Chesapeake Bay Program
A Watershed Partnership
The Chesapeake Bay Program:
20 Years of Progress - Remaining Challenges
Twenty years ago, the historic Chesapeake Bay Agreement of 1983 established the Chesapeake Bay
Program - a unique federal-state-1 oca I partnership committed to restoring the Chesapeake Bay.
Since its inception, the Bay Program's highest priority has been the restoration of the Bay's living
resources. Improving water quality is the most critical element in bringing about this restoration.
The Chesapeake Bay is healthier today than it would have been without the cooperative efforts and
guidance of the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership. However, the Bay is no where near restored.
A great deal of progress has been made over the last twenty years by a variety of stakeholders, but
clearly more needs to be done.
Improving Water Quality
Nutrient Pollution Levels Declining in Some of the Non-tidal Portions of the Rivers
Monitoring data from
major rivers entering
tidal waters of
Chesapeake Bay
show that nitrogen
loads are
decreasing in
portions of the
Susquehanna a
in the Patuxent
Mattaponi, Jam^s
and Appomatto:
rivers.
The rerr g rivers
and the, if the
Susqui a
showfric ds.
Nitrogen
1980s-2002
Decreasing
~ No significant trend
A Increasing
Monitoring data from
major rivers entering
tidal waters of
Chesapeake Bay
show that
phosphorus loads
are decreasing in
portions of the
Susquehanna ar
the Patuxent,
Mattaponi, Jame
and Appomattox
rivers.
The re g/ rivers
and thi if the
Susqu a
showjr ds.
Phosphorus
1980s-2002
Decreasing
if ~ No significant trend
A Increasing
Nutrient Pollution Loads Delivered to the Bay
Are Declining but We Still Need to Do More
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
198 5 2000 2001
2000 2001
To provide the water quality needed to restore living
resources, in 1993 the Bay Program partners agreed to
attack nutrient pollution at its source - upstream in the
Bay's tributaries.
As a result, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and the District
of Columbia began implementing pollution reduction
strategies to achieve nutrient reduction targets of 74 million
pounds of nitrogen and 8.4 phosphorus baywide.
One of the most important accomplishments of this
partnership has been a 62.36 million pound reduction in
nitrogen and an 8.35 million pound reduction in
phosphorus.
This year, Bay Program partners committed to additional
reductions of nutrients. In order to achieve the new goals,
we need to reduce annual loads of nitrogen an additional
100 million pounds and phosphorus an
additional 6 million pounds by 2010.
For more information, visit the Chesapeake Bay Program website at www.chesapeakebay.net or call 1-800-YOUR BAY.
1 2/09/03
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Chesapeake Bay Program
A Watershed l^rtnership
The Chesapeake Bay Program:
20 Years of Progress - Remaining Challenges
What Have Bay Program Partners Done to Reduce Nutrient Pollution?
Wastewater Treatment
Plant Upgrades
A phosphate detergent ban
and advanced treatment of
wastewater to reduce
nutrient discharges at 91
municipal facilities
resulted in dramatic
reductions in nutrient
pollution to the Bay.
Phosphorus loads from
point sources declined
56% (5 million pounds/yr)
and nitrogen loads
declined 33% (29 million
pounds/yr) between 1985
and 2001, in spite of a 17%
increase in population.
70 ¦
60 ¦
50
40
30
Point Source Nitrogen
3 Municipal Nitrogen
3 industrial Ntrogen
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Point Source Phosphorus
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Streamside Forests Being Restored
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Chesapeake Bay Program
A Watershed Partnership
The Chesapeake Bay Program:
20 Years of Progress - Remaining Challenges
Protecting and Restoring Vital Habitat and Living Resources
Progress Made Getting Migratory Fish
Past Dams and Blockages
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Year 1998 goal (731 miles)
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In 1993, the partners agreed to a ten-year target of
reopening 1,357 miles offish spawning habitat. So far,
1,169 miles have been reopened, of which 977 are
available to migratory fish.
In 2004, the partners expect to achieve this goal and commit
to restoring even more habitat.
Shad Are Starting to Make a Comeback
but Have a Long, Long Way to Go
| 1.75
1
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il 1.25
0.75
0.5
0.25
Susquehanna River Restoration
Program Goal (2 million)
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Stocking efforts, a moratorium, and fish passage
development increased the number of shad returning to
Conowingo Dam from several hundred per year in the early
1980s to an average of 142,000 per year in 2001-2003.
Blue Crabs at Risk
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Mature female abundance is well below the long term
average and has declined since the early 1990s. The
abundance estimate for 2002 is slightly above the
historically low levels reported for 2000 and 2001.
Bay partners have agreed to increase spawning potential
by reducing current harvests 15% by 2003.
Oysters at Risk
98 2002
Oyster harvests are approximately 2 percent of the harvest
highs recorded in the 1950s. The 2002 harvest was the
lowest on record.
The Chesapeake 2000 agreement commits to achieve a
tenfold increase of native oysters in the Bay by 2010 and to
establish oyster reefs and sanctuaries in strategic
locations.
For more information, visit the Chesapeake Bay Program website at www.chesapeakebay.net or call 1-800-YOUR BAY.
12/09/03
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Chesapeake Bay Program
A Watershed Partnership
The Chesapeake Bay Program:
20 Years of Progress - Remaining Challenges
Managing Lands Soundly
Acres of Preserved Land Increasing
In 2000, Bay
Program
partners
committed to
permanently
preserve from
development
20% of the land
area in the Bay
watershed by
2010.
Between 2000
and 2003,
439,670 acres of
land were
preserved in the
watershed,
bringing the total
to 6.54 million
preserved and
376,658 more
needed.
Baseline 2001
Brownfields Sites Ready for Redevelopment
In 2000, the
partners
committed to
rehabilitate and
restore 1,050
abandoned
industrial sites
(brownfields) to
productive use
by 2010.
Between June
2002 and 2003, 111
sites were cleaned
and made ready for
redevelopment,
bringing the total to
284 completed and
766 more needed.
In 2000, the
partners
committed to
increase the
number of
designated
water trails
in the Bay
region by 500
miles by 2005.
Water Trails Increasing
1500 -i
1400 -
1300 - |
~ 1200
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