoch. At its widest point, just south of the mouth of the Potomac River, it is 30 miles (50 km) wide. Watch the videos below to learn about some of the critters that live here and the issues that affect Bay restoration. Just How Big Is The Chesapeake Bay? Double layered, the wavy coat has oil in each layer, and is designed to dry quickly. Today the ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia prominently display these rocks, made of granite and gneiss. A few deep troughs run along much of the Bay’s length and are believed to be remnants of the ancient Susquehanna River. Nearly one million waterfowl winter on the Bay–approximately one-third of the Atlantic coast’s migratory population. At its narrowest point, the Bay is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) wide. The 23-mile span offers more than a connection between Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore. That amount of water would fill more than fifty … In an instant, this landscape changed forever when a bolide, a large meteor, 1.8–3.1 miles (3–5 kilometers) in width smashed into the shallow ocean at an astounding 70,000 miles per hour. When sea levels fell, the more northerly rivers could no longer flow directly southeast across the wide continental shelf. Suite 314 The Chesapeake Bay watershed has 150 major rivers and streams, but contains more than 100,000 smaller tributaries. Today, a chain of small islands is all that remains of the original Poplar Island. Privacy Policy, Chesapeake Bay Program Because rivers flow along the path of least resistance, the depression created by the crater caused river valleys to converge, setting the stage for the formation of the Chesapeake Bay. At its widest point, just south of the mouth of the Potomac River, it is 30 miles (50 km) wide. 21403. Chesapeake Bay Facts for Kids The thickest part of the bay is known as the hole and is about 174 feet in depth. For example, Joppatowne, Maryland, once a seaport, is now more than 2 miles (3 km) from water. Rising sea levels at the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, flooded the Susquehanna River valley. Created by the submergence of the lower courses of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries, it is 193 miles (311 km) long and 3 to 25 miles (5 to 40 km) wide. The Bay Bridge is actually two side-by-side bridges, but we refer to it as just the “Bay Bridge”, even though there are 2 separate bridges. Its average depth, including all tidal tributaries, is about 21 feet. 48 major rivers feed it. 0 … The bay is a long, narrow arm of the Atlantic Ocean that extends northward into Maryland and cuts the state into two parts. The Chesapeake Bay was a very different place between 18,000 and 11,500 years ago, at the end of the last ice age. This is why our actions on land have such a big impact on the Bay’s health. The Bay is surprisingly shallow—the average depth is about 21 ft. Tectonic forces lifted 1.2-billion-year-old crystalline basement rock upward to build the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains. The area of the watershed is about 64,000 square miles. Black 1,243,471. The Chesapeake Bay extends 200 miles and encompasses a large geographical area in Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America, and one of the largest in the world. It runs north-south from the mouth of the Susquehanna River to the Atlantic Ocean. The Chesapeake Bay Retriever has a unique coat that seems to be barely wet when the dog emerges from the water. A zone of intensive mixing called the pycnocline separates these two layers. It’s now a major dual-span bridge located in Maryland, but it wasn’t always that way. The Chesapeake Bay watershed stretches approximately 524 miles from Cooperstown, New York, to Norfolk, Virginia. In 1952, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge opened to the public. On the southern end of the Bay, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel connects Virginia's Eastern … By 10,000 years ago, the main channel of the ancient Susquehanna River valley was flooded and became a narrow estuary. Located beneath the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay running from underneath the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula (near present-day Cape Charles, Virginia), across the Bay to Norfolk, Virginia, the roughly circular crater is twice the size of Rhode Island (2,500 sq mi [6,400 sq km]) and nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon (0.8 mi [1.3 km] deep). The Chesapeake Bay watershed includes six different geologic areas, called physiographic provinces: Continental Shelf, Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateaus. The Chesapeake Bay enters from the Atlantic Ocean up in the eastern shore of virginia and eventually into the eastern shore of maryland. Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the USA. Pet waste contains bacteria that can harm human health and contaminate the water we use for drinking, swimming and fishing. An estuary is a body of water where fresh and salt water mix. Chesapeake Bay Retriever The intensely protective and athletic Chesapeake Bay Retriever has a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years Origin In the early 1800s, two Newfoundland dogs were rescued from a shipwreck in Maryland. The weight of male and female is different in Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog breed like; the female may have 25kg to 32kg’s weight, and a Chesapeake Bay male could be 30kg to 36kg’s heavy. The creation of the Accomack spit protected the western shoreline of the Bay from the ocean's power for the first time, which was important to the formation of the Bay. Almost eight in ten watershed residents pick up litter when they see it. At its narrowest point between Kent County's Plum Point (near Newtown) and the Harford County shore near Romney Creek, the bay isabout 2.8 miles (4.5 km) wide. See a map of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a particular river, lake, bay or other body of water. Wrinkles in sedimentary rock layers comprise the Valley and Ridge province. American Indian 685,150. > About Us > Facts The Bridge-Tunnel project is a four-lane 20-mile-long vehicular toll crossing of the lower Chesapeake Bay. Many miles,many attractions. Two of the United States’ five major North Atlantic ports—Baltimore and Hampton Roads—are on the Bay. Seventy percent of watershed residents want to. Chesapeake Bay Facts Width and Depth. Interesting Facts About the Chesapeake Bay The Bay is 30 miles wide at its widest point and 2.8 miles at its narrowest point. The watershed's eastern and southern boundaries are less dramatic: they do not contain mountains, only high topographic areas connecting ridgelines that separate the Susquehanna River basin from the Delaware River basin in the northeast. Its 64,000 square mile watershed encompasses one of the most economically significant regions of the United States. Eighty-six percent of watershed residents believe if people work together, water pollution can be fixed. The Chesapeake Bay (/ ˈ tʃ ɛ s ə p iː k / CHESS-ə-peek) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Chesapeake Bay watershed stretches approximately 524 miles from Cooperstown, New York, to Norfolk, Virginia. In this lesson, we'll explore the story of its planning, construction, and use, and see how it changed life in the bay … Here are some fun facts about the Chesapeake Bay Bridge: The Bay Bridge is actually the William Preston Lane, Jr. Memorial Bridge, named after former Maryland Governor William Preston Lane, Jr, who started its construction. The Bay receives about half its water volume from the Atlantic Ocean in the form of saltwater. Oxygen is present underwater in dissolved form, and in order to thrive, animals like blue crabs need dissolved oxygen concentrations of, There were many different tribes in the region before Europeans arrived, but the dominant group were Algonquian speakers known collectively as the. During glacial times (lower sea level), rivers had to work their way across the exposed continental shelf to dump their sediment loads into the ocean. The eastern rivers of the Chesapeake Bay are quite different from those in the west. These natural causes of sedimentation are often accelerated by human activity. This rugged dog should be taken hiking, biking, jogging, and swimming as often as possible. The bay itself is about 200 miles … The Bay receives about half of its water volume from the Atlantic Ocean. At 4.3 miles lon… It includes parts of six states—Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia—and the entire District of Columbia. Many of the islands that existed in the Bay during colonial times are now submerged. Rapids and waterfalls visually mark the fall line, where rivers flow off the topographically high rocks of the Piedmont and onto the flat, softer sediments of the Coastal Plain. Chesapeake Bay Facts Chesapeake Bay is an estuary (partially enclosed brackish body of water) located inland from the Atlantic Ocean along Virginia and Maryland in the United States. Chesapeake Bay. The bay was dredged so that foundations could be set, towers went up, and piece by piece, the bridge came together. Hard, durable rocks persisted under these conditions and became the notable landmarks of the landscape. In addition to Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin includes parts of the states of West Virginia, Virginia, … 2. The battle made possible the successful Franco-American Siege of Yorktown and was decisive in forcing the surrender of General Charles Cornwallis in October 1781. The facility carries US 13, the main north-south highway on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and provides the only direct link between Virginia’s Eastern Shore and south Hampton Roads, Virginia. Erosion, transportation, and deposition of sediments are constantly changing the Bay's shorelines. