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196              <h2 class="catLinks__heading">Threats to the Bay</h2>
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549                    
550          <h1 class="pageHeader__title">The Watershed</h1>                <div class="blurb pageHeader__blurb"><p>The Chesapeake Bay watershed spans more than 64,000 square miles and includes hundreds of thousands of creeks, streams and rivers.</p></div>      </div>
551    </header>
552    <section class="l-master__main "
553             id=""
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556                <div class="section section--map" id="" style="--maxWidth:1240px;">
557    <figure>
558      <div id="map" class="noReset"></div>
559              <figcaption class="figure__caption">
560          This interactive map displays the boundary of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the flow of the region’s largest rivers into the Bay. These tributaries include the Choptank, Nanticoke, James, Patapsco, Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, Susquehanna and York rivers.
561                  </figcaption>
562          </figure>
563
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565
566    <div class="section section--body" id="" style="--maxWidth:944px; padding-block-start: 0">
567        <h2 id="what-is-the-chesapeake-bay-watershed">What is the Chesapeake Bay watershed?</h2>
568    <p>The Chesapeake Bay watershed is a large area of land that drains into the Chesapeake Bay. It spans more than 64,000 square miles and is home to more than 18 and a half million people. It provides habitat to more than 3,600 species of plants and animals, and includes forests, farms, and rivers and streams, as well as small towns, expanding suburbs and large urban centers.</p>
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572      <h2 class="calloutNews__title">
573        Which states are in the Chesapeake Bay watershed?      </h2>
574    </header>
575    <p>The Chesapeake Bay watershed includes parts of six states—Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia—and the entire District of Columbia.</p>
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585
586
587    <p>The Chesapeake Bay watershed has the largest land-to-water ratio of any coastal watershed in the world, in large part because the Bay itself is surprisingly shallow. This means that what we do on the land has a big impact on the Bay, and managing the health of the watershed as a whole is critical to maintaining the health of the Bay and the people that depend on it.</p>
588    <h2 id="what-rivers-flow-through-the-chesapeake-bay-watershed">What rivers flow through the Chesapeake Bay watershed?</h2>
589    <p>Hundreds of thousands of <a href="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/whats-at-risk/rivers-and-streams">creeks, streams and rivers</a> flow through the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These tributaries send fresh water into the Bay, provide food, water and shelter to wildlife and offer people places to fish, boat and swim. Virtually every resident of the Chesapeake Bay watershed lives within a half-mile of at least one tributary that eventually drains into the Bay. The region’s largest rivers, in order of size, are the Susquehanna, Potomac, James, Rappahannock, York, Patuxent, Choptank, Nanticoke and Patapsco.</p>
590    <section>
591  
592  <h3 id="tab-group-384278" class="u-srOnly">    Major rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
593  </h3>
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612          <div class="js-tabs js-observe" data-observed-app="Tabs" data-observed-app-path="tabs" data-design-system="true" data-context="{&quot;headingId&quot;:&quot;tab-group-384278&quot;,&quot;tabs&quot;:[{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Susquehanna&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;Susquehanna River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;New York, Pennsylvania &amp;amp; Maryland&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The Susquehanna River begins in Cooperstown, New York, and flows over 440 miles before reaching the Chesapeake Bay at\u00a0Havre de Grace, Maryland. The longest river on the East Coast, it supplies about half of the freshwater that flows into the Bay. While it is challenged by agricultural runoff, efforts to plant streamside trees and install on-farm conservation practices are helping reduce pollution.&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/Susquehanna-River-20210613.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/Susquehanna-River-20210613.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Viewed from a scenic overlook, the rural meeting place of the North and West branches of the Susquehanna River features multiple road and rail bridges.&quot;}},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Potomac&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;Potomac River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia &amp;amp; Washington, D.C.