Land Along the Big River

The name “Chesapeake” originates from the Algonquin Native American phrase “K’che-se-piak” meaning ‘land along the big river.’ The Chesapeake Bay is 320 kilometers long, ranging from its narrowest width of 5 kilometer to 50 kilometers at its widest point. The average depth is only 6 meters however, some channels are as deep as 53 meters. Just a generation ago, the water was crystal clear but now, the water has become polluted due to overfishing of its natural filters(Oysters). As the human population continues to grow, the Bay becomes more vulnerable to the damages that humans are doing. The bay produces about 226 million kilograms of seafood annually while supporting more than 2,700 species of plants and animals. Without the bay, most of the wildlife you see in this album would not exist.