Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund | 5
in the 20th century are frequently applied at rates that exceed what plants can readily absorb. Dramatic
shifts in animal agriculture in the past century have also led to intensification of livestock and dairy
production, resulting in manure “hotspots” where nutrient supplies far exceed needs for local crop
production. As a result, fertilizers are too often applied at rates and times inconsistent with local crop
needs, leading excess fertilizers to run off into surface waters or leach from nutrient-saturated soils into
groundwater supplies. Furthermore, some livestock producers still allow their animals free access to
streams for watering based on cultural norms established by earlier generations. The result is erosion of
stream banks, destruction of riparian vegetation, and direct deposit of animal manure into surface
waters.
Development. The Chesapeake watershed is home to nearly 18 million people, including the densely-
populated I-95 corridor from Richmond, Virginia to Baltimore, Maryland. Development of the
Chesapeake watershed represents a unique and growing challenge. While agriculture still contributes
the largest share of nutrient and sediment pollution to the Chesapeake, urban and suburban areas are
the only growing sources of these pollutants.
Urban development and associated impervious surfaces have dramatically altered local hydrology across
the Chesapeake watershed. Roofs, roads, sidewalks, and other built surfaces prevent rain from filtering
through the soil and impact both the timing and the quality of runoff entering local streams. Collectively,
these impervious surfaces speed the delivery of rainfall to surface waters, increasing the volume and
velocity of runoff entering stream channels, eroding streambanks and degrading the stream channel
itself. Furthermore, impervious surfaces prevent rainwater from filtering through the soil, which further
limits the natural pollution filtering service of the soil profile and causes stormwater runoff to transport
excess pollution directly to local streams.
Species and Habitat
Eastern Brook Trout. Eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are the only native trout species in the
Chesapeake Bay watershed. They are prized by recreational anglers and have been designated as the
state fish of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Residents of the Chesapeake’s headwater streams,
Eastern brook trout require cool, clean water. Wild brook trout populations in the Bay watershed have
significantly declined over the past two centuries. Factors affecting brook trout include land use and
warmer temperatures that degrade high quality stream habitats, and increased competition from other
species and the loss of genetic integrity. In the Chesapeake watershed, most brook trout are confined to
headwater streams, where disturbance is minimal and forest cover is still prevalent.
American Black Duck. The American black duck (Anas rubripes) was at one time the most abundant
dabbling duck in eastern North America and comprised the largest portion of waterfowl harvests in the
Mid-Atlantic region. Between the 1950s and 1980s, North American black duck populations declined by
more than 50 percent, due largely to conversion of wetlands habitats to other land uses and the loss of
associated food supplies. Situated along the Atlantic Flyway, the Chesapeake Bay watershed is especially
critical as wintering habitat for the species, supporting the largest share of the species’ wintering
populations. Restoring and protecting wetland habitat in the Chesapeake is viewed as critical to the
long-term sustainability of the species and the achievement of continental population goals.
River Herring. Alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (A. aestivalis), collectively known as
river herring, were once abundant in the Chesapeake’s tidal tributaries. As diadromous fish, river herring
travel from the ocean to high quality tidal rivers and streams to spawn. Each spring, massive herring
runs helped to sustain native communities and early colonial settlers. However, throughout the 18th
and 19th centuries, river herring suffered a precipitous decline due to overharvesting and the
construction of dams, which restrict access to high quality spawning habitats. Land use changes resulting