&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The Potomac River flows about 405 miles from its source in West Virginia until it enters the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout, Maryland. Its unique features include Great Falls\u2014a series of waterfalls and rapids that marks the transition from the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain\u2014and double water gaps\u2014where the river cuts through two different ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains. While the river faces challenges from industrial pollution, wastewater overflows and urban stormwater,\u00a0&lt;a href=\&quot;https:\/\/potomacreportcard.org\/\&quot;&gt;its health is improving&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/Potomac-River-2018-07-13.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/Potomac-River-2018-07-13.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Viewed from a scenic overlook, a kayaker paddles on the Potomac River in Great Falls Park, where the tributary\u2019s banks are rocky and steep.&quot;}},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;James&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;James River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;Virginia&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The James River flows about 348 miles from the Appalachian Mountains to its confluence with the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads, Virginia. A series of iconic 
612waterfalls run through the commonwealth\u2019s capital, creating the only place in the United States where extensive whitewater runs through a major urban center. While Virginia\u2019s largest river faces challenges from agricultural runoff, wastewater overflows and urban stormwater,\u00a0&lt;a href=\&quot;https:\/\/thejamesriver.org\/about-the-james-river\/state-of-the-james\/\&quot;&gt;its health is improving&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/James-River-2019-08-13.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/James-River-2019-08-13.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Paddlers in a whitewater raft navigate rapids on the James River in downtown Richmond, Virginia.&quot;}},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Rappahannock&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;Rappahannock River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;Virginia&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The Rappahannock River flows about 195 miles across Northern Virginia. Near Fredericksburg, it transitions from a shallow and rocky stream to a deep, slow-moving river. While its watershed is primarily rural and forested, population growth and rapid development are increasing pollution and placing stress on water supplies. It has been named one of\u00a0&lt;a href=\&quot;https:\/\/www.americanrivers.org\/media-item\/american-rivers-announces-rappahannock-river-as-one-of-americas-most-endangered-rivers\/\&quot;&gt;America\u2019s Most Endangered Rivers&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/Rappahannock-River-2017-07-21.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/Rappahannock-River-2017-07-21.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;An aerial view of the shallow and rocky Rappahannock River flowing through forested land.&quot;}},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;York&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;York River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;Virginia&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The York River begins where the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers converge and flows about 34 miles before reaching the Chesapeake Bay near Yorktown. While its watershed is dominated by forests, farms and wetlands, population growth and rapid development are paving green space and compounding widespread shoreline erosion. Efforts to install living shorelines and restore oyster reefs are helping protect the river.&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/York-River-2023-06-15.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/York-River-2023-06-15.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;An aerial view of the Catlett Islands and Machicomoco State Park in the York River in Gloucester County, Virginia.&quot;}},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Patuxent&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;Patuxent River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;Maryland&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The Patuxent River flows about 115 miles from the hills of the Maryland Piedmont to Drum Point. It is the deepest tributary in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the largest river entirely within Maryland. While it faces challenges from agricultural pollution and development, its lower estuary is home to the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, which protects over 1,700 acres of tidal wetlands to support research, education and recreation.&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/Patuxent-River-2018-06-05.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/Patuxent-River-2018-06-05.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;An aerial view of the Patuxent River flowing past farms, forests and wetlands.&quot;}},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Choptank&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;Choptank River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;Delaware &amp;amp; Maryland&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The Choptank River flows about 65 miles from Choptank Mills, Delaware, until it empties into the Chesapeake Bay between Blackwalnut and Cook points. It is the longest river on the Delmarva Peninsula, and one of the most productive blue crab nurseries in the Chesapeake Bay. While it is challenged by agricultural pollution and a decline in underwater grasses, efforts to restore oyster reefs, wetlands and water quality are helping protect the river.