chesapeake bay watershed test review

Which 2 major watersheds do we live in?

Potomac and chesapeake Bay 

How long is the Potomac River?  Which two states does the Potomac River separate?

405 miles long, and separates Maryland and Virginia.

How many physiographic provinces does the Potomac River Basin have? What are they?

Five - Coastal Plain, Piedmont Plateau, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau.

Give importance of -

• Wetlands -

Wetlands are important to watersheds as they serve a natural filtration system and act as a buffer zone from runoff and other pollutants. They also provide sources of shelter and food for the wildlife.

importance of bay as spawning ground -

The bay is important as a spawning ground as it is the largest estuary in the U.S. In the Estuary there is not much predators and there is the perfect salinity for them to grow

importance of SAVs -

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation is important for many reasons. SAV’s hold together loose sediment in the water, they are huge contributors to the carbon and oxygen cycle.

How does salinity vary within the Bay watershed? Explain Why salinity is a key factor in determining the habitat for Bay organisms?

Salinity increases towards the bay

Different organisms have varying tolerances to salinity which determines where they live in the Bay

Why are SAVs vital to the health of the Bay?

SAV (Submerged Aquatic Vegetation) Improve the water quality and provide oxygen.

They provide a habitat for creatures

They trap sediment

What are the 4 main species which inhabit the Bay?

Fish, shellfish, plants, and waterfowl

Which species is the most important to the health of the Bay watershed and why?

Oysters because they pump water through their gills, trapping suspended sediment, keeping the water clean for itself and aquatic life.

Why is it so important to preserve wetlands?

Wetlands are very helpful since they help with flood protection and water quality improvement as they filter runoff.

Which species are the natural “filters” of the Bay?

Oysters

Explain how the Bay was formed and where the water came from that filled the Bay.

Almost 12,000 years ago, the last great ice sheet melted and flooded the Susquehanna River Valley which helped form the Chesapeake Basin and It receives half of its water volume from the Atlantic Ocean

Which states are located in the Bay watershed? Potomac Watershed .

Virginia, Maryland, DC, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, and New York.

in which state does the Bay watershed begin?  Which River

New York, Susquehanna River

What is the average depth of the Bay?

21 ft, deepest point is in Annapolis, MD (Bloody Point, Kent Island) at 180 ft

What is the length and width of the Bay?

200 miles long & 4-30 miles wide

 How many square miles make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed?

64000 square miles

Discuss the problems with crab and oyster populations in the Bay.

Oyster populations are decreasing in the Bay due to pollution, overharvesting and habitat loss. Oysters are important to the Bay because they remove excess nitrogen from the water. Blue crabs population has been decreasing due to overharvesting.

 Which species are increasing in the Bay?

Both the Striped Bass (rockfish/invasive species) and Sea Nettles/Jellyfish (seasonally) populations are increasing in the bay

What is an estuary? What is the largest estuary in the United States? What is the importance ?

An estuary is a body of water where freshwater mixes with saltwater. The largest one in the US is the Chesapeake Bay. They are important because numerous animal species rely on estuaries for breeding, habitat, and to protect the coastline from flooding.

Which river flooded and gave “birth” to the Bay?  

12,000 years ago, the Susquehanna River flooded and created the Bay.

What does the word “Chesapeake” mean?

“Village at a large river” (Called that by the Algonquian Indians).

Describe eutrophication and how it harms other organisms in the Bay.

Eutrophication is the excess of nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, in an environment. This can harm the organisms because this can lead to algae, which feeds from the abundance of nutrients, and low oxygen which can kill water organisms which create dead zones.

What is the human impact on the Bay?  What are several issues impacting the Bay?  Is there one type of issue, land, water or air that is more harmful to the Bay?

Humans are responsible for polluting the Bay by the excessive amount of nutrients that enter and damage the Bay. This type of nutrient pollution comes from over fertilizing lawns, gardens, and farms and weaken the natural filters that have resulted in loss of wildlife. Other issues impacting the bay include: Air pollution, chemical containment, invasive species, and runoff. A major issue are the high levels of nitrogen & phosphorus fuel unnaturally high levels of algae growth in the water, blocking sunlight from reaching underwater resources.

what are invasive species and how do they get in an area? What can be done to prevent invasive species from entering an area?

Invasive species are non native species to an area and they thrive due to having no predators. Can be prevented by practicing leave no trace and not taking anything from nature. You can also report sightings of invasives species and remove them from the environment

What are endangered species? How does a specie become endangered? What measure can be taken to save endangered species?

An endangered species is a species that is at risk of going extinct. Species become endangered by over-hunting and having too many predators. To fix this, people shouldn’t over-hunt, people should do their best to protect organisms, and unable to adapt to environment

How can air pollution become water pollution?

Air pollution can become water pollution because the particles or chemicals released into the air can be absorbed into clouds and when it rains the particles/chemicals will be in the rain and pollute the water. Air pollution can also become water pollution because air needs to be incorporated into water so there can be dissolved oxygen for aquatic organisms and any pollutants in the air will also be incorporated into the water with the dissolved oxygen.

do watersheds have boundaries? How are the boundaries of watershed set?

 Yes, the boundaries of a watershed are defined by the highest elevations surrounding a lake or river segment.

What are the two sources of dissolved oxygen in the bay?

Algae and underwater grasses release oxygen into the water during photosynthesis. 

What are three factors that impact DO?

Natural man made factors such as temperature, nutrient pollution, water flows, and the shape of the bay bottom all impact direct oxygen.

30. What is Bathymetry and what is the bathymetry of the bay?

 Bathymetry is the measurement of how deep a body of water is (depth). The average depth of the bay is 21 feet and the deepest point is 174 feet off of Blood Point on Kent island, Annapolis.

31. What impacts the turbidity of body of water?

 Turbidity is how clear the water is (Clarity of Water). More Clear = Lower Turbidity. Turbidy can be impacted by runoff and high sediments, which would increase turbidity, Also eutrophication, which leads to algal blooms, can increase turbidity. Lower turbidity is generally better as it allows for more sunlight for the underwater plants to go through photosynthesis.

What is the only factor that impacts underwater grasses?

 The only factor is  that pollutants include excess nutrients and suspended particles of sand. Healthy underwater grass can trap and absorb some of this nutrients and sediment pollutants.

What is current research used to study Bay?

There is sanctuary research that is used to study the bay.