<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> Ramsar Wetland </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Designated </Th> <Td> June 4, 1987 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Chesapeake Bay (/ ˈtʃɛsəpiːk / CHESS - ə - peek) is an estuary in District of Columbia and the U.S. states of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, lying inland from the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded to the west by the North American mainland and to the east by the Delmarva Peninsula . With its northern portion in Maryland and the southern part in Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay is a very important feature for the ecology and economy of those two states, as well as others . More than 150 major rivers and streams flow into the bay's 64,299 - square - mile (166,534 km) drainage basin, which covers parts of six states (New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia) and all of Washington, D.C. </P> <P> The bay is approximately 200 miles (320 km) long from its northern headwaters in the Susquehanna River to its outlet in the Atlantic Ocean . It is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) wide at its narrowest (between Kent County's Plum Point near Newtown and the Harford County shore near Romney Creek) and 30 miles (48 km) at its widest (just south of the mouth of the Potomac River). Total shoreline including tributaries is 11,684 miles (18,804 km), circumnavigating a surface area of 4,479 square miles (11,601 km). Average depth is 21 feet (6.4 m), reaching a maximum of 174 feet (53 m). The bay is spanned twice, in Maryland by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Sandy Point (near Annapolis) to Kent Island and in Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge - Tunnel connecting Virginia Beach to Cape Charles . Known for both its beauty and bounty, the bay has become "emptier", with fewer crabs, oysters and watermen in past years . Recent restoration efforts begun in the 1990s have been ongoing and show potential for growth of the native oyster population . The health of the Chesapeake Bay improved in 2015, marking three years of gains over the past four years, according to a new report by the University of Maryland . </P>

What are the 6 states that make up the chesapeake bay watershed