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Water Quality Status and Trends
The Chesapeake Bay Water and Habitat Quality Monitoring Program
has collected water quality samples in the Maryland tributaries
since 1985. Samples are analyzed for nutrients, such as total
nitrogen and total phosphorus, and for physio-chemical parameters,
such as dissolved oxygen. The following graphics show the status
and trends of water quality in the Lower Western Shore Tributary
Basin, with respect to total nitrogen, total phosphorus, abundance
of algae, summer bottom dissolved oxygen, secchi depth, and total
suspended solids.
For more specific details on how status and trends are calculated
check our methods section.
Stream Health - Index of Biotic
Integrity
The Maryland
Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) has collected data on stream
health in the Lower Western Shore basin since 1995, and additional
data has been collected by the Stream
Waders Volunteer Program since 2000. In order to provide us
with a picture of overall ecological stream health, data such
as measures of the number of species (a measure of community structure),
pollution sensitivity, and proportion of introduced species must
be collected for each stream. These data are then combined into
one overall value, or index of health for the streams in the Lower
Western Shore basin, referred to as an Index of Biotic Integrity
(IBI). By using an IBI, complex ecological information an be summarized
and stream health can be rated as either good, fair, poor or very
poor. Streams rated good or fair by the IBIs are considered healthy
compared to reference streams. Good streams are comparable to
the highest quality reference streams. Poor streams are considered
unhealthy compared to reference streams.
For more specific details on how IBIs are calculated check our
methods section.
To view status and trends information
for analyzed water quality parameters or stream IBI results in
the Lower Western Shore basin click the following links or scroll
down.
Long-Term
Health of Other Chesapeake Bay Tributaries & Maryland Streams
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