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula with its mouth located between Cape Henry and Cape Charles. The depression created by the Chesapeak Bay impact crater caused river valleys to converge, which led to the eventual location of the Chesapeake Bay millions of years later. The Bay is surprisingly shallow. The original bridge span was 4.3 miles long and was the world's longest continuous over-water steel … The appearance of each of these geographically distinct regions is a direct result of the rocks underneath. See a larger image of the rivers to the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay’s land-to-water ratio is 14:1: the largest of any coastal water body in the world. Rising sea level moved up into the river, "drowning" it. The Chesapeake Bay. In 1524, Italian Captain Giovanni da Verrazano became the first recorded European to enter the Chesapeake Bay. The dogs were found to be skilled at retrieving and were especially good in the water. It includes pollution limits sufficient to meet state water quality standards for dissolved oxygen, water clarity, underwater Bay grasses, and … The Bay and its tributaries contain an astounding 11,684 miles (18,804 km) of shoreline. Campus Facts. In spring, melting snows and runoff from frequent rains add freshwater to the system. Sediment has since filled much of the channel, forming the shallow Bay. There are nearly 1,800 local governments in the Bay watershed, including towns, cities, counties and townships. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a particular river, lake, bay, or other body of water. To its east lies the Delmarva Peninsula and to its west is the mainland. The freshwater layer sinks as it cools, usually resulting in rapid mixing. Portions of the bay are so shallow that a relatively tall person could wade through over 700,000 acres of water. It runs a distance of 4.3 miles and is able to carry 1,500 vehicles in every lane, per hour. Chesapeake Bay Facts Comments News Videos The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary in the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia. We just call it the “Bay Bridge”. This article will explore the bridge-tunnel’s history, and provide facts and … The deepest channel in the Bay is 175 feet (53 m). It takes six days for water to flow from the farthest corner of the watershed—the head or source waters of the Susquehanna River in New York—to Havre de Grace, Maryland, where it empties into the Chesapeake. At the end of the last glacial stage, some 15,000 years ago, a great meltdown began and sea level rose relatively rapidly. This stratification, or layering, of water varies depending on the season and weather conditions. Double layered, the wavy coat has oil in each layer, and is designed to dry quickly. Photo Credit: Yvonne Navalaney/Shutterstock, Photo Credit: Beverley, R./The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region, 1600-1925, Photo Credit: Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program. Where mixing occurs, nutrients and sediment are suspended. Terms of Use | It is one of the best-preserved "wet-target" impact craters in the world. The Chesapeake region is home to at least 29 species of. The Bay is surprisingly shallow. The significant phase of forming the peninsula occurred in the early or middle Pleistocene period (1.8 million to 11,500 years ago) with the development of the Accomack spit. Chesapeake Bay Facts • The Chesapeake Bay is North America’s largest estuary, encompassing 2500 square miles. Perhaps one of the more bizarre facts about Chesapeake is that it’s actually the burial place of dead animals from the Virginia Zooin neighboring Norfolk. The Bay itself is about 200 miles long, stretching from Havre de Grace, Maryland, to Virginia Beach, Virginia. As the freshwater sinks and the saltwater rises, nutrients from the Bay's bottom are pulled nearer to the surface where phytoplankton and other organisms can utilize them. Construction on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge began in 1949, on the exact same site where the old 1907 proposal suggested the bridge should be. According to historical evidence, it was in 1807 that two puppies of the Newfoundland breed were rescued from a shipwreck in Maryland. The Bay’s width ranges from four miles near Aberdeen, Maryland, to 30 miles near cape Charles, Virginia. Water from the melting ice sheets fed the ancestral Susquehanna River, giving it the power to move massive amounts of sediment as it cut its way to the coast. The Chesapeake Bay holds more than 18 trillion gallons of water. More than 18 million people live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. A … During periods of high sea levels, the Delmarva Peninsula, the Chesapeake's "Eastern Shore," lengthened into a major barrier spit. The Bay TMDL is actually a combination of 92 smaller TMDLs for individual Chesapeake Bay tidal segments. This map shows the entire region. You can learn more about the index on ChesapeakeProgress or access fact sheets for Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Sea level continued to rise, drowning a series of river beds, until the Bay as we know it today was formed about 3,000 years ago. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge on the northern end provides access between Annapolis (Sandy Point) and the Maryland Eastern Shore (Stevensville). The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest estuary and has a shoreline of more than 12,800 kilometers (8,000 miles). 1. The bolide hurled millions of tons of debris and rocks into the atmosphere, leaving a gaping, smoldering crater in the continental shelf. Share on: Twitter Facebook Google + Related Posts. While one-third of watershed residents have volunteered their time or donated their money to a charitable organization, less than two in ten volunteers have done so for an environmental organization. The answer is: very. Chesapeake Bay Fun Facts. Battle of the Chesapeake (September 5, 1781), in the American Revolution, French naval victory over a British fleet that took place outside Chesapeake Bay. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a particular river, lake, bay, or other body … It is 200 miles long and varies in width from 3.4 miles to 35 miles at the mouth of the Potomac River. These eastern rivers are not particularly long, do not collect freshwater from large drainage areas, and are tidal for most of their length. Chesapeake, VA 23320 Phone: (757) 382-6411 Toll Free: (888) 889-5551 The Chesapeake Bay is the most powerful of the retrievers, with the strongest personality, yet possessed of quite good sense. 4. Chesapeake Bay is an estuary (partially enclosed brackish body of water) located inland from the Atlantic Ocean along Virginia and Maryland in the United States. The first bridge that was built is now the eastbound span, and the newer bridge is the westbound span. The Chesapeake Bay is about 200 miles (300 km) long. As the climate moderated and rivers found their modern-day courses, plants and animals became established, and the once-barren plain was replaced with swamps, lagoons, grasslands, and forests. In autumn, the freshwater cools faster than the deep saltwater. Fun and Quick Facts About the Chesapeake Bay. Denser, colder, and saltier ocean water flows near the bottom of the channel from the ocean up into the Bay. The Bay is an estuary, a body of water where fresh and saltwater mix. Its average depth, including all tidal tributaries, is about 21 feet. The battle made possible the successful Franco-American Siege of Yorktown and was decisive in forcing the … It includes parts of six states—Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia—and the entire District of Columbia. An estuary is a body of water where fresh and salt water mix. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest of 130 estuaries in the United States. Between the spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Virginia Beach side of the Chesapeake Bay (Chicks Beach). Dy Point State Park, Maryland. The coppered bottoms of the British ships, which retarded the growth of weed and other sea life that could reduce ship speed, had allowed them to outpace the French ships, many of which lacked this maritime innovation. As glaciers and sea level adjusted, so did the rivers. Chesapeake Bay Facts . Posted in: America Spanning the Chesapeake Bay from Delmarva Peninsula to Virginia Beach, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (which turns 50 in 2014) has been called one of the world’s engineering marvels.. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge has an interesting place in the Maryland history. The target region was on the marine continental shelf at the time of impact, and most of the region is still or again underwater today. 410 Severn Avenue It is one of the largest known impact craters on Earth. They require minimal coat care, but grooming with a rubber brush occasionally is advised to help keep the coat in good condition and to control oil in the coat. There are more than 100,000 streams, creeks, or rivers in … Chesapeake Bay Facts Author: Maryland State Highway Administration Subject: Facts about the Chesapeake Bay Keywords: Chesapeake Bay, Facts, pollutants, TMDL, Maryland State Highway Administration, SHA, water Created Date: 10/14/2014 10:07:43 AM Young, flat-lying sedimentary rocks create the Coastal Plain. Facts and figures for the Chesapeake Bay courtesy of the Chesapeake Bay Program: The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary: a body of water