A nontechnical publication that describe the major findings of the NAWQA (National Water-Quality Assessment) Program on water-quality issues of regional and national concern. The first 2 sections provide a general overview of findings on nutrients and pesticides and their implications for water-resource management and protection. More detailed discussions of the sources, distributions, and potential effects of these chemicals are provided in subsequent sections. Numerous color illustrations.

The purpose of this report is to present a synthesis of the USGS Chesapeake Bay science related to the 2001-06 goals and provide implications for environmental management. The report provides USGS findings that address the science needs of the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) restoration goals and includes summaries of 1. land-use change; 2. water quality in the watershed, including nutrients, sediment, and contaminants; 3. long-term changes in climate and estuarine water quality; 4. estuary habitats, focusing on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and tidal wetlands; and 5. factors affecting fish and waterbird populations.