"CHESAPEAKE BAY - THE SEDIMENT PROBLEM"
In the 18 years since the Chesapeake Bay cleanup
effort officially got underway, almost every pollution source in the 64,000-square-mile
watershed has been targeted. But the biggest potential polluter of all
– Mother Nature – has been largely ignored. Now, she stands poised
to undo the years of effort. Her weapon? Dirt. Billions of pounds
of it, sitting behind three large hydroelectric dams on the Susquehanna
River. If and when this load of silt overwhelms the dams (an event that
may occur in about 20 years), it will deliver a devastating blow to the
fragile estuary. How to prevent this looming disaster? At present,
there are no realistic solutions.