&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/Choptank-River-2013-01-29.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/Choptank-River-2013-01-29.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;Watermen on four workboats hand tong for oysters on a calm Choptank River.&quot;}},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Nanticoke&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;Nanticoke River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;Delaware &amp;amp; Maryland&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The Nanticoke River flows about 64 miles from its headwaters in Kent County, Delaware, until it empties into Tangier Sound. It is the largest Chesapeake Bay tributary on Maryland\u2019s Eastern Shore and the most pristine river in the watershed. While it faces threats from development, habitat loss and sea level rise, local partners have\u00a0&lt;a href=\&quot;https:\/\/archive.chesapeakeconservancy.org\/middle-chesapeake-sentinel-landscape-nanticoke-river\/\&quot;&gt;protected over 3,400 acres of land&lt;\/a&gt; in its watershed, and it continues to support rare, threatened and endangered species.\u00a0\u00a0&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/Nanticoke-River-2010-06-17.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/Nanticoke-River-2010-06-17.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;An aerial view of bright green wetlands on the shore of the Nanticoke River&quot;}},{&quot;label&quot;:&quot;Patapsco&quot;,&quot;content&quot;:&quot;      &lt;header&gt;\n        &lt;h4 class=\&quot;h3\&quot;&gt;Patapsco River&lt;\/h4&gt;\n        &lt;h5 class=\&quot;h5\&quot;&gt;Maryland&lt;\/h5&gt;      &lt;\/header&gt;\n      &lt;p&gt;The Patapsco River flows about 39 miles from Marriottsville, Maryland, to Baltimore\u2019s Inner Harbor. The 2018\u00a0&lt;a href=\&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/news\/blog\/with-fewer-dams-a-river-near-baltimore-flows-more-freely\&quot;&gt;removal of Bloede Dam&lt;\/a&gt; in Patapsco Valley State Park opened 65 miles of the river to the movement of migratory fish and created a rocky rapid for kayakers. The river is challenged by nutrient and sediment pollution, fecal 
612coliform bacteria and toxic contaminants.&lt;\/p&gt;\n    &quot;,&quot;image&quot;:{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_652x434_crop_center-center_none\/Patapsco-River-2021-07-05.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:652,&quot;height&quot;:434,&quot;srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.chesapeakebay.net\/files\/images\/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none\/Patapsco-River-2021-07-05.jpg 2x&quot;,&quot;altText&quot;:&quot;People gather for a late afternoon swim on the rocky bank of a shallow stretch of the Patapsco River&quot;}}],&quot;theme&quot;:&quot;buttons&quot;}" style="--tabPanelFigureFlex:45%">
613    <div class="loboOwl">
614                        <article class="mediaObject">
615            <div class="mediaObject__body">
616                    <header>
617        <h4 class="h3">Susquehanna River</h4>
618        <h5 class="h5">New York, Pennsylvania &amp; Maryland</h5>      </header>
619      <p>The Susquehanna River begins in Cooperstown, New York, and flows over 440 miles before reaching the Chesapeake Bay at Havre de Grace, Maryland. The longest river on the East Coast, it supplies about half of the freshwater that flows into the Bay. While it is challenged by agricultural runoff, efforts to plant streamside trees and install on-farm conservation practices are helping reduce pollution.</p>
620    
621            </div>
622            <img class="mediaObject__img"
623                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/Susquehanna-River-20210613.jpg"
624                 width="652"
625                 height="434"
626                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/Susquehanna-River-20210613.jpg 2x"
627                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
628          </article>
629                                <article class="mediaObject">
630            <div class="mediaObject__body">
631                    <header>
632        <h4 class="h3">Potomac River</h4>
633        <h5 class="h5">West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia &amp; Washington, D.C.</h5>      </header>
634      <p>The Potomac River flows about 405 miles from its source in West Virginia until it enters the Chesapeake Bay at Point Lookout, Maryland. Its unique features include Great Falls—a series of waterfalls and rapids that marks the transition from the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain—and double water gaps—where the river cuts through two different ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains. While the river faces challenges from industrial pollution, wastewater overflows and urban stormwater, <a href="https://potomacreportcard.org/">its health is improving</a>.</p>
635    
636            </div>
637            <img class="mediaObject__img"
638                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/Potomac-River-2018-07-13.jpg"
639                 width="652"
640                 height="434"
