The Chesapeake Bay was listed as an "impaired water body" under the Clean Water Act due to excess nutrients and sediment. Improvements in the water-quality conditions must be made by 2010, or regulatory approaches to achieve these standards will be implemented.

Many variables effect the water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.

Additionally, toxic constituents threaten the living resources of the Bay and it's watershed. The USGS is addressing sources and delivery of sediment, nutrients, and toxics to the Bay. The USGS also measures stream flow and ground water, which transports the nutrients, sediment and toxics from the watershed to the Bay.

Nutrients
Sediments
Contaminants
Stream Flow and Ground Water

Water Quality spotlight page is Discharge, Nitrate Load, and Residence Time of Ground Water in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Fact sheet FS-150-99.

Visit the Spotlight Archive page for a listing of sites that have been featured on the USGS Chesapeake Bay Web.

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