Introduction to the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Virginia

Abstract

Designated in 1991, CBNERRVA established a multi-component system alongthe salinity gradient of the York River estuary that encompassed thediverse collection of habitats found within the southern Chesapeake Baysubregion. With its two principal tributaries, the Pamunkey andMattaponi Rivers, the York River is the Bay's fifth largest tributaryill terms of flow and watershed area. The cork River estuary isclassified as a microtidal, partially mixed estuary. Tidal range variesfrom 0.7 in and at its mouth to over I m in the upper freshwatertributary reaches and salinity distribution ranges from tidal freshwaterto polyhaline regimes. Land use is predominantly rural in nature withforest(61%) and agricultural lands (21%) being (fie dominant landcover; wetlands comprise approximately 7% of the basins area. Reservecomponents include: (1) Goodwin Islands (148 ha), an archipelago ofpolyhaline salt-marsh islands surrounded by inter-tidal flats, extensivesubmerged aquatic vegetation beds, and shallow open estuarine watersnear mouth of the York River; (2) Catlett Islands (220 ha), Consistingof multiple parallel ridges of forested wetland hammocks,maritime-forest uplands, and emergent mesohaline salt marshes;(3)Taskinas Creek (433 ha), containing non-tidal feeder streams thatdrain oak-hickory forests, maple-gum-ash swamps and freshwater marsheswhich transition into tidal oligo an(] mesohaline salt marshes; and (4)Sweet Hall Marsh (443 ha), an extensive tidal freshwater-oligohalinemarsh ecosystem located in the Pamunkey River, one of two majortributaries of the York River. CBNERRVA manages these reserves tosupport informed management. of coastal resources by supporting researchthat advances the scientific understanding of watershed and estuarinesystems, highlighting proper stewardship of coastal resources, andimproving general public and professional literacy through education andtraining programs.