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Eyes on the Bay

Mapping Areas That Are Conducive to Bay Grass Growth
Water quality mapping data can be used to delineate areas in rivers that are conducive to bay grass growth. Turbidity data, which is a measure of water clarity, can be used to calculate the depth through which sunlight can penetrate the water column. Coupled with bathymetry data, the sunlight penetration data can be averaged during the initial bay grass growing period to estimate areas that will have adequate light to support bay grass growth. Green and red areas represent depths of less than two meters, where green indicates adequate light was available during April and May, and red areas represent a deficiency of light penetrating the water. Much of the Severn River experienced low turbidities and good water clarity in 2002, due to the drought and subsequent lower sediment and nutrient runoffs.