How does river flow impact the Bay?
River flow impacts: • The amount of nutrients, sediment and other pollutants delivered to the Bay from its watershed. As river flow increases, so does its potential to carry more pollutants from the watershed. • The salinity of Bay waters. Under normal weather conditions, fresh water flowing from rivers and streams makes up about half the Bay’s entire water volume. (The other half comes from sea water from the Atlantic Ocean.) Higher river flows cause more fresh water to reach the Bay, resulting in lower salinity levels; lower flows produce the opposite effect. • Mixing of oxygen into the water. River flow is generally turbulent and fast-moving, which mixes in oxygen from the air. All Bay creature — from fish to crabs to worms — need oxygen to survive.
Related Questions
- Watershed Protection Frequently Asked Questions - History What is a watershed? A watershed is an area of land within which all waters flow to a single river system.
- How much does online search optimization impact offline retail traffic flow, sell-through and brand preference?
- How Indus River changes its river flow pattern in Indus Civilisation?
