BALTIMORE (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey says reservoirs near the mouth of the Susquehanna are filling with sediment and storms are now washing more pollution into the Chesapeake Bay.

USGS officials released a new report Thursday showing that the Conowingo Dam and other reservoirs that have trapped sediment and pollution are filling to capacity. And the report says the loss of that sediment trapping will make it more difficult to meet Chesapeake Bay restoration goals. That’s because sediments harm water quality by clouding water and covering bay grasses, which are an important habitat for many species. They also carry pollutants that cause algae blooms which rob oxygen from bay water.

The Susquehanna is the bay’s largest tributary, accounting for about half of the fresh water entering the Chesapeake.

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