WAMU 88.5 : News

Filed Under:

Spring Runoff Brings Problems To The Chesapeake Bay

By: Sabri Ben-Achour // March 22, 2011
Play associated audio
comments
Nutrients brought to the Chesapeake Bay from runoff promotes algae growth and can kill off other species.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/baltimoredave/4911543608/
Nutrients brought to the Chesapeake Bay from runoff promotes algae growth and can kill off other species.

Wet weather and a lot of melting snow from Virginia to New York have meant heavy spring runoff into the Bay this year. All the water is bringing a flood of nutrients and sediments into the Bay.

That makes the water muddy, limiting underwater plant growth that serves as a foundation for many other species.

Nutrients picked up from fertilizers on lawns and fields -- as well as from urban wastewater -- create giant algae plumes in the spring and summer, which can harm all kinds of aquatic life across vast stretches of the Bay.

Researchers say much of the improvement in the Bay's health observed over the past years can be linked to the weather. The Department of Natural Resources says the flow over the Conowingo Dam on March 12 was the highest since Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004, and more than six times average for the month.

Arts & Culture

NPR

Meet London's Master Architects In Jell-0

London duo Sam Bompas and Harry Parr have made names for themselves with their wild, experimental food installations. From pineapple islands and banana vapors to re-creations of famous architectural monuments, their work playfully pushes the boundary of how we experience food.

Food

NPR

Meet London's Master Architects In Jell-0

London duo Sam Bompas and Harry Parr have made names for themselves with their wild, experimental food installations. From pineapple islands and banana vapors to re-creations of famous architectural monuments, their work playfully pushes the boundary of how we experience food.

Politics

NPR

Stunned By Military Sex Scandals, Advocates Demand Changes

As the nation prepares to mark Memorial Day, outrage has been building on Capitol Hill and beyond over the military's failure to repair a system that has placed service members in more danger of sexual assault than of battlefield injury.

Technology

NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.