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The Chesapeake Bay watershed encompasses 64,000 square miles within six states (PA, DE, MD, NY, VA, WV and DC), accommodating over 18.5 million people and 3,600 plant and animal species (What is a Watershed?, n.d.). Within it’s bounds are over 100,000 tributaries, such as the Susquehanna, Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James rivers, which significantly influence the health of the Bay’s waterways and have made pollution a significant concern (What is a Watershed?, n.d.). Since its establishment in 1983, the Chesapeake Bay program and its partners have developed visions, goals, and outcomes aimed at restoring and preserving the future health of this vital ecosystem.
In 2014, the need to accelerate Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts became evident due to excessive nitrogen and phosphorus entering the Bay. In response, the Chesapeake Executive Council signed the Chesapeake Watershed Agreement, including one vision, ten goals, and thirty-one outcomes. Additionally, the 2025 Water Implementation Plan (WIPs) aimed to achieve specific water quality standards by ensuring all necessary practices and controls were implemented by that time, as outlined in the Chesapeake Bay TMDL document (2025 Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPS), n.d.). However, during a Fall 2022 Executive Council meeting, it was announced that the 2025 WIPs were charting off-course, highlighting the need for future planning beyond 2025 (2025 Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPS), n.d.).
Beyond 2025
To advance progress in achieving the goals and outcomes outlined in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay watershed agreement, the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership formed a Beyond 2025 Steering Committee. The committee comprises of advisory committees, the commission, representatives of all jurisdictions, the EPA and other federal agencies, goal implementation teams, and 2 non-voting members (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2024a). The committee’s purpose is to “recommend a path forward that prioritizes and outlines steps for meeting goals and outcomes of an agreement beyond 2025,” (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2024a).
Convening to draft a preliminary report, released on July 1st, the Steering Committee outlined a critical pathway and recommendations for the Chesapeake Bay watershed’s future. Specifically, the committee recommends: 1) adherence to the 2014 Chesapeake Watershed Agreement, 2) foster partnerships to ensure commitment fulfillment, and 3) advancing scientific research, restoration efforts, and partnerships. The draft report is now available for public feedback until August 30th, with the final version out for release in early 2025 (Chesapeake Bay Program, 2024b).
Little blurb/conclusion at end: Mention what ALLARM is doing, CMC, and recommendations on what you (college audience) can do to help
ALLARM, their volunteers, and partner organizations assess stream health by measuring parameters such as pH, nitrate-nitrogen, temperature, conductivity, stage, water clarity, and macroinvertebrates. But you don’t need to hop into a stream with monitoring equipment to help the health of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The Chesapeake Bay Program has outlined measures that individuals can take to make an impact – if you’re interested in learning more, scan the QR code below!
References
2025 Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPS). Chesapeake Progress. (n.d.). https://www.chesapeakeprogress.com/clean- water/watershed-implementation-plans
Chesapeake Bay Program. (2024a). The Bay Beyond 2025: Looking to the future of Chesapeake Restoration. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3KYWzELG20
Chesapeake Bay Program. (2024b). A Critical Path Forward for the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership Beyond 2025. https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/documents/Beyond-2025-Draft-Steering-Committee-Report.pdf
What is a watershed? Chesapeake Bay Program. (n.d.). https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/watershed