What Issues Affect the Chesapeake Bay?
Run-off from urban and agricultural areas is laden with nutrients from fertilizers and chemicals. Excessive nutrients stimulate the growth of algae (called algal blooms) and pollute the Bay. The death and decomposition of algae reduces the quantity of available dissolved oxygen, resulting in fish kills and decreased productivity for Bay fisheries. Land use changes, such as the conversion of forest or agricultural land to urban areas, increase stormwater runoff and pollution in the Bay watershed. The City of Alexandria has adopted an Environmental Management Ordinance to help protect the Chesapeake Bay from pollution and urban run-off.
