Chesapeake Bay Program

A Watershed Partnership

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410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 • Annapolis, Maryland 21403 • 410-267-5700 • toll free 800-YOUR-BAY

Since 1978, scientists have
annually gathered data on the
abundance of submerged aquatic
vegetation (SAV) throughout the
Chesapeake Bay and its rivers.
Bay grasses serve as a unique
yardstick for measuring our
progress in restoring the Bay, as
they are not under harvest
pressure and their health is
closely linked to the quality of
local waters.

Currently, the annual SAV survey
is conducted by the Virginia
Institute of Marine Science and is
derived from the analysis of more
than 2,000 black-and-white aerial
photographs taken between May
and October.

Bay scientists believe that long-
term resurgence of underwater
Bay grasses is critical to the
overall Bay restoration effort. As
such, Bay Program partners have
placed a great deal of emphasis
on developing the best science
available to assist the return of
underwater grasses to historic
levels.

2002 Chesapeake Bay SAV Abundance and
New Baywide Restoration Goal

In 2002, SAV coverage reached a record 89,658 acres - more than twice the
level first recorded in 1978. While this increase is impressive, a great deal
more needs to be done to reach the Bay Program's new 185,000-acre
baywide restoration goal.

180 -

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80 -

60 -

40 -

20 -

Restoration Goal (185,000 acres by 2010)

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To help put SAV restoration efforts into perspective, the table on the following
pages highlights SAV acreage in 1984 (the sparsest year on record), 2002 (the
most abundant year on record) and new segment specific restoration goals
adopted by the Bay Program in April 2003.

- more -

The Chesapeake Bay Program is restoring the Bay through a partnership among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representing the
federal government, the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia, the
Chesapeake Bay Commission, and participating citizen advisory groups.


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2002 Chesapeake Bay SAV Abundance and the New Baywide Restoration Goal Page 2

Mainstem Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay Program
Segment

1984 SAV Abundance
(acres)

2002* SAV
Abundance (acres)

SAV Restoration
Goal (acres)

Northern Chesapeake Bay

5,377.91

9,227.29

12,908

Upper Chesapeake Bay

27.47 (pd)

502.16

302

Upper Central Chesapeake Bay

944.13

94.69

943

Middle Central Chesapeake Bay

45.03

269.44

2,511

Lower Central Chesapeake Bay

679.55 (pd)

4,904.97

14,961

Western Lower Chesapeake Bay

754.46

767.24

980

Eastern Lower Chesapeake Bay

6,971.48

9,801.07

14,620

Mouth of the Chesapeake Bay

0.00

10.42

6

Western Shore Tributaries

Chesapeake Bay Program
Segment

1984 SAV Abundance
(acres)

2002* SAV
Abundance (acres)

SAV Restoration
Goal (acres)

Bush River

5.93 (pd)

349.83

158

Gunpowder River

0.00 (pd)

463.07

2,254

Middle River

nd

629.46

839

Patapsco River

0.00

7.88

298

Magothy River

23.51

208.77

545

Severn River

0.00

282.04

329

South River

0.00

35.61

459

Rhode River

0.00

0.00

48

West River

0.00

0.00

214

Upper Patuxent River

0.00

170.67

5

Middle Patuxent River

0.00

21.03

68

Lower Patuxent River

35.37

140.62

1,325

Upper Potomac River

1,185.45

3,673.06

4,379

Piscataway Creek

344.74

631.63

783

Mattawoman Creek

0.00

792.64

276

Middle Potomac River

536.21 (pd)

2,235.08

3,721

Lower Potomac River

147.95 (pd)

2,618.66

10,173

Upper Rappahannock River

nd

3.42

20

Lower Rappahannock River

33.25

1,006.88

5,380

Corrotoman River

0.00

768.62

516

Piankatank River

25.27

701.66

3,256

Upper Mattaponi River

nd

22.59

75

Upper Pamunkey River

nd

170.98

156

Middle York River

0.00

0.00

176

Lower York River

441.19

921.81

2,272


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2002 Chesapeake Bay SAV Abundance and the New Baywide Restoration Goal	Page 3

Chesapeake Bay Program
Segment

1984 SAV Abundance
(acres)

2002* SAV
Abundance (acres)

SAV Restoration
Goal (acres)

Mobjack Bay

6,758.41

8,743.47

15,095

Upper James River

nd

83.58

1,600

Appomattox River

nd

0.00

319

Middle James River

nd

11.63

7

Chickahominy River

nd

186.40

348

Lower James River

0.00

1.47

531

Mouth of the James River

0.00

279.83

604

Lynnhaven River

95.05

38.34

69

Eastern Shore Tributaries

Chesapeake Bay Program
Segment

1984 SAV Abundance
(acres)

2002* SAV
Abundance (acres)

SAV Restoration
Goal (acres)

Northeast River

0.00

75.99

88

Bohemia River

0.00

136.19

97

Elk River

33.84

435.15

1,648

Sassafras River

49.47

830.36

764

Middle Chester River

nd

0.00

64

Lower Chester River

1,032.81

204.86

2,724

Eastern Bay

215.14

2,779.61

6,109

Middle Choptank River

nd

0.00

63

Lower Choptank River

0.00

154.45

1,499

Mouth of the Choptank River

142.64

6,584.53

8,044

Little Choptank River

69.46

2,904.93

3,950

Honga River

33.15

6,319.91

7,686

Fishing Bay

0.00

108.91

193

Middle Nanticoke River

nd

0.00

3

Lower Nanticoke River

nd

0.00

3

Wicomico River

nd

0.00

3

Manokin River

0.00

727.77

4,359

Big Annemessex River

0.00

782.03

2,014

Lower Pocomoke River

1,064.94

1,811.76

4,092

Tangier Sound

11,136.79

15,023.95

37,947

Totals

Chesapeake Bay Program
Segment

1984 SAV Abundance
(acres)

2002* SAV
Abundance (acres)

SAV Restoration
Goal (acres)

Baywide Total

38,210.58 (pd)

89,658.41

184,878

Notes: *These are preliminary 2002 SAV totals. (9/25/03). 'nd' indicates that the segment was not surveyed that
year, 'pd' indicates that the segment was not fully surveyed that year.


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