History of The Watershed By dcarter123 1886 Newport news chosen to be major shipyard http://bayville.thinkport.org/ 1890 The Cull Law is passed any oysters smaller than 2.5 inches must be returned to the bay http://bayville.thinkport.org/ 1902 Regional population reached 3 million http://bayville.thinkport.org/ 1908 Lots of sewage and waste being dumped into the bay http://bayville.thinkport.org/ 1912 Baltimore is the first major city to create wastewater treatment plants as an effort to try to save the oysters in the surrounding waters. http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1917 U.S. entered the war in 1917 and more ships travel in and out of the bay http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1918 The University of Maryland Chesapeake Biological Laboratory is founded. It conducts the first water survey of the Bay the survey says that Bay is in good shape except for heavily industrialized areas. http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1921 The regions population exceeds 4.5 million. http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1922 Crab pots are developed http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1922 Decline in crab population half the crabs being caught as previous years http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1929 Great depression begins http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1932 Gas and electric replace wind and wood power power lines are a common site http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1938 Aerial photographs are taken of the bay showing many rivers have underwater grass beds http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1939 WWII starts http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1944 As soldiers get back from war people start getting married and having kids lots of babies are born this is called the "Baby Boom" http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1945 Use of chemicals to fertilize crops becomes popular http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1948 Maryland and Virginia Both have water pollution control agencies http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1951 regional population reaches 7 million surge in people puts strain on water quality http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1952 Chesapeake Bay Bridge is built and connects the western and eastern coast of Maryland http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1959 Oyster disease called MSX hits Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay c http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1964 Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is built and connects the Eastern Shore and Virginia Beach http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1972 Hurricane Agnes hits brings huge amounts of sediment into the bay http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1975 A chemical called Kepone was found in the James River that connects to the Chesapeake Bay and poses a serious threat to wildlife in the Bay http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1979 Second oil crisis occurs prices go up http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1982 Chesapeake bay dead zone are increasing and becoming a major issue in the bay http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1985 Dermo disease hits Maryland and devastates the oyster http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1985 Local government bans phosphate detergent http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1992 The population in the area reaches 10.5 million. http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 1993 Maryland oyster harvest is at an all time low with only 80,000 bushels being harvested, 4% of the 1884 harvest http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 2000 Regional population hits 12 million http://bayville.thinkport.org/printables/timeline.pdf 2008 Maryland and Virginia issue emergency regulations on blue crab harvest the decline in population has been declared a federal disaster https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/history 2009 President Obama signs executive order to restore the watershed https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/history 2013 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency can set pollution limits for the bay https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/history 2016 U.S. Supreme Court announces it will not hear a case against the Bays Total Daily Maximum Load https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/history 2018 more than $13.1 million dollars in grants give to restore the Chesapeake bay https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/history 2019 Bay sees worst dead zone in the past five years https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/history
