Rains send record flow to the Chesapeake
The U.S. Geological Survey says heavy rains from last month's tropical storms sent record streamflow gushing into the Chesapeake. Water volume entering the bay in September was the highest since records began in 1937 - averaging 116 billion gallons per day, more than four times normal. The mouth of the Susquehanna saw the highest monthly flow in 67 years - averaging 113,800 cubic feet per second.
The Chesapeake's "water year" - the 12-month, October-to-September period hydrologists use to compare year-to-year data - ended in September with the third-biggest streamflow on record, averaging 74.9 billion gallons a day. That's 48 percent above normal !
Biologists will be watching closely to see how all that sediment and the nutrient load will affect bay life.
