Apr 2, 2009 6:30 pm US/Eastern
Report: Chesapeake Bay Remains Unhealthy
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
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A new report finds the Chesapeake Bay remains unhealthy, although restoration efforts appear to be working in some areas.
It's wet, muddy work, but that's how science gets some of its best information on the health of the bay.
A year's worth of that work is now available, and as
Alex DeMetrick reports, trouble is being spotted a long way before it hits the Chesapeake.
A lot of water runs through Maryland. What lives in it reveals a lot about its health.
"You should be able to just pick up a rock and see little insects crawling on it. If you don't see that, you have some reason for concern," said Dr. Margaret Palmer, University of Maryland Environmental Science.
And according to a University of Maryland study, there is plenty of concern about rivers flowing into the bay.
The University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Science gave the bay a C-, a grade researchers say indicates conditions have not significantly changed from 2007 and remain far below those needed for a healthy bay.
Sewage is a so-called nutrient--along with the runoff of fertilizers and manure from farms and lawns--that can feed algae blooms. They block sunlight needed by underwater grasses and choke off oxygen.
Rain puts runoff in motion, and it takes science to figure out where best to spend hard-to-find dollars for restoration.
The analysis says restoration efforts appear to be improving conditions in some areas, such as the upper western shore and Virginia's James River, while other areas continue to worsen.
The study monitors 3,200 sites, testing water quality and looking for those tell-tale bits of life.
The University of Maryland study is considered the most independent and scientifically rigorous work in the Chesapeake's watershed.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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