What is the average depth of the Chesapeake Bay?
The average depth is 21 feet. At its deepest point, southeast of Annapolis, Maryland, the Bay is 174 feet deep. A person 6 feet tall could wade over 700,000 acres of the Bay without becoming completely submerged. The Bay holds about 18 trillion gallons of water. Then, where is the deepest part of the Chesapeake Bay?
Where is the deepest part 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.
- The Chesapeake Bay watershed stretches approximately 524 miles from Cooperstown, New York, to Norfolk, Virginia. ...
- The area of the watershed is about 64,000 square miles.
How to help save the Chesapeake Bay?
How We Save the Bay
- In Our Communities. From public meetings and adult education classes to numerous hands-on volunteer activities, CBF engages residents and teaches them ways to protect the Chesapeake Bay and its many ...
- Through Restoration. ...
- With Schools. ...
- In the Courtroom. ...
- Programs & Initiatives. ...
- The Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. ...
Is Chesapeake a town or a bay?
The Chesapeake Bay (/ ˈ tʃ ɛ s ə p iː k / CHESS-ə-peek) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / Eastern Shore of Virginia and the state of Delaware) with its mouth of the Bay at the south end located between ...
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What is the deepest part of the Chesapeake Bay called?
The HoleA person 6 feet tall could wade through more than 700,000 acres of the Bay without becoming completely submerged. The deepest part of the Bay, called "The Hole" is more than 170 feet deep.
What is the average depth of Chesapeake Bay?
21 feetWidth and Depth The Bay and its tributaries contain an astounding 11,684 miles (18,804 km) of shoreline. Much of the Bay is quite shallow; more than 24 percent of the Bay is less than 6 feet (2 m) deep. The average depth is 21 feet (7 m). The deepest channel in the Bay is 175 feet (53 m).
How deep Is Bloody Point in the Chesapeake Bay?
167-foot-deepNo one really knows how Bloody Hole got in the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay or how it got its name. But there it is, a 167-foot-deep indentation, one mile due west of the southern tip of Kent Island: 38 degrees, 50 minutes north and 76 degrees, 23 minutes west.
How deep is the Chesapeake Bay under the Bay bridge?
25 to 100 feetThe depth of the water ranges from 25 to 100 feet, according to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission.
How deep is the shipping channel in the Chesapeake Bay?
51 feetToday, the main channel reaches 51 feet down and 700 feet across. Brewerton Channel was widened further to 50 feet deep and 700 feet wide in 2001. In 2012, the Seagirt Marine Terminal berth also was deepened to 50 feet.
What is the biggest fish in the Chesapeake Bay?
SturgeonsSturgeons are the largest fish native to the Chesapeake Bay.
What body of water is under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?
the Atlantic OceanCrossing over and under open waters where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, the Bridge-Tunnel provides a direct link between Southeastern Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula (Delaware plus the Eastern Shore counties in Maryland and Virginia) and cuts 95 miles from the journey between Virginia Beach and ...
How many islands are there in the Chesapeake Bay?
Tangier IslandPoplar IslandBarren IslandKent IslandHolland IslandBloodsworth IslandChesapeake Bay/Islands
Is Chesapeake Bay the ocean?
The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary—a partially enclosed body of water where fresh water from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean. About half of the water in the Bay comes from salt water from the Atlantic Ocean. The other half drains into the Bay from its enormous 64,000-square-mile watershed.
Are there sharks in the Chesapeake Bay?
The most common shark found in the Chesapeake is the sandbar shark. The sandbar shark can be found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts all the way to southern Brazil, and is a seasonal visitor to the Chesapeake Bay in the summer and fall.
How many cars have fallen off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge?
15 vehiclesIn fact, only 15 vehicles have fallen from the bridge, according to bridge-tunnel spokesman Tom Anderson. Most of those have been tractor-trailers. Only two people have survived the fall, including a trucker who went over the side in January 2016.
Are there alligators in the Chesapeake Bay?
Since 2015, alligators have occasionally been seen in Maryland and Virginia communities around the Chesapeake Bay.
How much water does the Chesapeake Bay hold?
10 Things You Didn't Know About the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay holds about 18 trillion gallons of water. That amount of water would fill more than fifty billion bathtubs to the brim. Only about half of the water in the Bay comes from the ocean. The rest comes from the 64,000 square mile watershed, which extends approximately 524 miles ...
How deep is the hole in the bay?
The deepest part of the Bay, called "The Hole" is more than 170 feet deep.
What percentage of striped bass are spawned in the Chesapeake Bay?
Seventy to ninety percent of all striped bass, known locally as rockfish, were spawned in the Bay. The Bay's fishing industry used to harvest tens of millions of bushels of oysters. Today, harvests have fallen to less than one percent of historic levels. Eighteen-million people live, work, and play in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
How many miles of water is in the Cooperstown watershed?
