Pollution in the Chesapeake Bay has become a national concern and a hot topic for debate. There are a lot of efforts in place to try and clean up the Bay. But the reality is that pollution in the Chesapeake Bay increases every time nutrients wash into its water.
That's every time it rains or snows!
As a result of nutrient pollution, dangerously low oxygen levels in the water cause harmful algae blooms and directly affects the life in the Bay.
Where do the nutrients come from? Excess nutrients come from fertilizing farmland, fertilizing our lawns, and even driving vehicles.
Most fertilizers have excess nutrients and very high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous. These are the same chemicals hurting the Chesapeake Bay. When you consider that many state's biggest crop is green lawns, it's easy to see how much we play a role in nutrient pollution.
What can we do? By reducing the chemicals we use, we can reduce the amount of nutrients that wash into the Bay.
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