Discovering Connections Across America's Lands and Waters
USGS Chesapeake Accomplishments and Highlights for 2024
Road salt elevates salinity above background levels in freshwater streams and rivers across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Wastewater and landscape sources contributing to pesticide contamination
Potomac River watershed
PFAS found in Smallmouth Bass throughout the mid-Atlantic United States
Publications
Discover Chesapeake related science in reports and journal articles authored by USGS scientists
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.
USGS Chesapeake Accomplishments and Highlights for 2024
As a home to 18 million people and a destination for countless visitors seeking recreational opportunities, the heath of the Chesapeake Bay watershed is of critical importance. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is a leading provider of data-driven insights about the condition of the watershed’s lands, waters, fish, and wildlife.
Informing Chesapeake Bay Watershed Management
The USGS has computed nutrient and suspended-sediment loads and trends through water year 2023 in Chesapeake Bay rivers. These monitoring-based estimates help federal, state, and local managers evaluate and plan water-quality restoration strategies.
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.
