Mud clouds much of the Chesapeake Bay in this image from September 13, 2011.
Published Sep 16, 2011
Ships, airplanes, and satellites all play a role in monitoring Chesapeake water quality, algae blooms, and dead zones.
Published Nov 2, 2016
Dissolved organic matter from forests and wetlands stained the water dark brown near Rupert Bay. A similar process darkens tea.
Published Oct 1, 2016
While the amount of pollution that wastewater treatment plants contribute to the Bay is declining, the spread of asphalt, pavement, and other impervious surfaces in suburbs and cities is increasing stormwater pollution.
Published Sep 20, 2016
Wild patterns on the water's surface are evidence of the fluid dynamics that occur when fresh river water meets sea water.
Published Aug 20, 2018
Sediment-rich water flowed down the river after a string of strong thunderstorms hit central Pennsylvania.
Published Nov 7, 2019
Muddy brown water fills Sandusky Bay, just south of Lake Erie in this astronaut photograph. The small city of Sandusky occupies the southeastern shore of the bay. The most striking aspect of this image is the flow of the brown water in and out of the mouth of the bay. Slight movement of lake surface water, driven mainly by wind, causes a small ebb and flow of bay water. Sediment-charged water is derived from agricultural fields along the Sandusky River upstream. Mud plumes in Lake Erie originate from prior pulses of muddy water from the bay. When this image was taken, some clear, lake water (blue-green strip) appeared to be flowing into the bay.
Published Feb 20, 2006
A drop of water that falls in central New York takes a long ride to the sea. It flows past some extraordinary natural features that help tell the story of how the Chesapeake Bay came to be.
Published Jul 22, 2016
High tides in the funnel-shaped bay are anything but a bore when they collide with river water flowing in the opposite direction.
Published Oct 28, 2019
In the wake of Hurricane Irene’s heavy rains, sediment filled the Hudson River and New York Harbor.
Published Sep 2, 2011
Native to the tropics of South America, the water hyacinth now thrives on every continent except Europe. It was introduced in Africa around 1879, and 110 years later, established itself on the continent’s largest lake, Lake Victoria.
Published Feb 21, 2007
After a heavy snowfall in April, muddy rivers and streams are turning Lake Erie brown.
Published Apr 28, 2018
Despite the bay’s calm waters, constant reminders of the city break through.
Published Oct 5, 2017
Natural vegetation and irrigated farmland along the Snake River Plain in Idaho use dramatically different amounts of water during the growing season.
Published Jan 26, 2010
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