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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 - 10.9 6.8 8.3 7.8 9.3 8.6 8.3
CB1.1 - Susquehanna River 14.4 13 10.9 10.5 8.9 7.85 7 8.15 7 9.3 9.6
CB2.1 - Turkey Point 14.2 12.5 11 10.4 9.1 7.65 7.35 8.45 6 9.1 9.3
CB2.2 - Still Pond 11.3 9.1 11.1 10.4 8.6 6.55 6.15 6.95 5.7 7.5 9
CB3.1 - Gunpowder Neck 9.5 7.6 5 7.5 4.9 4.3 4.65 3.05 4.7 8 8.6
CB3.2 - Swan Point 8.7 8 4.6 6.1 3.7 3.25 5.3 2.75 4.6 5.4 8.7
CB3.3W - Bay Bridge (NW) 5.5 7.5 4.7 5.25 5.45 6.2 5.2 4
CB3.3E - Bay Bridge (NE) 7.4 6.7 8.3 6.65 6.65 4.55 5 8
CB3.3C - Bay Bridge 7.9 4.9 5.8 3.7 0.6 0.8 0.15 0.25 1.1 3.5 6.4
CB4.1C - Kent Point (SW) 7.9 - 6.8 3.9 0.4 0.25 0.2 0.2 0.3 3 5.6
CB4.1E - Kent Point (S) 6.5 3.6 0.8 0.3 0.15 1.25 0.7 4.2
CB4.1W - Horseshoe Point 11.3 10.1 5.6 5.55 3.3 7.05 3.6 7.7
CB4.2E - Tilghman Island 10.9 9.4 9.1 5.2 6.7 4.95 7.9 8.9
CB4.2C - MD Mid Bay 8.6 - 8 4.1 0.6 0.3 0.45 0.45 0.4 3.5 6
CB4.2W - Plum Point 11.7 9.7 1.5 5.4 4.45 5.5 5.9 7.8
CB4.3W - Dares Beach 11.8 10.4 5.4 4.75 3.3 5 2.6 8
CB4.3E - Mouth of Choptank River 8 4.2 1 0.45 0.2 0.8 0.4 5.8
CB4.3C - Dares Beach 9.1 - 8.2 4.3 0.6 0.3 0.45 0.4 0.6 5.4 5.6
CB4.4 - Cove Point 10.7 - 9 4.8 2.3 0.5 0.65 0.55 0.6 5.5 7
CB5.1W - Mouth of Patuxent River 10.7 9.3 11.4 10.2 9.5 4.7 5.6 4.2 - 7 8.3
CB5.1 - Cedar Point 10.7 - 9.1 5 3.9 0.6 0.7 0.65 0.9 5 7.3
CB5.2 - Point No Point 10.9 7.6 9.3 5.1 4.5 0.85 1.2 2.1 1.2 6.8 7.1
CB5.3 - Smith Point 11 8.6 9.8 6.1 5 1.25 1.3 2.6 5.2 7.3 -

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"