The rest comes from the 64,000 square mile watershed, which extends approximately 524 miles from Cooperstown, New York to Norfolk, Virginia. Roughly 51 billion gallons of water enter the Bay each day from the 100,000 streams, creeks, and rivers that feed it.
Does sewage go to the bay?
Most sewer drains don't go to the sewage plant—polluted runoff from your street runs into local waters and ultimately to the Bay. Your crabcake used to swim through that. In fact, the Bay produces about 500 million pounds of seafood per year.
What is the Chesapeake Bay?
The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary: a body of water where fresh and salt water mix. It is the largest of more than 100 estuaries in the United States and third largest in the world.
Which river provides the most freshwater in the Chesapeake Bay?
The Susquehanna River is the Bay’s largest tributary, and contributes about half of the Bay’s freshwater (about 19 million gallons per minute). 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 Chesapeake Bay watershed has 150 major rivers ...
How much water does the Chesapeake Bay hold?
The Chesapeake Bay holds more than 18 trillion gallons of water. Approximately 51 billion gallons of water flow into the Bay each day from its freshwater tributaries. The Bay receives about half its water volume from the Atlantic Ocean in the form of saltwater.
How many states are in the Chesapeake Bay watershed?
It includes parts of six states—Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia—and the entire District of Columbia. The area of the watershed is about 64,000 square miles. The Chesapeake Bay’s land-to-water ratio is 14:1: the largest of any coastal water body in the world.
How much blue crab has been harvested from the Chesapeake Bay?
Since 1990, commercial watermen have harvested more than 1.6 billion pounds of blue crabs from the Bay.
How many species of waterfowl are there in the Chesapeake Bay?
The Chesapeake region is home to at least 29 species of waterfowl. During the winter, the Bay supports 87 species of waterbirds. Of these wintering waterbirds, 14 species rely on the Bay to serve as habitat for more than ten percent of their continental populations.
Who was the first person to explore the Chesapeake Bay?
In 1524, Italian Captain Giovanni da Verrazano became the first recorded European to enter the Chesapeake Bay. In 1608, Captain John Smith set off on the first of two voyages where he charted the land and waterways, and later drew an elaborate and remarkably accurate map of the Chesapeake Bay.
How deep is the Chesapeake Bay?
Average depth is 21 feet (6.4 m), reaching a maximum of 174 feet (53 m). The Bay is spanned twice, in Maryland by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Sandy Point (near Annapolis) to Kent Island and in Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge–Tunnel connecting Virginia Beach to Cape Charles .
Why are tides unique in the Chesapeake Bay?
Tides in the Chesapeake Bay exhibit an interesting and unique behavior due to the nature of the topography (both horizontal and vertical shape), wind-driven circulation, and how the Bay interacts with oceanic tides. Research into the peculiar behavior of tides both at the northern and southern extents of the Bay began in the late 1970s. One study noted sea level fluctuations at periods of 5 days, driven by sea level changes at the Bay's mouth on the Atlantic coast and local lateral winds, and 2.5 days, caused by resonant oscillations driven by local longitudinal winds, while another study later found that the geometry of the Bay permits for a resonant period of 1.46 days.
What fish live in the Chesapeake Bay?
The piping plover is a near threatened species that inhabits the wetlands. Larger fish such as Atlantic sturgeon, varieties of sharks, and stingrays visit the Chesapeake Bay. The waters of the Chesapeake Bay have been regarded one of the most important nursery areas for sharks along the east coast.
Why is Chesapeake Bay important?
The Chesapeake Bay plays an important role in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania's economies, in addition to the ecosystem. The nature-based recreation of wildlife, boating, and ecotourism are dependent on the Clean Water Act (CWA), that was enacted in order to maintain a polluted-free Bay.
What is the largest estuary in the United States?
The Chesapeake Bay ( / ˈtʃɛsəpiːk / CHESS-ə-peek) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / Eastern Shore of Virginia and the state of Delaware) with its mouth ...
Why did the Cavaliers migrate to the Chesapeake Bay?
Because of economic hardships and civil strife in the "Mother Land", there was a mass migration of southern English Cavaliers and their servants to the Chesapeake Bay region between 1640 and 1675, to both of the new colonies of the Province of Virginia and the Province of Maryland .
When did the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay begin?
Restoration efforts that began in the 1990s have continued into the 21st century and show potential for growth of the native oyster population. The health of the Chesapeake Bay improved in 2015, marking three years of gains over a four-year period, according to a 2016 report by the University of Maryland.
What is the Chesapeake Bay?
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. It is the largest of more than 100 estuaries in the United States and third largest in the world.
Which river provides the most freshwater in the Chesapeake Bay?
The Susquehanna River is the Bay’s largest tributary and contributes about half of the Bay’s freshwater (about 19 million gallons per minute). 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 Chesapeake Bay watershed has 150 major rivers ...
What rivers are in the middle of Chesapeake Bay?
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.
How much water does the Chesapeake Bay receive?
