. r Otsego r e C Lake v r i n e R The Chesapeake Bay Watershed v o i a t R l r l Cooperstown r i a c e h NEW YORK i d r l v e i a W v e i s n R R t U Cortland O o g n A watershed is all of the land whose water and a a n g o e m h h C rainfall will eventually drain into a particular river, g C u o o h i o T C c a t lake, bay, or other body of water. o n n r i R st ive e eo Rive r i v r a R nn a h e Binghampton u The Chesapeake Bay watershed is 64,000 square q s Elmira u miles and has 11,600 miles of tidal shoreline, S including tidal wetlands and islands. The watershed T Montrose i o g a encompasses parts of six states: Delaware, ine Creek P Wellsboro reek R a C i r and Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and v e Tow k West Virginia, as well as Washington D.C. e e r C g Scranton Approximately 17 million people live in the n Laporte m o eek c r anch Su y C Br s L watershed; about 10 million people live along its ing q hon u r a e ve h i m R e a Rive a Wilkes Barre n t Williamsport r nn n s n a shores or near them. i e n eh S W a u q s Lock Haven u S Bloomsburg Clearfield Danville Lewisburg PENNSYLVANIA Creek s Middleburg k n e n re e P r C e v Glendale i Jun R Lake e ia tl ta a it n R n L i l d v Lewistown a e er h fi e r u a r q e s e v l u i C S J R Pittsburgh un Hollidaysburg ch i a ta ran New Bloomfield B n Lebanon w Trenton o t s Raystown k Lake Harrisburg n a r River Fr e t v e i ui n R og od n ta o a i C n Lancaster u J k ow n Branch York e R yst e a Bedford McConnellsburg Chambersburg r Philadelphia C o r a Lake r Koon Gettysburg o ct Lake O Gordon De er Wilmington Pretty Boy Creek Cumberland Hagerstown Res Bel Air P MARYLAND Martinsburg o Towson to Frederick Liberty Loch Ocean City Keyser m ch a Res. Raven Res. an c r B h iv c Charles Town R er Baltimore ster n River he th a C or r Dover N B Winchester Tria Chestertown Mt. Storm Delphia th Lake u Res. o r S iv e R h a o d n Washington a WEST Petersburg She n Annapolis k r o Arlington F Falls Church Easton VIRGINIA th Fairfax Alexandria er r v o i R N Manassas N k DEL. Luray n r a Franklin t e v p i o R C h h Prince Frederick a Cambridge o r d e n P v i a a R n t e u e h x Harrisonburg n River en k Salisbury S da t o pi R ic rk Madison Ra iv t Fo e n th r a u N So Orange Spotsylvania Potomac Staunton R i d v n Ra er u Lake pp o ah S a Anna n r n e i o g S c n o k a u t R T h iv P A e ocomoke N n r Tangier Clifton Forge n Sound a R Lancaster Island VIRGINIA iv M y A Lexington er a Hanover tt a Accomac ap E Ja on B m i es Riv er C Riv Richmond e er r k ve Ri O New York a New Castle es vania Pennsyl e ersey m Y New J r Glouchester land Chesterfield y aware a Mar Del J e o D.C. v ginia West Vir i r R k p Virginia C Lynchburg Appomattox R x iv App o Lake e a I MAP AREA om att r Eastville Chesdin s Farmville e T Rustburg Williamsburg Petersburg h N C Nottoway Surry Hampton Water Jam A e s Newport News R pto m L iv a n R Bay Watershed e H oads Port 0 40 Isle of Wight r Tributaries Norfolk Virginia Beach T Portsmouth A State Borders Miles Chesapeake Bay Watershed Natural History Fragile Habitat Formed about 12,000 years ago as glaciers melted and This watershed model shows how water moves The Chesapeake Bay is shallow. Nearly 200 miles long and 20 miles wide, the flooded the Susquehanna River valley, the Chesapeake downhill through streams, rivers, and the ground Bay only averages 21 feet deep. As a result there are large shallow areas where Bay is North America's largest estuary and the world's toward the bay. sunlight can penetrate to the bottom creating ideal places for underwater third largest. An estuary is a semi-enclosed area where grasses to grow. Underwater grasses make excellent spawning and nursery freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with saltwater grounds for many Bay animals. The Bay supports 3,600 species of plant and from the ocean to form brackish water. Fifty major animal life, including more than 300 fish species and 2,700 plant types. tributariespour water into the Chesapeake every day. The Susquehanna River alone drains 42 percent of the Bay Unfortunately, being so shallow also means the Chesapeake Bay holds a watershed. There are more than 100,000 miles of streams, relatively small volume of water, limiting its ability to dilute pollutants. creeks, and rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Even The main sources of these pollutants include sewage, runoff from urban and though we all don’t live along the shores of the Bay, suburban areas, commercial agriculture, and air pollution from automobiles, virtually everyone in the watershed lives within a 15 factories, and power plants. What we do on the land affects water quality for minute walk to a stream or river that flows into it. all communities living downstream. Printed on Recycled Paper.