Welcome to our last episode of "Chesapeake Almanac." Cold weather is losing its grip on the Chesapeake, but though the water is still cold, the earliest born Norfolk spot are making their way north, just as much a benchmark of spring as the first crocuses on land. It's March madness, which for finfish means renewed traffic and spawning on the Bay and in rivers and creeks. On this episode, John Page Williams highlights the fish you'll find making an appearance in the Chesapeake in March. From Norfolk spot, winter flounder, Labrador herring, and river herring to yellow perch spawning in small creeks on balmy days, white suckers, largemouth bass, chain pickerel, and the first of the blueback herring. March is a busy time in our waters.

Thank you for joining us for this series. If you're new, check out our past episodes to find out what's in store around the Bay each month.

If you liked this episode, please give us a thumbs up and share your comments, it really helps us to spread these seasonal stories to new listeners.

TRANSCRIPT

Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac.

Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the Bay through Education, Advocacy, Litigation, and Restoration. Find out more about our work to save the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed's rivers and streams, and what you can do to help, at https://www.cbf.org.

These readings are from John Page Williams, Jr.'s book, Chesapeake Almanac: Following the Bay through the Seasons. The publication is available in print at Amazon.com.

There is no other estuary in the world with a network of rivers like the one that feeds Chesapeake Bay. Every square inch in the drainage basins of those rivers is connected directly to the Bay. The Chesapeake itself is a river, after all. It is the drowned valley of the Susquehanna, a 200-mile-long tidal river mouth. In this episode, John Page Williams provides a geography lesson of the Chesapeake's life blood--its rivers.

If you liked this episode, please give us a thumbs up and share your comments, it really helps us to spread these seasonal stories to new listeners.

TRANSCRIPT

Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac.

Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the Bay through Education, Advocacy, Litigation, and Restoration. Find out more about our work to save the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed's rivers and streams, and what you can do to help, at https://www.cbf.org.

These readings are from John Page Williams, Jr.'s book, Chesapeake Almanac: Following the Bay through the Seasons. The publication is available in print at Amazon.com.

In March, you can see the tiny, wedge-shaped larvae of barnacles catching early spring plankton. They scull about with their six legs, not yet ready to settle and grow into the barnacles we know. Most Bay lovers have at least one good barnacle story. Invariably these tales involved hands cut by sharp shells, or speed- and fuel-robbing crust on boat bottoms. But these crustaceans do more than create havoc for humans. They create little ecosystems on dock and pier pilings and fallen trees. In this episode, John Page opens up the world of yet another small Bay creature that has a story that surpasses its tiny size.

If you liked this episode, please give us a thumbs up and share your comments, it really helps us to spread these seasonal stories to new listeners.

TRANSCRIPT

Subscribe to Chesapeake Almanac, find us on your favorite podcast platform, or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac.

Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the Bay through Education, Advocacy, Litigation, and Restoration. Find out more about our work to save the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed's rivers and streams, and what you can do to help, at https://www.cbf.org.

These readings are from John Page Williams, Jr.'s book, Chesapeake Almanac: Following the Bay through the Seasons. The publication is available in print at Amazon.com.