Estuary

Where the river ends

An estuary is a river learning to be the sea. Fresh water rides over salt, tides push back, and the whole thing breathes twice a day. It is the most productive, most threatened reach of any basin.

What we track

salinity   the salt wedge, moving with the tide
sediment   what the river still carries
habitat    eelgrass, oyster, and the fish that need both
level      tide stage, six-minute resolution

Why it matters

Every drop you'll ever drink passed somewhere near an estuary on its way to you. What happens here travels upstream.