ANNAPOLIS, MD - The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) has released its 19th annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, showing a decline in overall Bay health from the previous C+ rating to a grade of C.
The five-point decrease from the previous year included decreases in almost all contributing factors, according to UMCES. The report card attributed the decline to hotter temperatures and extreme rainfall patterns in 2024.
UMCES says the Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card is an important tool in monitoring and providing essential data and trends to inform policymakers on Bay restoration and strategy.
“The Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card has become a flagship reference for conservation practitioners working to improve the environmental quality of the Chesapeake Bay, policymakers charged with the regional economic development driven by the bay’s resources, and a wide range of industries dependent upon a healthy bay,” said Dr. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, President of UMCES. “This year’s report underscores the importance of continued investment and highlights the progress we’ve made over the last decade.”
Despite the regression in overall score, officials at UMCES say Bay Health continues to improve over time since the 1980s. Six regions continue to show long-term improvements, including the Elizabeth, James, Patapsco and Back Rivers, Upper Western Shore, Upper Bay, and Lower Bay. The Upper Eastern Shore is the only region showing a declining trend, according to the report.
“Most indicators are also improving over time,” researchers said. “Dissolved Oxygen, Aquatic Grasses, Total Phosphorus, and Total Nitrogen scores are improving. Chlorophyll a and Water Clarity scores have declining long-term trends.”
While overall Bay health slipped back to a C grade, overall Chesapeake Bay Watershed Health remained at a C+.
UMCES says eating more invasive fish species like blue catfish and snakehead, planting native plants, using less fertilizer, and urging elected officials to protect the Bay are all ways neighbors in the Chesapeake Bay region can help.
The full 2025 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card can be found here.