Maps

In 2003, the CBP adopted the Strategy to Accelerate the Protection and Restoration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay including a commitment to plant 1,000 acres by 2008. The program partners have thus far planted 15% of their initial goal. In 2008, 8.5 acres were planted with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other sources. Both funding for SAV planting, and capacity for doing it, will need to be increased dramatically to meet the goal on time.

This map shows progress toward achieving the Chesapeake Bay Program segment-specific underwater bay grass restoration goals. It is based on the single best year of acreage as observed through the most recent three years of data from the Chesapeake Bay underwater bay grasses aerial survey.

In 2003, the CBP adopted the Strategy to Accelerate the Protection and Restoration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay including a commitment to plant 1,000 acres by 2008. In the first five years of this effort, the program partners have planted 139 acres or 14% of their initial goal. In 2007, 6 acres were planted with funding from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Both funding for SAV planting, and capacity for doing it, will need to be increased dramatically to meet the goal on time.

The Chesapeake Bay Program's target species listed in Habitat Requirements for Chesapeake Bay Living Resources, Second Edition (1991) which had habitat requirements that could be directly affected by nutrient over enrichment (e.g., dissolved oxygen) or sediments (e.g., light penetration) were arrayed by water column and bottom as their principal habitats. These included all the fish and shellfish species in that document, with several fish species and related layers added for newer potential habitat information was available. Priority areas for Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) were considered separately. Priority Living Resource Areas were identified based on the co-occurrence of habitats for multiple water column and bottom species.

This map shows the historic distribution of bay grasses that was used in 2003 to set the Chesapeake Bay Program SAV (or bay grass) restoration goal of 184,899 acres. This goal is based on an aggregation of the maximum amount of SAV surveyed in a single year for each Bay Program monitoring segment. Bay grasses are a vital part of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. They provide habitat for crabs and juvenile fish and food for waterfowl. Bay grasses grow mostly in waters that are 2 meters in depth or less and are negatively affected by poor water clarity.