The Chesapeake Bay is North America's largest estuary (an area where fresh and salt water mix) and the world's third largest. The watershed encompasses parts of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. It covers 64,000 square miles and is home to about 16 million people. Growth around the Chesapeake Bay is a major concern, as the population is expected to increase to more than 18 million residents by 2020. This increase will impact the social and ecological communities around the Bay, and that impact will be negative if the development is done unwisely. Unfortunately, sprawl has been the dominant form of development occurring in the region, which poses a significant threat to the economic, ecological, and social well-being of areas around the Bay.

Fact Sheets from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation:

General Bay Facts
Water Pollution in The Chesapeake Bay
Growth, Sprawl and the Chesapeake Bay: Facts About Growth and Land Use