Land and People - Chesapeake Bay Program

<body> Home > Land and People -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Humans are a prominent part of the ecosystem that is the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Human activities on the land – from farming and logging, to building homes and driving cars – have direct and indirect impacts on water quality, vital habitats, and plant and animal life. Current trends in population growth, development patterns, and automobile dependence will have significant impacts on the health and sustainability of the ecosystem. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Brownfields could be an old factory that has been vacant for a number of years, a gas station that closed down or a dry cleaners that went out of business on Main Street.......(Learn More) Population Trends: General Overview Brownfields: General Overview | CBP & Brownfields Population Estimate: The population for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. (based on 1990 census) Population Change: Estimated changes in the Chesapeake Bay Basin population from 1900-2020. Population Tables: - See the data, contain estimates based on the 1990 census. Watershed Profiles: See population information for your watershed. Urban Storm Water : Did you ever think about what happens to a raindrop that falls onto the Chesapeake Bay watershed? It may land on a tree or other vegetation and evaporate in the hot sun. It may land on a farm field and soak into the ground, or it may land on a rooftop, driveway or roadway and travel down the street to a storm drain. Any rainwater in an urban or suburban area that does not evaporate or infiltrate into the ground, but pools up and travels down hill is considered urban storm water runoff. (learn more) Other Sites of Interest: Land Use Effects on Water and Biological Resources - USGS Land Use in the Chesapeake Region - Maryland Sea Grant Population Growth and Sprawl - Sprawl City PDF Facts About Growth and Land Use - Chesapeake Bay Foundation </body>