debris and pollutants into the Chesapeake

[WckedMidas]

Back-to-back storms have dumped mud, debris and pollutants into the Chesapeake from across the bay's six-state watershed, turning it into a brown plume that can be seen from space.

Scientists are now fanning out across the bay's 200-mile length to learn how Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee are affecting the nation's largest estuary.

A Maryland Department of Natural Resources crew aboard a research vessel finished two days of water quality sampling in the middle bay on Tuesday.

The good news, they say, is the storms stirred bay waters and they didn't find any dead zones where oxygen is too low to support aquatic life. The bad news is the water is still muddy, although not as cloudy as last week. That's bad for bay grasses and oysters.

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_9488.shtml

 

[WckedMidas]

wow nobody had anything to say bout this
its only the nation's largest estuary.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

I could have told u is has debris. Every major rain it gets debris

 

[WckedMidas]

true but do you realise how big this estuary is? How long they been trying to clean it up? its the largest in the nation. on top of this they had a couple major raw sewage pipes bust and dumb raw waste. crap pee all the nasty stuff you flush. got dumped in local rivers that flow into the same bay

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

You realise whats in it atm is NOT uncommon? You have any idea how many human corpses are in there over winter? Know why bloody point is called that? dead cows?(one in atm) dead deer? Anything and everything is in there CONSTANTLY. Nothing is new man. Hell a good while back the bay became almost fresh water because of so much rain, according to some locals. 2 good pics(for cell phone) I took few months back

 

[WckedMidas]

Upper Chesapeake Bay sees low salinity levels
Runoff from spring rains to blame
June 27, 2011|By Candus Thomson, The Baltimore Sun
The near-record amount of runoff that coursed down the Susquehanna River and into the Chesapeake Bay last spring has created the lowest salinity levels seen in the upper bay since 1985, when water monitoring stations were established.

Gauges at the Conowingo Dam registered 5 trillion gallons of discharge during the three-month gusher that ended in May, enough to replace the water in the upper bay every 30 days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The spring total is surpassed only by 1993, when 5.5 trillion gallons gushed from the river's mouth.
The drastic change has put federal and state officials on notice.

"This is going to be an unusual year," said Lynn Fegley, assistant fisheries director for the Department of Natural Resources.

The near-freshwater conditions in the bay's main stem and tributaries above the Bay Bridge has put oyster planting on hold and has federal and state biologists bracing for the possibility that invasive species such as the northern snakehead, zebra mussels and blue catfish might be able to use the change in salinity to gain a foothold in new waters.

On the other hand, biologists note that juvenile striped bass often flourish in less salty water and jellyfish might not be able to venture as far north this summer.

"It's not estuary Armageddon," said Fegley. "Part of the deal, if you're a critter living in the Chesapeake Bay, is being asked to put up with an incredibly wide range of conditions, including great swings in salinity."

For example, just last year salinity was higher than normal and fishermen found black drum off Pasadena and bullhead sharks in the Potomac River.

Recent dry conditions have allowed salinity levels to begin their creep toward normal levels, and unless there's a deluge from a tropical storm to add more fresh water, the upper bay might return to a more normal level.

candy.thomson@baltsun.com

 

[josh_axey]

Thats bad

It's like some of our rivers and estuaries here. Especially in the sydney area.
Whole bodies wiped out of most fish because of our lack of care... building complexes on the waters edge, litter and pollution, recreational activiy disturbing quieter bodies of water.

Even in less densely populated areas you see parts of main river systems with debris. It makes me angry.
When I see **** dumped in the water when bass fishing on the river, I want to march up the bank to the farm/property responsible for dumping it and deal them some damage .

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

See? No biggie. Its fine

Upper Chesapeake Bay sees low salinity levels
Runoff from spring rains to blame
June 27, 2011|By Candus Thomson, The Baltimore Sun
The near-record amount of runoff that coursed down the Susquehanna River and into the Chesapeake Bay last spring has created the lowest salinity levels seen in the upper bay since 1985, when water monitoring stations were established.

Gauges at the Conowingo Dam registered 5 trillion gallons of discharge during the three-month gusher that ended in May, enough to replace the water in the upper bay every 30 days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The spring total is surpassed only by 1993, when 5.5 trillion gallons gushed from the river's mouth.
The drastic change has put federal and state officials on notice.

"This is going to be an unusual year," said Lynn Fegley, assistant fisheries director for the Department of Natural Resources.

The near-freshwater conditions in the bay's main stem and tributaries above the Bay Bridge has put oyster planting on hold and has federal and state biologists bracing for the possibility that invasive species such as the northern snakehead, zebra mussels and blue catfish might be able to use the change in salinity to gain a foothold in new waters.

On the other hand, biologists note that juvenile striped bass often flourish in less salty water and jellyfish might not be able to venture as far north this summer.

"It's not estuary Armageddon," said Fegley. "Part of the deal, if you're a critter living in the Chesapeake Bay, is being asked to put up with an incredibly wide range of conditions, including great swings in salinity."

For example, just last year salinity was higher than normal and fishermen found black drum off Pasadena and bullhead sharks in the Potomac River.

Recent dry conditions have allowed salinity levels to begin their creep toward normal levels, and unless there's a deluge from a tropical storm to add more fresh water, the upper bay might return to a more normal level.

candy.thomson@baltsun.com

 

[WckedMidas]

fresh watter coeming from the conowingo river is a big difrence then the trash polutants from farm runoff and waste sewage lines busting and flooding. The conowingo dam dumps more watter into the chesapeake bay then all the other rivers streams creeks on the chesapeake put together.

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

You just dont get it.......