Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Remotely mapping stormwater facility footprints and storage volumes

Find out more

Using monitoring data to measure conditions over time in Chesapeake Bay streams

Find out more

Prioritizing Marsh Restoration Needs Throughout Chesapeake Bay

Find out more

Evaluating the Risks of Tire-Derived Compounds to Fish in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Find out more

Regional Assessment of Fish Health in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Learn more

Informing Freshwater Management Strategies in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by Using Observational Data and Expert Knowledge to Identify Influential Stressors

Read more

The Nonpoint Source Challenge:

Obstacles and Opportunities for Meeting Nutrient Reduction Goals in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Explore this new publication

Informing Chesapeake Bay Watershed Management by Monitoring Trends in River Nutrient and Sediment Loads

Find out more

Discovering Connections Across America's Lands and Waters

Read more

Publications

Discover Chesapeake related science in reports and journal articles authored by USGS scientists

Go to Pubs

Chesapeake Bay Activities

The Chesapeake Bay is our Nation’s largest estuary and provides over $100 billion in annual economic value. The USGS works with Federal, State, local, and academic partners to provide research and monitoring and to communicate results to inform management for the Chesapeake and other important landscapes across the Nation.

View our latest publications

Accomplishments in 2025

Photo of a brook trout observed in Owens Creek, Maryland

Central to our mission is communicating decision-ready science to help partners better manage lands, water, and wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Read more about our accomplishments that were used to inform management decisions and advance Department of the Interior priorities.

Read more

500 Years of Extreme Potomac Floods at Washington D.C.

Nick Giro at Potomac River overlooking Washington, DC

Washington D.C. faces one of the highest 100‐year flood risks of any major city along the U.S. East Coast. In addition to sea-level rise and storm‐surge inundation during hurricanes and nor'easters, extreme water‐levels at Washington are strongly skewed by major floods on the Potomac River.

Read more

Quick Links

Learn more about USGS science activities in the Bay from our Science Strategy. Additional summaries of the USGS Chesapeake Bay Activities are available in the science topics section.

News

Research shows Chesapeake Bay streams are getting saltier

Research shows Chesapeake Bay streams are getting saltier

Maryland Mainstem Tributary Summary

Maryland Mainstem Tributary Summary

Study offers best picture yet of sinking land in the Chesapeake Bay region

Study offers best picture yet of sinking land in the Chesapeake Bay region

View All

Publications

Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system Computation of regional groundwater budgets for the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system

Computation of detailed groundwater flow budgets for subdivisions of the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifer system has enabled quantification and more thorough understanding of groundwater flow within this important water resource. A zone budget analysis based on previously published groundwater models of the Virginia Coastal Plain and Virginia Eastern Shore indicates that groundwater...
Authors
Jason P. Pope, Alison D. Gordon, Ryan S. Frederiks
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their association with immune parameters in nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) from Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, USA Accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their association with immune parameters in nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) from Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, USA

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of widespread, environmentally persistent compounds that pose a potential threat to wildlife and human health. Despite recent efforts to reduce the use of long-chain PFAS in industrial practices and commercial/consumer products, the persistence and solubility of PFAS have led to their detection in wildlife on a global scale. Osprey...
Authors
Natalie Karouna-Renier, David Lee Haskins, Sandra L. Schultz, Michael E. Akresh, Barnett Rattner
By
Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center

Stream macroinvertebrate responses vary with region, land use and management practice type Stream macroinvertebrate responses vary with region, land use and management practice type

Intensive land use alters hydrology and water quality, threatening freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates. Over 200,000 management practices (MPs) have been implemented across the Chesapeake Bay watershed since the 1980s, yet biological responses remain inconsistent. We synthesized 29 studies from 4 physiographic provinces covering 8 MP categories and evaluated macroinvertebrate responses...
Authors
Sergio A. Sabat-Bonilla, Abigail C. Belvin, Gregory E. Noe, Kelly O. Maloney, Emmanuel A. Frimpong, Paul L. Angermeier, Entrekin. Sally E.
By
Cooperative Research Units, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Florence Bascom Geoscience Center
View All

Science

A gadwall duck with GPS transmitter in flight

Avian Influenza Spread, Prevalence and Persistence

USGS researchers seek to understand the factors influencing the spread and persistence of avian influenza viruses on the landscape. This research also addresses how novel strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza are impacting a larger number and diversity of host species, including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and other birds.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Environmental Health Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Avian Influenza Spread, Prevalence and Persistence

Avian Influenza Spread, Prevalence and Persistence

USGS researchers seek to understand the factors influencing the spread and persistence of avian influenza viruses on the landscape. This research also addresses how novel strains of highly pathogenic avian influenza are impacting a larger number and diversity of host species, including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and other birds.
Learn More
Geese on a small pond, poultry house in background

Avian Influenza Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay Region

USGS is investigating factors that influence the risk of avian influenza transmission from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry within the Chesapeake Bay region, a hub of poultry production for the United States.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Avian Influenza Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay Region

Avian Influenza Dynamics in the Chesapeake Bay Region

USGS is investigating factors that influence the risk of avian influenza transmission from wild waterfowl to domestic poultry within the Chesapeake Bay region, a hub of poultry production for the United States.
Learn More
Lesser Scaup

Combining Field and Laboratory Studies to Understand Viral Ecology in Avian Species

USGS researchers are pairing field and laboratory studies to gain deeper insights into the role of Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis) in the spread and persistence of avian influenza viruses.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Environmental Health Program, Chesapeake Bay Activities, Eastern Ecological Science Center
Combining Field and Laboratory Studies to Understand Viral Ecology in Avian Species

Combining Field and Laboratory Studies to Understand Viral Ecology in Avian Species

USGS researchers are pairing field and laboratory studies to gain deeper insights into the role of Lesser Scaup ( Aythya affinis) in the spread and persistence of avian influenza viruses.
Learn More
View All
Was this page helpful?