The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s biennial “State of the Bay” report remains the same as it was two years ago – D+.
States in the Chesapeake Bay watershed must continue to focus on reducing agriculture’s impact on the estuary, according to the latest “State of the Bay” report.
The Chesapeake Bay watershed covers rivers, streams, and communities across 64,000 square miles. More than 18 million people, along with 3,600 species of plants and animals, call it home.
However, the latest score for efforts to clean up the bay remains at 32, a D+. Of the 13 indicators assessed, three improved and three declined. A big gain for oysters was tempered by a worrying drop for blue crabs, while pollution and habitat indicators showed only modest change.
Polluted runoff is increasing amid inconsistent enforcement from government agencies, new development, and climate change. This continues to hold back any positive efforts, reports State Impact.
The report singled out Pennsylvania in particular, largely because its legislature has repeatedly failed over the years to provide adequate funding for agricultural conservation programs.
The Environmental Protection Agency said in October that only West Virginia and the District of Columbia are on track to meet 2025 pollution reduction goals. Other states in the bay watershed include Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The report noted that oyster harvests hit record numbers in the previous two years in Maryland and Virginia, and the bay’s low-oxygen “dead zone” was among the smallest recorded since monitoring began 38 years ago.
However, the report shows that the number of blue crabs dropped to 227 million, marking a low point in 33 years of tracking the crustaceans, forcing the organization to maybe reassess how crabs are managed, according to the Washington Post.
“The good news is that the bay is remarkably resilient and there is tremendous energy around the table,” CBF President and CEO Hilary Falk said. “With many new leaders taking charge — EPA administrators, governors, legislators, and within environmental organizations — we have an opportunity to prove that restoring clean water is possible.”
