Environmental Issues Challenging The Clean Water Act Of The San Francisco Bay And Estuary ( Sfbay )

The Chesapeake Bay is a 200-mile-long estuary extending from Norfolk, VA to Havre de grace Maryland. On average this bay contains about 68 trillion liters of water. This bay is the largest estuary in North America. It inhabits more than 3,000 species of plants, animals, and fish. “Since the early twentieth century, the Chesapeake Bay has experienced serious environmental degradation. Problems include large reductions in sea grass, reduced amounts of finfish and shellfish (especially oysters and crab), seasonal depletions in dissolved oxygen, and increases in sedimentation.” (Atkins & Anderson, 2003) These changes are brought on by pollution (Eutrophication and Toxic Contamination), development, deforestation, and agriculture. And according

It is their home, their thriving place. According to the National WIldlife Federation, ¨The Bay supports 3,600 species of plant and animal life, including more than 300 fish species and 2,700 plant types.”. Not only does the wildlife depend on the bay, but humans do as well. The Chesapeake Bay contains a 64,000-square-mile watershed, this watershed provides large amounts of drinking water for us in Maryland, along with several other states. Everyday, the condition of the water declines, meaning the home for wildlife and our drinking water does too. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation pointed out that, ¨Toxic chemicals are constantly entering the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams via wastewater, agriculture, stormwater, and air pollution. These harmful chemicals, such as mercury, PCBs, and PAHs, do not break down easily and persist in the environment for many years, impacting not just fish and birds, but humans as well.¨. How important does the restoration of the bay sound

Scientists and researchers began giving a large volume of effort and look into the extremely complex problems that face the Chesapeake Bay. When research for the improving and saving of the Bay’s overall health began it seemed very simple and there were only a couple of problems. The problems included nutrients from agricultural runoff; these nutrients were phosphorus and nitrogen. The combination of the nutrients in the Bay caused a large volume of algae that choked some of the marine life. While bringing in algae the nutrients also killed grasses on the seafloor. These seafloor bed grasses that once covered more than half of the Chesapeake Bay’s floor now only covered a tenth of their original area. Though the estuary was having problems it did not receive the terrible pollution from industries that many large rivers and lakes do in other urban areas (Brown, p. 397).

Types of human activity that affect the Bay's health. Humans either do not see or do not care about the pollution they send into the water. As humans build more factories close to the water or send more waste out of their homes it goes into the Bay causing many problems for the ecosystem. "waste from people's homes, stores, and offices is also treated and discharged into the Bay and its rivers. " (Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem) People do not understand the effects of pollution the Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem says that people believe the water where the pollution is going will dilute the pollution and won’t be as bad. Humans do no understand the problems pollution will cause. The population of the Blue Crabs in the Bay was below average for over 10 years. From 1998 until 2009 the crab ecosystem was so unhealthy they were unable to live and reproduce.

The oceans need to be protected because it is where life began and if not taken care of, life as we know it will end. The well-being of the ocean is constantly being threatened and needs to stop. When dangerous substances go into the ocean, ecosystems suffer and become endangered along with the lives of people and marine life. The importance of protecting and preserving the quality and biodiversity of the world 's coasts must be recognized because they are truly irreplaceable. If humans are not educated , and become careless about what is thrown on the ground or sprayed on lawns, disastrous effects follow when it comes to the condition of the ocean’s ecosystems, which can endanger life itself, leading to a problem only we can correct. There is historical evidence of ocean pollution, although the problem still shadows us today.

It is understood that there is not just one problem causing the dead zone in the bay. Two main contributors are the focus. Details are presented on the problems brought to the bay by agriculture, and development. The language is easy to understand and the scientific and environmental message is conveyed in a way that can be followed.

The bay has fifty major rivers and streams that drift into it. Nitrogen and Phosphorous are rapidly getting released into the bay. Most of the Nitrogen and Phosphorous comes from agriculture, air, and sewage. The excessive nitrogen and Phosphorus degrade the bay's water quality. Each year roughly three hundred pounds of polluting nitrogen gets into the Chesapeake Bay. Just like the Everglades the Chesapeake's water is in danger.

