Here are basic facts about the Chesapeake Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay comes from the word "Chesipiooc" meaning "Great Shellfish Bay." The bay and it's watershed go through about six states. It is 200 miles long and the widest point is 30 miles. It has 4400 miles of shoreline. It's deepest point is 153 feet below sea level. It holds approximately 18 trillion gallons of water. Half of the water comes from the Atlantic ocean. Half of the other half, comes from the Susquehanna River. More than 175,000 boats are registered on the bay. More than 15 million people live along the shore, and it is also home to over 2700 species of plants and animals. The bay is very important because numerous electricity companies use large amounts of water to run electricity. A large amount of the seafood we eat comes from the bay. It is also important because it gives lots of people job, such as shipbuilding, watermen , bait shop owners, etc. Many people go fishing, hunting, boating and camping near the bay. It is a great tourism place.