Description: The 2022 Chesapeake Bay SAV Coverage was mapped from 1:24,000 black and white aerial photography and digital multispectral imagery with a 25cm GSD 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.
Purpose: The annual Submered Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) aerial photographic monitoring program provides a comprehensive and accurate measure of change in SAV relative abundance that has been used to link improving water quality to increases in Bay living resources.
Supplemental_Information: This data can be found in \LivingResources\Aquatic\SAV folder on GeoData.
Copyright Text: Maryland DNR- SAV Monitoring 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 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 2019 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 Belmont Bay portion of the Potomac River. 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 2018 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 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