Despite a slight improvement from previous years, more than two-thirds of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers and streams did not meet clean water standards between 2020 and 2022, according to an assessment by the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program released today.
However, a new Bay restoration tool offers hope for the future. The report highlighted data from the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load Indicator.
This indicator combines modeling with monitoring data from streams and rivers across the Bay watershed. The monitoring results provide direct connections to real world outcomes of restoration work, such as performance of practices to reduce pollution to the Bay, as well as the effects of climate change and other factors.
The new assessment reveals that while some of the Bay’s rivers and streams show improving conditions in the last decade, more than half are becoming more polluted or show no change.
Though there has been important progress, states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will not meet pollution-reduction commitments by a 2025 deadline. At this crossroads, leaders from across the region are expected to chart a course for the next chapter of Chesapeake Bay cleanup at the Chesapeake Executive Council meeting on Dec. 10 in Annapolis, Maryland.
Key steps needed at the meeting include attendance in person by each of the Executive Council members, including governors of the six Bay states, and other state, federal, and local leaders. Leaders must also commit to updating the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement by the end of 2025 to address new challenges and incorporate the latest science. They should include updated goals and outcomes that are measurable with clear deadlines.
Alison Prost, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Vice President for Environmental Protection and Restoration, issued the following statement:
“This assessment makes clear that far too much pollution is still reaching the Chesapeake Bay. The good news is, advances in science and monitoring can guide Bay cleanup efforts and help understand their effectiveness.
“The new Bay indicator will be valuable for Bay restoration in the future and should serve as a tool evaluate of our progress through real-world outcomes. This is key to ensuring true recovery of the Bay.
“The next step is strong, decisive action from the region’s leaders at the Chesapeake Executive Council meeting in December. There they need to pledge to update the Chesapeake Bay Agreement by the end of 2025, incorporating new deadlines to reduce pollution as quickly as possible while also including lessons learned. It is time for our leaders to recommit to a healthier Chesapeake Bay and better quality of life for the nearly 19 million people in the Bay watershed.”