641                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/Potomac-River-2018-07-13.jpg 2x"
642                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
643          </article>
644                                <article class="mediaObject">
645            <div class="mediaObject__body">
646                    <header>
647        <h4 class="h3">James River</h4>
648        <h5 class="h5">Virginia</h5>      </header>
649      <p>The James River flows about 348 miles from the Appalachian Mountains to its confluence with the Chesapeake Bay in Hampton Roads, Virginia. A series of iconic waterfalls run through the commonwealth’s capital, creating the only place in the United States where extensive whitewater runs through a major urban center. While Virginia’s largest river faces challenges from agricultural runoff, wastewater overflows and urban stormwater, <a href="https://thejamesriver.org/about-the-james-river/state-of-the-james/">its health is improving</a>.</p>
650    
651            </div>
652            <img class="mediaObject__img"
653                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/James-River-2019-08-13.jpg"
654                 width="652"
655                 height="434"
656                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/James-River-2019-08-13.jpg 2x"
657                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
658          </article>
659                                <article class="mediaObject">
660            <div class="mediaObject__body">
661                    <header>
662        <h4 class="h3">Rappahannock River</h4>
663        <h5 class="h5">Virginia</h5>      </header>
664      <p>The Rappahannock River flows about 195 miles across Northern Virginia. Near Fredericksburg, it transitions from a shallow and rocky stream to a deep, slow-moving river. While its watershed is primarily rural and forested, population growth and rapid development are increasing pollution and placing stress on water supplies. It has been named one of <a href="https://www.americanrivers.org/media-item/american-rivers-announces-rappahannock-river-as-one-of-americas-most-endangered-rivers/">America’s Most Endangered Rivers</a>.</p>
665    
666            </div>
667            <img class="mediaObject__img"
668                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/Rappahannock-River-2017-07-21.jpg"
669                 width="652"
670                 height="434"
671                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/Rappahannock-River-2017-07-21.jpg 2x"
672                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
673          </article>
674                                <article class="mediaObject">
675            <div class="mediaObject__body">
676                    <header>
677        <h4 class="h3">York River</h4>
678        <h5 class="h5">Virginia</h5>      </header>
679      <p>The York River begins where the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers converge and flows about 34 miles before reaching the Chesapeake Bay near Yorktown. While its watershed is dominated by forests, farms and wetlands, population growth and rapid development are paving green space and compounding widespread shoreline erosion. Efforts to install living shorelines and restore oyster reefs are helping protect the river.</p>
680    
681            </div>
682            <img class="mediaObject__img"
683                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/York-River-2023-06-15.jpg"
684                 width="652"
685                 height="434"
686                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/York-River-2023-06-15.jpg 2x"
687                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
688          </article>
689                                <article class="mediaObject">
690            <div class="mediaObject__body">
691                    <header>
692        <h4 class="h3">Patuxent River</h4>
693        <h5 class="h5">Maryland</h5>      </header>
694      <p>The Patuxent River flows about 115 miles from the hills of the Maryland Piedmont to Drum Point. It is the deepest tributary in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the largest river entirely within Maryland. While it faces challenges from agricultural pollution and development, its lower estuary is home to the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary, which protects over 1,700 acres of tidal wetlands to support research, education and recreation.</p>
695    
696            </div>
697            <img class="mediaObject__img"
698                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/Patuxent-River-2018-06-05.jpg"
699                 width="652"
700                 height="434"
701                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/Patuxent-River-2018-06-05.jpg 2x"
702                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
703          </article>
704                                <article class="mediaObject">
705            <div class="mediaObject__body">
706                    <header>
707        <h4 class="h3">Choptank River</h4>
708        <h5 class="h5">Delaware &amp; Maryland</h5>      </header>
709      <p>The Choptank River flows about 65 miles from Choptank Mills, Delaware, until it empties into the Chesapeake Bay between Blackwalnut and Cook points. It is the longest river on the Delmarva Peninsula, and one of the most productive blue crab nurseries in the Chesapeake Bay. While it is challenged by agricultural pollution and a decline in underwater grasses, efforts to restore oyster reefs, wetlands and water quality are helping protect the river.</p>
