There are instruments that collect environmental data throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  For many, you can look on the internet and see what conditions are like right now - in real-time.

This page links to buoys in the Chesapeake Bay that have weather and water quality conditions (current and archived) for locations at the mouths of major rivers where they enter the Chesapeake Bay.  Just click on the picture of the buoy.  When you get there, click on one of the buoys to see what's happening out on the Bay right now.

Also try clicking on the "Interpret" tab and then, if your computer has sound, click on one of the audio buttons to learn about the history, geography, or water quality of the site. 

Bay Buoy picture courtesy of Kim Couranz, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.