Maps

Up until 2013, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV, also known as bay grasses) acreage totals for the Chesapeake Bay were aggregated into three zones: Upper Bay, Middle Bay and Lower Bay. For 2013, it was decided to report the totals by the four salinity zones found in the Bay: tidal fresh, oligohaline, mesohaline and polyhaline. Since different species of SAV are generally found in waters of a specific range of salinity, tracking changes in SAV abundance by salinity could help track changes in species abundance more easily.

In 2003, the CBP adopted the Strategy to Accelerate the Protection and Restoration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Chesapeake Bay including a commitment to plant 1,000 acres by 2008. The program partners have thus far planted 17% of their initial goal. In 2011, 0.02 acres were planted. Both funding for SAV planting, and capacity for doing it, will need to be increased dramatically to meet the goal on time.