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New Shipyard in Newport News
Newport News becomes a shipyard, and the population spreads, and grows very rapidly. -
Coal Mining
There was a lot of coal burning, and mining near the Potomac River, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. -
Pollution in Bay
Scientists, farmers, and fisherman begin talking about pollutants on the bottom of the Bay, such as, chemicals, pollution, trash, and waste. -
Development on the East Coast of Bay
About 70% of the east coasts farmland, and woods were being developed into cities, and towns. -
Oyster Population
The oyster population decreased very quickly, which affected the health of the Chesapeake Bay. The state began to set a limit and they started controlling the oyster industry. -
Questioning the Health of the Bay
Scientists begin doing research on the health of the Bay, and how humans have had an extreme impact on the Bay. -
Roads Being Paved
Roads all up and down the east coast are being paved and improved to fit cars and trucks. -
Dumping Waste in Bay
Waste and sewage has started being dumped into the Bay, and people are starting to notice a lot of algae. The health of the Bay is clearly getting worse. The algae causes problems for the SAV and oysters, their population is decreasing at a steady pace. -
Solution to Wastewater and Storm Water
Baltimore installed filters in their sewage systems to help clean the Chesapeake Bay. -
Sewer Lines
Baltimore becomes the last city in America to install septic lines. -
WW1 Begins
WW1 begins and there is a battle on Mallow's Bay, which is on the Potomac River. All the pollution flows directly into the Chesapeake Bay. -
Blue Crab Population Decrease
The blue crab population is experiencing even more of a decrease. The crabbers are only catching half the amount they were 10 years ago. -
Great Depression
The Great Depression hits the U.S. The country is in its worst state it has ever been in, many people are unemployed and homeless. -
Meeting About the Bay
In 1933, the first multi-state conference is held. Representatives from all over the east coast of America meet to discuss the Bay's health. -
SAV and Oysters
Many scientists begin researching the Bay, and they find that there are many healthy underwater grasses and oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay. They find these images by using birds-eye view images. -
New Fertilizers
Chemical fertilizers become a widely used fertilizer throughout the east coast. It replaced the original fertilizer farmers used, manure and marl. -
Water Pollution Agencies
Many of the east coast states have now created Water Pollution Control Agencies to record and reduce the pollution in the Bay. -
New Bridge
A bridge is finished in Maryland. It is called the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, it connects the eastern and western shores of Maryland. -
MSX
A new disease called MSX hits the east coast and the Chesapeake Bay. It breaks down oysters from the inside, by deteriorating the oyster's tissue inside. -
Clean Air Act
There is a new policy called the Clean Air Act. It was created to lower the air pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. -
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
In 1967, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation was formed to save the bay's rivers, streams, and creaks. -
New Tunnel
There is a new tunnel connecting the eastern shore to Virginia Beach. It travels underneath the Bay's floor. -
Toxic Chemicals in Bay
A new toxic chemical named kepone is found in the James River. The chemical is harmful to many of the Bay's creatures, including, fish, crabs, and many more. -
Dermo
Oysters are taking even more of a hit from the newest disease called Dermo. Dermo is a parasite that kills oysters usually in their second stage of life, by getting into the oyster's tissue and slowly breaking it down. -
Second Chesapeake Bay Agreement
The second Chesapeake Bay Agreement is signed to help reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in the bay by at least 45%. -
Oyster Population Reducing
Marland's oyster harvest is only four percent (4%) of what it was 100 years earlier. This is an all-time low. -
Better Water Qualities in the Bay
Scientists have proven the water quality has gotten much better from ten years earlier. There isn't as much nitrogen or phosphorus, and there is much more oxygen in the water for the fish and crabs to breathe. Aerial photos have also shown much more SAV in different parts of the Bay. -
More SAV
Research shows the SAV and underwater grass numbers have risen by about 10,000 acres since the year 2000 -
Low Blue Crab Numbers
In 2002, Maryland only caught 20.2 million pounds of blue crabs, their lowest catch ever. -
Zebra Mussel
The invasive zebra mussel was found for the first time in Maryland, originally originating from Ukraine. -
Limits in the Bay
A judge states that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is allowed to set pollution limits on all states on the east coast. -
Stowmwater
In 2018, Virginia got record rainfall which washed more pollution into the Bay than usual. The Bay's health fell to a grade of d+, it fell from c-.
