John,Much of the research I do concentrates on impacts of the Cheapseake Bay, my research project is located off the Rappahannock river. The problem within the bay environment is that is suffers from a host of Contributions to its detriment, mainly the causitive factor for the "Dead Zone" is the contibution of oxygen depletion due to nutrient loading. Of this the Pennsylvania rivers are a significant contributor to the north and to the South the single largest contribuotr is the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Richmond which each day discharges more effluent into the system than any of the other rivers in the state of Virginia.
The dead zone as it is called is approximately 70 miles long and 10 miles wide fromsource information I have seen. The lack of sustainable habitat and the constant state of change of the bay whether manmade or man contributed is outrageous.
Development along the rivers and farming as well as industry, water treatment and then the contributions of pollution fromships and boats is something that staggers the imagination.
Approximately 100 years ago the Bay could clean it self enough to rival the clear waters of Florida.Over harvesting of shellfish and lack of respect for the systm itself have led many to believe that the Bay could be a dead entitiy in as little as 35 years . Plans to clean the bay have to be mulit approach oriented programs dealing with restoration of wetlands, restoration of shellfish habitat, conservation of fishing resources, more of an environmental appraoch to development to lessen the vast depositions of solids and soils which now basin fill many areas of the bay due to runoff contributions. Simple things like a 15 foot green zone around farms that plow close to shorelines, Maintainence of shoreline formation by the insitution of boaters being more aware of the the wakes they create near shorelines, in areas where high banks exists and along wetlands and coastal zones. A conscience effort and public support for research to restore wetlands and to maintain them, enforcement of existing environmental law in cities and along our waterways would hepl the bay beyond belief.
LeeChamberlain