Snow, Heavy Rains Affecting Chesapeake Bay
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Heavy rains and melting snow are taking a toll on the Chesapeake Bay.
Maryland natural resources officials say they are bringing a flood of nutrients and sediments into the bay, threatening water quality. The heavy spring runoff has led to record low water clarity in many areas.
More wet weather could mean more polluted runoff that can spawn oxygen-robbing algal blooms and lead to fewer underwater grasses, which are a key habitat for many species.
The Department of Natural Resources says the flow over the Conowingo Dam on March 12 was the highest since Tropical Storm Ivan in 2004, and more than six times average for the month.
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