Description: The Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified imagery and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. Five years of SAV data where SAV density was greater than 0 were combined and then dissolved to form SAV Habitat polygons. These polygons represent where SAV was located at least once during a five year period from 2020 to 2024.
Copyright Text: SAV Ecology, Monitoring, & Restoration Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The 2011 Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from 1:24,000 black and white aerial photography to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The SAV beds were entered into an SDE GIS fetaure class using the quality control procedures documented below. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography.The Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified imagery and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. Ten years of SAV data where SAV density was greater than 0 were combined to form overlapping SAV polygons. These polygons represent the density of SAV during each year of a ten year period from 2015 to 2024.
Copyright Text: SAV Ecology, Monitoring, & Restoration Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The 2020 Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. WorldView 2 satellite imagery acquired from Digital Globe through the NGA NextView program was used to augment the aerial imagery for the Susquehanna Flats; the Gunpowder River; the Eastern Neck area of the Chester River; Aquia Creek and a middle section of the Potomac River; Anacostia River and northernmost area of the Potomac River; the New Point Comfort area of Mobjack Bay; and Nassawadox Creek, Hungars Creek, and Mattawoman Creek. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified imagry and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The SAV beds were entered into an SDE GIS fetaure class using the quality control procedures documented below. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography.
Copyright Text: SAV Ecology, Monitoring, & Restoration Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The 2020 Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. WorldView 2 satellite imagery acquired from Digital Globe through the NGA NextView program was used to augment the aerial imagery for the Susquehanna Flats; the Gunpowder River; the Eastern Neck area of the Chester River; Aquia Creek and a middle section of the Potomac River; Anacostia River and northernmost area of the Potomac River; the New Point Comfort area of Mobjack Bay; and Nassawadox Creek, Hungars Creek, and Mattawoman Creek. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified imagry and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The SAV beds were entered into an SDE GIS fetaure class using the quality control procedures documented below. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography.
Copyright Text: SAV Ecology, Monitoring, & Restoration Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The 2020 Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. WorldView 2 satellite imagery acquired from Digital Globe through the NGA NextView program was used to augment the aerial imagery for the Susquehanna Flats; the Gunpowder River; the Eastern Neck area of the Chester River; Aquia Creek and a middle section of the Potomac River; Anacostia River and northernmost area of the Potomac River; the New Point Comfort area of Mobjack Bay; and Nassawadox Creek, Hungars Creek, and Mattawoman Creek. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified imagry and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The SAV beds were entered into an SDE GIS fetaure class using the quality control procedures documented below. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography.
Copyright Text: SAV Ecology, Monitoring, & Restoration Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The 2010 Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from 1:24,000 black and white aerial photography to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified photography and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The SAV beds were entered into an SDE GIS fetaure class using the quality control procedures documented below. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography.
Copyright Text: SAV Ecology, Monitoring, & Restoration Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified imagery and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography. Five years of SAV data where SAV density was greater than 0 were combined and then dissolved to form SAV Habitat polygons. These polygons represent where SAV was located at least once during a five year period from 2017 to 2021.
Copyright Text: SAV Ecology, Monitoring, & Restoration Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The 2021 Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD to assess water quality in the Bay. WorldView 2 from Maxar and PlanetScope satellite imagery from Planet Labs were used to augment the aerial imagery for the Anacostia River and the upper Potomac River, and middle Rappahannock River, including Menokin Bay and Cat Point Creek, the Mattaponi, Pamunkey, and the majority of the Chickahominy and James rivers, and Mobjack Bay. NAIP aerial imagery was used to augment the aerial imagery for the Chester, Choptank, Little Choptank, Magothy, and Miles rivers, Harris Creek, Eastern Bay, the western shore of Chesapeake Bay along the Calvert Cliffs, the Great Wicomico River and western shore of Chesapeake Bay from the mouth of the Rappahannock River up to Ingram Bay.. Each area of SAV was interpreted from the rectified imagry and classified into one of four density classes by the percentage of cover. The SAV beds were entered into an SDE GIS fetaure class using the quality control procedures documented below. The dataset contains all SAV areas that were identified from the areas flown. Some areas that are presumed to contain no SAV were not flown. Some small beds, particularly along narrow tributaries may not have been distinguishable on the aerial photography.
Copyright Text: SAV Monitoring Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Description: The 2024 distribution of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries was mapped from aerial multispectral digital imagery and satellite imagery. The aerial imagery was acquired between May and October 2024, with a resolution of 24 cm, encompassing 189 flight lines. Due to a number of challenges, additional imagery was acquired from Maxar, SpaceWill, and Planet Labs in order to provide a more complete dataset for Chesapeake Bay. These imagery sources and their locations are detailed below:Aerial imagery was not acquired for portions of the Honga and Nanticoke Rivers and Fishing Bay. WorldView 2 satellite imagery acquired from Maxar through the NGA NextView program and PlanetScope satellite imagery from Planet Labs were used to map these areas.Due to late imagery acquisition, SuperView Neo 1 imagery from SpaceWill and PlanetScope satellite imagery from Planet Labs were used to supplement the aerial imagery for the upper Potomac River, including Nanjemoy Creek. PlanetScope imagery was also used to supplement the aerial imagery for the Pamunkey and upper Rappahannock Rivers and WorldView 2 satellite imagery acquired from Maxar through the NGA NextView program was used to supplement the aerial imagery for the Big Annemessex, Manokin, and Little Choptank Rivers, and Pocomoke and Tangier Sounds, as well as the Chesapeake Bay Eastern Shore from Hungars Creek to Onancock Creek.Due to turbid conditions, WorldView 2 satellite imagery acquired from Maxar through the NGA NextView program was used to supplement the aerial imagery for the Corrotoman, Piankatank, and lower Rappahannock Rivers, and Mobjack Bay.WorldView 2 satellite imagery acquired from Maxar through the NGA NextView program was used to supplement the aerial imagery for the Back, Bush, Gunpowder, Middle, Patapsco, and Sassafras Rivers, and the Susquehanna Flats
Copyright Text: SAV Monitoring Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science