Humans Impact on Chesapeake Bay

By dh95
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    Impacts

  • Clearing of Forests

    Around 70% of forests and woods have been cleared for agriculture and developement in the D.C. Baltimore area.

  • Industries

    Coal Industries have just began to ramp up production and polluted smoke is going into the air and surrounding rivers.

  • Oysters

    Large drop in oyster population greatly affects the Bay and laws are made to attempt to help the issue.

  • Baltimore

    Baltimore makes sewer and water treatment plants in an attempt to clean the water before going back into the Bay.

  • Migratory Bird Treaty Act

    This treaty creates rules and regulations to help limit the number of birds killed in order to stop birds becoming extinct or endangered.

  • Swamps and Marshes

    These are becoming drained to be used for more room for developement and waste.

  • Chesapeake Bay

    A conferece recommends the Chesapeake Bay should be known as a single body of water not multiple bodies of water.

  • Fertilizers

    Fertilizers are commonly used on lawns and are beginning to pollute the Chesapeake Bay.

  • Fishing Industry

    Fishing boats are now able to go farther and farther so their is now less fish in their local waters.

  • Dermo

    This disease kills oysters and is found in the Chesapeake Bay.

  • Wetlands

    Now people are draining and filling different wetlands for development and farming.

  • MSX

    Another disease which kills oysters is spotted in the Chesapeake Bay.

  • Clean Air Act

    The CleanAIr Act was an effort to lower air pollution with certain rules and regulations.

  • Cars

    Cars are now the transportation of choice and are very common but they create polluted runoff and harmful gasses.

  • Chesapeake Bay Foundation

    This group was formed to raise money and support to help save the Bay.

  • Deforestation

    Now approximately 90% of the forests remain because of clearing for agriculture and developement.

  • Clean Water Act

    This implements laws and regulations on what enters the Chesapeake Bay to help the Bay become restored.

  • Endangered Species Act

    This further limits what can be done to these species and the land or water which they live on to further sustain their stay on earth.

  • Maryland Bans Detergents

    Maryland bans use of certain detergents containing phosphate so less polluted runoff goes into the Bay.

  • Chesapeake Bay Agreement

    This sets goals to lower the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Bay by 40% by 2000.

  • Chesapeake Bay Prevention Act

    This sets laws and regulations to lessen the amount of nutrients entering the Bay for Virginia.

  • Virginia Water Quality Act

    This act sets up a fund to prevent pollution from nitrogen in the Bay.

  • Chesapeake 2000

    This is a list of 100 goals to help stop pollution and restore the Bay while getting the public involved.

  • E.P.A

    The EPA launches manditory tests of the Chesapeake Bay water quality.

  • Forest Conservation Initiative

    This was signed by the Chesapeake Executive Council to conserve 695,000 acres of forests in the Bay Watershed.