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Chesapeake Bay 2007: A summer of poor water clarity, harmful algal blooms, and fish kills

These summer review web pages relate to the summer of 2007 only. A review of summer 2008, and a comparison to the summer forecast will be provided in the fall.

This year's drought led to lower than normal nutrient and sediment discharge into the Bay during the summer. With fewer sediments and nutrients entering the Bay, the health of the Bay may have been expected to improve, however, this was not the case for water clarity, harmful algal blooms, and fish kills. While dissolved oxygen in the mainstem was still poor this summer, the volume of oxygen depleted water was relatively small compared to the past 22 years. Here we summarize summer conditions and offer some explanations as to why they may have occurred.

For a comparison of summer conditions to the forecast made this past spring visit the Forecast Accuracy page.

Click on the icons below for more information on this summer's conditions.

summer review map Dissolved Oxygen - Anoxia Harmful Algal Blooms Harmful Algal Blooms Harmful Algal Blooms Harmful Algal Blooms Harmful Algal Blooms Harmful Algal Blooms Harmful Algal Blooms Harmful Algal Blooms Fish Kills Fish Kills Sea Nettles Water Clarity Fish Kills Harmful Algal Blooms Dissolved Oxygen Aquatic Grass River Flow and Nutrient Loads Fish Kills Dissolved Oxygen - Hypoxia Dissolved Oxygen - Hypoxia Dissolved Oxygen - Anoxia


Acknowledgements:
These web pages have been produced in collaboration with members of the Chesapeake Pay Program's Monitoring and Analysis Subcommittee (MASC). The following individuals are acknowledged for their contributions: Mark Trice (MD DNR), Richard Lacouture (Morgan State University), Harold Marshall (Old Dominion University), Joel Blomquist (USGS), Dave Jasinski (UMCES/CBP), Robert Orth (VIMS).