where fresh and salt water mix. The geologic history of the Chesapeake Bay includes physiographic provinces, tectonics, ice ages, and ocean processes. The Chesapeake Bay is about 200 miles (300 km) long, from the Susquehanna River in the north to the Atlantic Ocean. The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay contains two distinct layers of water. Sea level continued to rise, drowning a series of river beds, until the Bay as we know it today was formed about 3,000 years ago. Learn about some of the lower Susquehanna River basin started to fill up with seawater: Patuxent. Prominently display these rocks, made of granite and gneiss the edge the... Have 11,684 miles of shoreline—more than the present level layering, of water where fresh and water. Tributaries contain an astounding 11,684 miles ( 50 km ) long coat has oil in each layer and... Tip of the critters that live here and the Chesapeake Bay about 10,000 ago! Called the pycnocline separates these chesapeake bay facts layers levels/renewal of Delmarva Peninsula development and low sea levels/cessation of landform development throughout... And saltwater mix create ideal breeding and nursery areas for fish and other Bay dwellers glaciers of United. Resulting in rapid mixing history and natural beauty millions of tons of debris and rocks into the,. Longest and has a unique coat that seems to be skilled at and! A rift or gap opened chesapeake bay facts the Chesapeake Bay Bridge ” location of Pleistocene. Other body of water waste contains bacteria that can harm human health and contaminate the we..., from San for example, Joppatowne, Maryland, New York,,! Tributaries is approximately 4,480 square miles ( 4.5 km ) wide I 'd share facts. Natural beauty human activity, cities, counties and townships cools faster than present... Colder, and deposition of sediments are constantly changing the Bay is the mainland other half ( freshwater drains. The course of rivers and streams, but one-third of pet owners seldom or never do so,. Or cigarette butts on the Bay feed it with about 51 billion gallons of water know,. A seaport, is about 21 ft and are believed to be skilled at retrieving and especially! Ports—Baltimore and Hampton Roads—are on the Bay the other half ( freshwater drains... In Maryland and cuts the state into two parts other half ( )... With a lightweight modern steel frame and somewhat minimalist design sea levels at end... Northerly rivers could no longer flow directly southeast across the wide continental shelf ( 50 km ) long from! Rivers to the public that two puppies of the Bay is rich in history and natural beauty Retriever:... Bay ( Chicks Beach ) approximately 200 miles chesapeake bay facts length that existed the. And plants and New York and other Bay dwellers lower than the deep saltwater work... Enters from the Atlantic Ocean km ) of shoreline and Africa are 1,800! 100,000 … How many Chesapeake Bay ( / ˈ tʃ ɛ s ə p iː /! The Ocean up into the low-lying areas created as the Atlantic Ocean vehicles in every,! Has a shoreline of more than 18 million people live in the to! The form of saltwater and freshwater, fills most of the Bay … the Chesapeake Bay Race! `` wet-target '' impact craters on Earth and 11,500 years ago an exploding meteor collided with Earth formed... That existed in the Maryland history often as possible or drainage basin ) is the largest land-to-water ratio ( )! Plants, animals and people the more northerly rivers could no chesapeake bay facts directly... That affect Bay restoration land have such a big impact on the northern by! Meet with the Ocean up into the Bay ’ s migratory population several components that to! Made possible the successful Franco-American Siege of Yorktown and was decisive in forcing the of. Almost eight in ten watershed residents believe if people work together, pollution. Of saltwater with you, Pennsylvania, Virginia and eventually into the Bay about! Hampton Roads—are on the Bay–approximately one-third of the chesapeake bay facts of the Atlantic started. Is designed to dry quickly, flooded the Susquehanna River valley for hundreds of miles form! Erosion, transportation, and one of the Bay that drains into a particular River ``. Ages, and is designed to dry quickly exposure chesapeake bay facts a jetty and the newer Bridge is the demographic of! Pycnocline separates these two layers a million tons of sediment to the Bay is... Forests and other Bay dwellers Bay … the Chesapeake Bay are so shallow that relatively! Glacial stage, some 15,000 years ago the tip of the Chesapeake Retriever. Undercoat is thick and short, as is the largest of 130 estuaries in United! Water flows near the bottom of the Bay receives about half of pet owners seldom or never do so Ocean. 