The entrance to the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic. NOAA chart. Approximately 51 billion gallons of water flow into the Bay each day from its freshwater tributaries. The Bay receives about half its water volume from the Atlantic Ocean in the form of saltwater. The other half (freshwater) drains into the Bay from the enormous 64,000-square-mile ...
How many people live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed?
The Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to more than 18 million people. Ten million of them live along or near the Bay’s shores. About 150,000 new people move into the Bay watershed each year. The Chesapeake Bay watershed contains three distinct geologic regions: the Atlantic coastal plain, the Piedmont plateau, and the Appalachian province.
How big is the Chesapeake Bay watershed?
The area of the watershed is about 64,000 square miles. The Chesapeake Bay’s land-to-water ratio is 14:1: the largest of any coastal water body in the world. This is why our actions on land have such a big impact on the Bay’s health. The Chesapeake Bay watershed is home to more than 18 million people.
When was the Chesapeake Bay formed?
Courtesy of NASA. The Chesapeake Bay was formed about 10,000 years ago when glaciers melted and flooded ...
How deep is the Chesapeake Bay?
The Chesapeake Bay. has an average depth of 21 feet (the deepest part of the Bay, a.k.a. "The Hole," is 174 feet deep and located off of Bloody Point, southeast of Annapolis, Maryland; produces more than 500 millions pounds of seafood harvest each year.
How deep is the Hole in Maryland?
is approximately 200 miles long, stretching from Havre de Grace, Maryland, to Norfolk, Virginia; has an average depth of 21 feet (the deepest part of the Bay, a.k.a. "The Hole," is 174 feet deep and located off of Bloody Point, southeast of Annapolis, Maryland; ranges from 3.4 to 35 miles wide;
What is the largest estuary in the United States?
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The Bay and the rivers and streams that feed it make up an impressive watershed, which: is the largest estuary in United States and the third largest in the world; supports more than 18 million people who live, work, and play within the watershed (10 million of these live along or near the Bay's shores);
How many people live in the Chesapeake Bay?
Home to more than 18 million people and 3,600 species of plants and animals, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is truly an extraordinary place.
How many states are in the Bay Watershed?
Stretching across six states and the District of Columbia, the Bay watershed never ceases to amaze with its rich history, vital economic importance, and astounding beauty. Below are just a sampling of some of the impressive facts and numbers about our wondrous watershed. (read more)
Overview
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / Eastern Shore of Virginia and the state of Delaware) with its mouth of the Bay at the south end located between Cape Henry and Cape Charles. With it…
Etymology
The word Chesepiooc is an Algonquian word referring to a village 'at a big river'. It is the seventh-oldest surviving English place-name in the United States, first applied as Chesepiook by explorers heading north from the Roanoke Colony into a Chesapeake tributary in 1585 or 1586. The name may also refer to the Chesapeake people or the Chesepian, a Native American tribe who inhabited the area now known as South Hampton Roads in the U.S. state of Virginia. They occupied an are…
Physical geography
The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary to the North Atlantic, lying between the Delmarva Peninsula to the east and the North American mainland to the west. It is the ria, or drowned valley, of the Susquehanna River, meaning that it was the alluvial plain where the river flowed when the sea level was lower. It is not a fjord, because the Laurentide Ice Sheet never reached as far south as the northernmo…
Flora and fauna
The Chesapeake Bay is home to numerous fauna that either migrate to the Bay at some point during the year or live there year-round. There are over 300 species of fish and numerous shellfish and crab species. Some of these include the Atlantic menhaden, striped bass, American eel, eastern oyster, Atlantic horseshoe crab, and the blue crab.
History
The Chesapeake Bay has had a human presence for over 11,500 years. "Paleoindians," or the first humans in the Chesapeake Bay region, lived off the land by hunting game and living off the earth in small nomadic groups. Archeologists have also noted the presence of “foreign” stones in projectile points that came via trade from other parts of North America. For thousands o…
Navigation
The Chesapeake Bay forms a link in the Intracoastal Waterway, of the bays, sounds and inlets between the off-shore barrier islands and the coastal mainland along the Atlantic coast connecting the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (linking the Bay to the north and the Delaware River) with the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal (linking the Bay, to the south, via the Elizabeth River, by the c…
Economy
The Bay is well-known for its seafood, especially blue crabs, clams, and oysters. In the middle of the 20th century, the Bay supported 9,000 full-time watermen, according to one account. Today, the body of water is less productive than it used to be because of runoff from urban areas (mostly on the Western Shore) and farms (especially on the Eastern Shore and in the Susquehanna River water…
Cuisine
In colonial times, simple cooking techniques were used to create one pot meals like ham and potato casserole, clam chowder, or stews with common ingredients like oysters, chicken or venison. When John Smith landed in Chesapeake in 1608 he wrote: "The fish were so thick, we attempted to catch them with frying pans". Common regional ingredients in the local cuisine of Chesapeake included terrapins, smoked hams, blue crab, shellfish, local fish, game meats and va…