The health of the Chesapeake Bay improved two points-- six percent-- this year to 34, equivalent to a C-, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s bi-annual 2016 State of the Bay Report.
Continued implementation of the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint and below average rainfall resulted in improvements in nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, dissolved oxygen levels, and water clarity.
“As CBF enters its 50th year, we celebrate progress. We continue our call for an acceleration of pollution reduction efforts, especially in PA, further protection and restoration of vital natural filters and habitat, and the very best, science-based fisheries management possible,” said CBF President William C. Baker. “The federal/state Blueprint partnership will achieve a restored Bay in our lifetime.”
Established in 1998, CBF’s State of the Bay Report is a comprehensive measure of the Bay's health. CBF scientists compile and examine the best available data and information for 13 indicators in three categories: pollution, habitat, and fisheries. CBF scientists assign each indicator an index score from 1-100. Taken together, these indicators offer an overall assessment of Bay health.
Ten of the 13 indicators improved and overall each of the three categories also showed improvement.
In the pollution category, toxics comprised the only pollution indicator that did not improve. In the habitat and fisheries categories, underwater grasses, rockfish, blue crabs, oysters, and shad showed improvements this year.
Wetlands, and resource lands indicators were unchanged, and the only indicator to decline was forest buffers.
This year’s score is still far short of the goal to reach 40 by 2025 and ultimately a 70, which would represent a saved Bay.
The Clean Water Blueprint requires the Bay states to decrease pollution to local creeks, rivers, and the Bay.
State and local governments have committed to achieve specific, measurable reductions. The states agreed to have the programs in place by 2025 to restore water quality.
“While that will be a heavy lift, it is imperative for all 18 million of us who live in the Bay watershed to keep the pressure on,” Baker said. “Our elected and appointed leaders need to build on the momentum that has been achieved thus far.”
While Virginia and Maryland are largely on track to achieve their 2017 mid-term goals of 60 percent of practices in place, Pennsylvania is significantly behind, largely due to its failure to meet the goals it set for reducing pollution from agriculture.
CBF’s Pennsylvania Executive Director Harry Campbell said: “Keeping nitrogen and phosphorus on the land where they are helpful, instead of in the water where they’re harmful, is the core of Pennsylvania’s Clean Water Blueprint. But implementation of practices to do so are dependent upon adequate investments in pollution reduction and enforcement.
“It is important that comprehensive and sustainable investments toward cleaning up Pennsylvania’s 19,000 miles of impaired streams focus efforts in the right places, with the right practices, and engages the right people and communities.”
Campbell highlighted in previous statements that in Pennsylvania green infrastructure-- agricultural best management practices, forested stream buffers, green stormwater management solutions-- accounted for 75 percent of the nitrogen reductions in the Pennsylvania portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
A copy of the 2016 State of the Bay Report is available online.
DEP Starts Next Phase Of Watershed Plans
The Department of Environmental Protection is beginning the process of developing the Phase II Watershed Implementation Plans which are designed to result in Pennsylvania achieving its obligations under the court-ordered Chesapeake Bay TMDL.
Click Here for more background on how DEP plans to target available resources to the watersheds with the most impaired water quality.
For more information, visit DEP’s Phase III WIPs and Chesapeake Bay Office webpages.
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