Economy Effect On Water

611 Words3 Pages
The Chesapeake Bay The environment is indeed effected by the economy and human activity. The Chesapeake Bay is in turmoil due to human economic activity. Its eleven thousand miles of shoreline is affected through the advancement of our economy, and our economy is then affected due to the status of the bay. The chicken industries that are located around the Chesapeake started as small, family owned farms and the waste of the farmland was easily managed and absorbed into the farmland. Now, with huge advancements in the industry the population of chickens has increased exponentially. Thus leading to more waste. The waste of the chickens is rich in Phosphorus and Nitrogen. These elements are absorbed into water near the farms and eventually will empty out into the Chesapeake Bay. Once in the bay, these nutrients support the growth of Algae, which will grow and absorb oxygen. Once the oxygen in absorbed by algae on the surface, it is virtually impossible for grasses, shellfish, fish, crabs and other aquatic life to grow. This leads to dead zones. It is believed that dead zones are caused by these nutrients finding their way to the bay via animal waste and even poorly treated human waste. Dead zones affect the economy due to the decreasing fish population, leading to fishing business going under. Now with these problems arising in the bay the water is being more and more contaminated to the point that beaches and swimming areas are being closed due to unsafe water conditions. This will also effect the local economies due to decreases in tourism. Local governments and officials know and are aware of the issues with the water and their causes. The cure is demanding action and regulation of the food industries and the waste curing facilities. Some of the solutions may be costly, and the people of local towns and the government officials have seemed to just lose

More about Economy Effect On Water

Open Document