Chesapeake dead zone down, dry weather credited

BALTIMORE (AP) — The size of the Chesapeake Bay’s low-oxygen “dead zone” is down and this year’s dry weather is getting the credit.

Samples taken last week found 11.8 percent of the bay had oxygen levels in the water too low to support life, nearly half of the long-term average for this time of year. And that’s down from about 30 percent in July, which typically is when the zone peaks each year, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said.