The Chesapeake Bay is one of the largest and most productive estuaries in the world. Fresh water supplied by over 150 rivers and streams and salt water from the Atlantic Ocean combine to create unique conditions and essential nutrients that support over 2,700 plants and animals. Its natural habitats include underwater grass beds, salt marshes, forested wetlands, and upland forests. The Bay watershed drainage area encompasses 64,000 square miles of land from Cooperstown, New York to Cape Charles, Virginia. More than 13.6 million people live within this watershed area, and their activities affect life in the Chesapeake every day.