Is the Bays mid channel water clarity getting worse?
Yes — While water clarity improved slightly in many regions of the Bay in 2007, there is still a long-term (~20 year) decline of mid-channel water clarity in many regions of the Bay. Areas recording a long-term decline include the Lower Bay, Mid Bay, and Rappahannock River regions. While processes leading to reduced water clarity include sediment resuspension, shoreline erosion, and sediment loads from rivers, the exact cause for the trend in reduced clarity still needs to be determined. It must also be noted that all regions of the Bay display either a very poor or poor (0-40%) water clarity score in 2007. The slight improvement in 2007 may in part be attributed to the summer drought conditions.
