Skip to Main Content

Current Conditions Yearly Table View

Select a Year, Sampling Location, and Parameter:

2023 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 13.4 13 12.7 10.8 - 9.8 8 8.5
CB1.1 - Susquehanna River 12.5 13.4 12.8 11 8.9 6.85 7.25 7.05
CB2.1 - Turkey Point 12.2 12.9 12.5 10.7 9.3 6.95 6.8 6.95
CB2.2 - Still Pond 10.5 11.3 9 9.1 6.6 6.2 5 4.7
CB3.1 - Gunpowder Neck 8.9 8.1 6.4 3.3 2.6 2.65 0.95 3.75
CB3.2 - Swan Point 8.5 7.4 5.9 5.1 1.9 1.65 0.35 3.4
CB3.3W - Bay Bridge (NW) 7.3 5.7 2.5 6.25 4.1 3.95
CB3.3E - Bay Bridge (NE) 10.1 7.8 4.5 6.65 3.25 6.4
CB3.3C - Bay Bridge 6.8 7.4 6.3 5.3 2.6 1.1 0.34 0.3
CB4.1C - Kent Point (SW) 7 8.1 7.1 6 3.1 0.9 0.3 0.2
CB4.1E - Kent Point (S) 6.1 6.5 2.7 1.25 0.38 1.4
CB4.1W - Horseshoe Point 10.4 6.9 3.8 3.4 2.55 5.45
CB4.2E - Tilghman Island 10.6 9.2 7.3 6.4 4.5 5.4
CB4.2C - MD Mid Bay 7.8 8.2 8.4 6.2 3.3 1.25 0.57 0.2
CB4.2W - Plum Point 10.9 8.1 5.2 2.95 3.3 5.95
CB4.3W - Dares Beach 10.7 8.6 4.6 2.65 3.7 4.85
CB4.3E - Mouth of Choptank River 7.1 6.3 3.3 1.5 0.4 0.4
CB4.3C - Dares Beach 8.5 8.2 8.4 6.4 3.5 1.6 0.6 0.25
CB4.4 - Cove Point 8.5 9.6 7.6 6.7 4 2 0.75 0.3
CB5.1W - Mouth of Patuxent River 10.2 10.8 11 9.2 3.9 - 2 3.7
CB5.1 - Cedar Point 9.7 10 7.9 6.6 4.2 2.35 0.8 0.5
CB5.2 - Point No Point 9.9 10.4 8.9 7 4.5 2.6 0.85 0.9
CB5.3 - Smith Point 9.9 9.8 9.7 7.6 5.3 5.1 1.5 2.4

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"