CHESAPEAKE BAY - The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science has released the 2026 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, with the Bay earning its highest health score in 40 years of tracking.
The 2026 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card gave the Bay a C+, or 56%, for overall health. Researchers attributed the improvement over last year's C rating to ongoing restoration efforts and a relatively dry 2025, which reduced the amount of pollution washed from land into waterways.
“A healthier bay is not just about improving grades, but building a more resilient system able to recover from stressors and support the livelihoods of those who depend on it,” the report reads. “While the Bay will face new challenges every year, the work people are putting into protecting, restoring, and cleaning up the bay is reflected in the improving grade. As we continue taking care of the Chesapeake Bay, we can keep setting record high grades for the years to come.”
The results of the report varied across the Eastern Shore. The Upper Eastern Shore and Choptank River Bay regions each earned a C-, with neither showing a significant long-term health trend in either direction. The Lower Eastern Shore region, identified in the report as Tangier, earned a C+ and showed a slightly improving trend.
A separate assessment of the broader watershed raised additional concerns. The Lower Eastern Shore was one of only two watershed regions showing declining long-term water quality, alongside Virginia’s Lower James.
The Choptank watershed received the lowest overall watershed score, a C- at 43%.
Across the Bay, dissolved oxygen was the strongest indicator, earning an A with a score of 85%, although it declined from the previous year. Every other Bay indicator improved, with the largest gains in chlorophyll a, a measure of algae, and total nitrogen.
Water clarity remained the lowest-scoring indicator. It improved from an F to a D, at 25%, but continued to show a declining long-term trend. Chlorophyll also showed a declining long-term trend despite its improvement in this year’s assessment.
The broader Chesapeake Bay watershed earned a C+ at 56%, unchanged from the previous report card. Ecology was its strongest category, earning a B, while social and economic conditions each earned a C.
The report also highlighted the completion of a major oyster restoration effort in 2025. Since 2014, UMCES says partners have restored and protected approximately 2,400 acres of oyster reef habitat across 11 tributaries in Maryland and Virginia, planting more than 7.5 billion oysters.
Researchers said that milestone illustrates another step in restoring oyster populations. Oysters filter Bay water, while their reefs provide habitat for fish, crabs, and other species.
Although released in October 2026, the report’s Bay grades primarily reflect conditions in 2025. Underwater grass data come from 2024, and watershed water-quality scores use data from 2022 through 2024.
The report does not reflect the January 2026 sewage spill into the Potomac River. Researchers said any of the spill’s effects on water quality could appear in the 2027 report card.
You can view the full 2026 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card here.
