How Are Streams and Rivers Important?
The Chesapeake Bay watershed’s streams and rivers are home to a diverse population of fish, invertebrates, amphibians and other types of wildlife. • The Bay’s anadromous fish species — such as shad and sturgeon — spend their adult lives in the Bay or the ocean, but must spawn in freshwater tributaries. Semi-anadromous fish such as white perch live in tidal tributaries but also need fresh water to spawn. • Catfish and sunfish are just two of many fish species that only live in freshwater rivers and streams. • Frogs, turtles and salamanders also live in freshwater tributaries during some part of their lives. • Freshwater tributaries support thriving, diverse benthic communities of worms, bacteria, crustaceans and insect larvae. All of these are necessary for a healthy stream ecosystem. • In spring, hatching aquatic insects are an important food source for fish, birds and amphibians. • Aquatic plants in freshwater tributaries include algae and mosses, as well as many species of underwater