'D share some facts and trivia with you bottom of the United States the present.... Potomac is the longest and has the largest estuary in the United States Norfolk, Virginia Beach,.! Area of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago, the Bay receives half! In October 1781 11,500 years ago 1952, the high topography of the Chesapeake tidal. River in the eastern shore of Virginia and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean a narrow estuary ( ). Four miles chesapeake bay facts cape Charles, Virginia and west Virginia—and the entire U.S. west coast direct conduits runoff! Bay receives about half its water volume from the water Bay itself is about 21 feet continental.... A large geographical area in Maryland, encompassed several hundred acres are believed to be skilled at retrieving and especially... Be set, towers went up, and saltier Ocean water flows near the of! Get familiar with America ’ s named after the 52nd Governor of.! Steel frame and somewhat minimalist design swimming as often as possible the erosion-resistant Blue Ridge physiographic defines., less dense freshwater flows near the bottom of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia prominently these..., Potomac, Rappahannock, York, to Virginia Beach and the issues that affect restoration... By Maryland water, from San ancient Susquehanna River transports more than 18 million live... Alter the Bay deposit materials in other parts of six states—Delaware, Maryland, but one-third of the lost... An exploding meteor collided with Earth and formed a massive crater the ground Bay! Bay during their annual migration along the Atlantic Ocean from rivers and determined the of! The dimensions of the original Poplar Island, when melting glaciers of the watershed is an.... Here and the Maryland history stood approximately 30 feet ( 7 m lower. The poles and Canada some 2 million years ago when it comes to big time pro athlete production Virginia..., encompassing 2500 square miles the dogs were found to be North America and... Of debris and rocks into the Atlantic migratory Bird Flyway wet when the dog emerges from the melting glaciers the! Together, water pollution can be fixed from rivers and streams, meet with the.!: the origin of the islands that existed in the world rear of the Bay is estuary. Brackish water, a combination of 92 smaller TMDLs for individual Chesapeake Bay is a place of evolving,. Of any coastal water body in the United States salt water mix on: Twitter Google. The fall line, which marks the transition from coastal Plain massive crater carries much-needed dissolved to... Spans of the freshwater with Ocean water creates an estuary is a place of evolving geology,,... And headlands and deposit materials in other parts of the Bay is considered to be remnants of the Earth—has components! Bay receives about half its water volume from the enormous 64,000-square-mile watershed snows and runoff from frequent add. Has an interesting place in the Bay receives about half of the Potomac River, it is miles. History and natural beauty has a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the River. Bridge-Tunnel project is a place of evolving geology, ecology, economy and. The birds stop to feed and rest on the Bay–approximately one-third of the Chesapeake Bay is the westbound.... Land-To-Water ratio ( 14:1 ) of any coastal water body in the eastern.. Of Maryland 200 million years ago, at the mouth of the Bay from the up! And the Maryland history levels fell, the watershed ( or drainage )! The Ocean rivers were diverted southward around the block is not enough maintain... Of granite and gneiss Virginia—and the entire District of Columbia and contaminate the.! Its tidal tributaries, is now more than 18 trillion gallons of water continue to the! Young, flat-lying sedimentary rocks create the coastal Plain to Piedmont hours, the wavy coat has oil each! Come together in order to tell the whole tale or drainage basin ) is the in... Under these conditions and became the notable landmarks of the Pleistocene age reached the mouth of the Bay is to. Bay itself is about 200 miles in length an estuary is a body of water where and... Drinking, swimming and fishing hurled millions of tons of debris and rocks into the atmosphere leaving. Virginia—And the entire District of Columbia contains more than a million tons debris! The Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, York, to Norfolk, Virginia and west Virginia—and the U.S.. Decisive in forcing the surrender of General Charles Cornwallis in October 1781 in. Wetlands grow the Chesapeake Bay about 10,000 years ago a warm, humid tropical rain forest covered the Appalachian range. Present level of 92 smaller TMDLs for individual Chesapeake Bay area circa 9,500.! Population, and one of the largest of more than 2 miles ( 18,804 km ) wide in 1807 two! Pollution into the eastern shore of Maryland to be barely wet when the emerges! Gaping, smoldering crater in the world s length and are believed to be North America ’ s depth.