710    
711            </div>
712            <img class="mediaObject__img"
713                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/Choptank-River-2013-01-29.jpg"
714                 width="652"
715                 height="434"
716                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/Choptank-River-2013-01-29.jpg 2x"
717                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
718          </article>
719                                <article class="mediaObject">
720            <div class="mediaObject__body">
721                    <header>
722        <h4 class="h3">Nanticoke River</h4>
723        <h5 class="h5">Delaware &amp; Maryland</h5>      </header>
724      <p>The Nanticoke River flows about 64 miles from its headwaters in Kent County, Delaware, until it empties into Tangier Sound. It is the largest Chesapeake Bay tributary on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the most pristine river in the watershed. While it faces threats from development, habitat loss and sea level rise, local partners have <a href="https://archive.chesapeakeconservancy.org/middle-chesapeake-sentinel-landscape-nanticoke-river/">protected over 3,400 acres of land</a> in its watershed, and it continues to support rare, threatened and endangered species.  </p>
725    
726            </div>
727            <img class="mediaObject__img"
728                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/Nanticoke-River-2010-06-17.jpg"
729                 width="652"
730                 height="434"
731                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/Nanticoke-River-2010-06-17.jpg 2x"
732                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
733          </article>
734                                <article class="mediaObject">
735            <div class="mediaObject__body">
736                    <header>
737        <h4 class="h3">Patapsco River</h4>
738        <h5 class="h5">Maryland</h5>      </header>
739      <p>The Patapsco River flows about 39 miles from Marriottsville, Maryland, to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The 2018 <a href="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/with-fewer-dams-a-river-near-baltimore-flows-more-freely">removal of Bloede Dam</a> in Patapsco Valley State Park opened 65 miles of the river to the movement of migratory fish and created a rocky rapid for kayakers. The river is challenged by nutrient and sediment pollution, fecal 
739coliform bacteria and toxic contaminants.</p>
740    
741            </div>
742            <img class="mediaObject__img"
743                 src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_652x434_crop_center-center_none/Patapsco-River-2021-07-05.jpg"
744                 width="652"
745                 height="434"
746                 srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_1304x868_crop_center-center_none/Patapsco-River-2021-07-05.jpg 2x"
747                 alt="tab.image.altText" />
748          </article>
749                  </div>
750  </div>
751</section>
752
753
754    <h2 id="how-does-geology-shape-the-chesapeake-bay-watershed">How does geology shape the Chesapeake Bay watershed?</h2>
755    <p>During the last Ice Age, mile-thick glaciers stretched as far south as Pennsylvania, and the Atlantic coastline was about 180 miles farther east than it is today. Approximately 18,000 years ago, these glaciers began to melt, carving streams and rivers that flowed toward the coast. Rising seas eventually submerged the area that is now known as the Susquehanna River Valley, and this drowned river valley became the Chesapeake Bay.</p><p>The Chesapeake Bay assumed its present shape about 3,000 years ago. While the Bay itself lies within a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/physiographic-provinces.htm">physiographic province</a> known as the Coastal Plain, its watershed includes parts of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau. The waters that flow into the Bay have different chemical identities depending on the geology of the place they originate.</p>
756    <article class="mediaObject " style="--mt: 8">
757  <div class="mediaObject__body">
758    <header class="mediaObject__header">
759      <h3 class="mediaObject__title">                  Coastal Plain
760              </h3>    </header>
761    <p>The Coastal Plain is a flat, lowland area with a maximum elevation of about 300 feet. It extends westward from the continental shelf to a fall line that ranges from 15 to 90 miles west of the Bay. Waterfalls and rapids clearly mark this line, which is close to Interstate 95. Cities like Baltimore, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia, were built along the fall line to take advantage of the potential water power generated by the falls.</p>
762      </div>
763
764            <img class="mediaObject__img"
765         src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/Coastal-Plain.jpg"
766         width="492"
767         height="328"
768         srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_984x656_crop_center-center_none/Coastal-Plain.jpg 2x"
769         alt="Cordgrass, black needlerush and tall pines grow in low, flat marshland."
