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Current Conditions Yearly Table View

Select a Year, Sampling Location, and Parameter:

2024 Chesapeake Bay Mainstem - Bottom Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)

Click on hyperlinked stations to view charts of water quality trends.

Stations Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
CB1.0 - Susquehanna River 21.5 13 11.8
CB1.1 - Susquehanna River 14.4 13 10.9
CB2.1 - Turkey Point 14.2 12.5 11
CB2.2 - Still Pond 11.3 9.1 11.1
CB3.1 - Gunpowder Neck 9.5 7.6 5
CB3.2 - Swan Point 8.7 8 4.6
CB3.3W - Bay Bridge (NW) 5.5
CB3.3E - Bay Bridge (NE) 7.4
CB3.3C - Bay Bridge 7.9 4.9 5.8
CB4.1C - Kent Point (SW) 7.9 - 6.8
CB4.1E - Kent Point (S) 6.5
CB4.1W - Horseshoe Point 11.3
CB4.2E - Tilghman Island 10.9
CB4.2C - MD Mid Bay 8.6 - 8
CB4.2W - Plum Point 11.7
CB4.3W - Dares Beach 11.8
CB4.3E - Mouth of Choptank River 8
CB4.3C - Dares Beach 9.1 - 8.2
CB4.4 - Cove Point 10.7 - 9
CB5.1W - Mouth of Patuxent River 10.7 9.3 11.4
CB5.1 - Cedar Point 10.7 - 9.1
CB5.2 - Point No Point 10.9 7.6 9.3
CB5.3 - Smith Point 11 8.6 9.8

Bottom Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l)
0.0 - 0.2 (anoxia - kills most life)
0.2 - 2.0 (hypoxia - harms bottom organisms)
2.0 - 3.0 (stresses smaller fish and crabs)
3.0 - 5.0 (stresses larger fish)
5.0 - 10.0 (healthy)
10.0 + (could indicate an algal bloom in summer)
No Data

Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water sustains life for Bay organisms. Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from agricultural, sewer/septic and urban sources can fuel algal blooms that can starve the water of DO. DO levels above 5 mg/l are normally sufficient to support most life.

More info on: "Our Monitoring Explained"