On March 21st, our class went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The purpose of this trip was not only to explore Earth’s natural habitat’s, but it was also to gather information on our upcoming project and to gather information on how the community of St.Mary, affects the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The answer that we found out is one based off of what we eat. The Monterey Bay Aquarium released an app where it showed which type of seafood were lower in numbers than others. So, if plankton were very low in numbers, it is advised that we not fish for them or not eat as much of it. This shows based just off of what we eat, we can affect the numbers of in the ocean. Also, those plastic bags we buy at Target and Walmart, that we drop outside, drifts itself to the streams, which flow to rivers, which go to oceans, they are floating there, not doing much harm, until sea turtle comes by starts eating it, but gets tangled and choked in it, dies.

Even though, fertilizers are needed to supply essential nutrients to the growth of plants; an excess of them is one of the major issues contributing to pollution in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Fertilizers are mainly composed of two elements: nitrogen and phosphorus.(4) Throughout the years, millions of pounds of this nutrients are applied all around the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; everything not absorbed by the soil or taken up by plants eventually reaches the Chesapeake Bay through storm-water runoff. This nutrients end up creating algae blooms in the water, which reduce the amount of sunlight available to underwater grasses; not allowing plants to photosynthesize and produce the food they need to survive. Algae then decomposes creating dead zones killing fish and other species since oxygen is needed for any organism to live. (5)

Throughout the years, humans have definitely increased their capacity to innovate and improve. With the industrial revolution, humans could produce things at a much faster and efficient way. By increasing the amount of production, the environment has undergone a huge impact to support the various activities of humankind. One small example of this is the impacts on the Chesapeake Bay. There are various effects on the Bay all causes of human activity. To formulate a plan to restore the health of Chesapeake Bay, we must first understand which causes are impacting the health of the ecosystem and which measures can be taken to restore the Bay back to health.

The Water In The Valley. If the water is contaminated by the airborne pollutants, whether by depositing through direct water surface contact or by depositing on land and being carried to water bodies through run off, the residents will face problems. Once in the water, these pollutants can cause the fish to poison people upon consumption, or the fish could die out. Harmful algal blooms could occur; the water will become contaminated and unsafe to drink. This might seem like an exaggeration but in the San Joaquin Valley, the threat is very real. One might say that the people of the San Joaquin Valley may depend on water more than people elsewhere. The residents need water more because many of them depend on having enough water for their jobs, not just for their consumption. Being one of the top agricultural industries, the San Joaquin Valley residents need to have plenty of water for their industry of choice, whether is be for watering their crops or keeping the cows ' food (grass) alive, to ensure that they will be able to bring in profit to the valley and be able to feed themselves and their families.

ocated between San Francisco and just south of Sacramento is the delta region. The Sacramento/ Bay Area delta area was once vast marshland where 5 regional rivers converged with the Pacific Ocean. Since the discovery of gold over 160 years ago, the area has been excavated and reshaped into a maze of interconnecting levees and waterways. With over 700,000 acers of land and water, the region is an estuary that has become a habitat for over 750 plant and animal species such as migratory birds and an abundant population of fish (Austin, 2015). Most importantly, the delta region provides fertile farmland and drinking water for two-thirds of California’s population.

I am proposing to conduct my self-guided field trip at the San Francisco Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito. The Bay Model is a 1.5 acre, indoor, three-dimensional hydraulic tidal simulation model covering the entire San Francisco Bay Estuary including the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers Delta. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) created the model in 1957 to study estuary circulation and flow, geometry, and the impact of anthropology. USACE was able to survey potential anthropogenic hazards and the way they would change the landscape of the estuary on an accelerated timeframe. While USACE ceased its research efforts using the model in 2000, the model is still open to the public for educational purposes. The model features numerous points of interest for visitors including a 12-minute introductory video, the “Mountains to the Sea” and “Marinship” exhibits, the story of Corps of Engineers at Work, and a bookstore.

14.2 is also measured effectively in the many ways it presents itself. Marine and coastal ecosystems are effected by a number of things including urban development, hazardous or toxic substances, overfishing, habitat destruction, the introduction of exotic species and natural toxins. (Wells 39) In Canada, a number of

What are the environmental impacts if the Suisun Bay Ghost Fleet? Well first we must split the topic into four sections. First we must know what it is.The Suisun Bay ghost fleet are a group of toxic ships near Benicia in the waters of the San Francisco Bay and Delta Estuary. They have been polluting the waters since they have been abandon which adds up to decades. Many of the ships in the ghost fleet are obsolete ships that were decommissioned and placed in “storage” in Suisun Bay after World War II and the Korean War with the idea that they could be reactivated for wartime use (San Francisco Baykeeper). At its high point, nearly 100 ships floated off the Benicia shoreline. It was displayed in these waters like a massive museum, pieces of