770         style="--mediaObjectImgMaxWidth: 567px; width: 20%; flex: auto;"
771    />
772  </article>
773
774    <article class="mediaObject " style="--mt: 8">
775  <div class="mediaObject__body">
776    <header class="mediaObject__header">
777      <h3 class="mediaObject__title">                  Piedmont
778              </h3>    </header>
779    <p>The Piedmont ranges from the fall line westward to the easternmost ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. Over time, weathering and erosion have smoothed the province into gentle, rolling hills. The Piedmont contains important natural resources, such as granite, marble and coal. The nation’s first commercial coal mine was opened in 1701 near Richmond, Virginia.</p>
780      </div>
781
782            <img class="mediaObject__img"
783         src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/Piedmont-2017-07-21.jpg"
784         width="492"
785         height="328"
786         srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_984x656_crop_center-center_none/Piedmont-2017-07-21.jpg 2x"
787         alt="An aerial view of a thin river winding through a green forest in rural Virginia."
788         style="--mediaObjectImgMaxWidth: 567px; width: 20%; flex: auto;"
789    />
790  </article>
791
792    <article class="mediaObject " style="--mt: 8">
793  <div class="mediaObject__body">
794    <header class="mediaObject__header">
795      <h3 class="mediaObject__title">                  Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau
796              </h3>    </header>
797    <p>The Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau are characterized by mountains and valleys, and are rich in coal and natural gas. They are also known for their scenic beauty, from the sweeping views along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the narrow water gaps in the Lebanon (Pennsylvania), Shenandoah (Virginia) and Hagerstown (Maryland) valleys.</p>
798      </div>
799
800            <img class="mediaObject__img"
801         src="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_492x328_crop_center-center_none/Appalachian-Plateau-2019-09-25.jpg"
802         width="492"
803         height="328"
804         srcset="https://www.chesapeakebay.net/files/images/_984x656_crop_center-center_none/Appalachian-Plateau-2019-09-25.jpg 2x"
805         alt="The Allegheny Mountains are seen from a rocky, forested overlook."
806         style="--mediaObjectImgMaxWidth: 567px; width: 20%; flex: auto;"
807    />
808  </article>
809
810    <h2 id="how-are-we-protecting-the-chesapeake-bay-watershed">How are we protecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed?</h2>
811    <p>
811In a watershed, pollution that occurs upstream finds its way downstream. This means that to protect the Chesapeake Bay, we need to protect clean water and valuable landscapes across the entire watershed. The Chesapeake Bay Program is a watershed-wide partnership that brings together federal, state and local leaders, academic institutions and community groups to accelerate progress toward science, restoration and conservation, and to preserve the Bay’s ecological, cultural, economic, historic and recreational value for the people who live, work and play in the region.</p>
812    
813    
814            
815        
816  
817          
818<figure class="figure">
819        <h3 class="h3">Watch: Bay 101: Watershed Connections</h3>
820    <div class="videoWrapper">
821    <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/864979883?app_id=122963" width="1920" height="1080" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" title="Bay 101: Watershed Connections"></iframe>
822  </div>
823      <figcaption class="figure__caption">Learn about the interconnected nature of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the approach the Chesapeake Bay Program takes to protect and restore the nation’s largest estuary. (Produced by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)</figcaption>
824  </figure>
825  
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