Shallow Water-Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Designated Use
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The Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries include a range of habitats that differ by salinity and depth. These habitat differences are reflected in the Bay's designated uses, each of which has corresponding water quality criteria. These designated uses include: Migratory Fish Spawning and Nursery, which protects tidal freshwater and low-salinity habitats used by migratory fish during the later winter and spring spawning and nursery season; Shallow-Water Submerged Aquatic Vegetation, which protects underwater grass beds in shallow waters near the shoreline; Open-Water Fish and Shellfish, which protects tidal creeks, rivers, embayments and the mainstem Bay year-round; Deep-Water Seasonal Fish and Shellfish, which protects deep water and bottom habitats during the summer months; and Deep-Channel Seasonal Refuge, which protects the deepest portions of the Bay during the summer months.
The attainment of water quality standards for the tidal Chesapeake Bay's designated uses can be viewed on the Watershed Data Dashboard.