Bay Program News
The following is a list of news articles and stories from the Chesapeake Bay Program. To keep up-to-date on Chesapeake Bay news, subscribe to our e-newsletter, Chesapeake Currents.
- Invasive Zebra Mussels Found in Susquehanna River - The invasive zebra mussel has been found for the first time in the Maryland portion of the Susquehanna River, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
- Partnership Protects Virginia Marsh from Erosion - A partnership between the James River Association, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership and several other organizations has protected from erosion more than 500 acres of tidal freshwater marsh on Herring Creek in Charles City County, Virginia.
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
- NOAA Launches Fourth Bay “Smart Buoy” - New interpretive buoy, located off Stingray Point on the Rappahannock River, provides real-time weather and water quality information to boaters along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
- Research Shows Drop in Bay Blue Crab Population - The population of spawning-age blue crabs in the Bay fell to 120 million in 2007-08, compared with 143 million in 2006-07, according to the 2008 Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab Advisory Report. Both of these figures are below the interim target population of 200 million spawning-age crabs.
- Over $2.1 Million Awarded for Local Waterway Protection and Restoration Projects - Thirty-four organizations from across the Bay watershed receive more than $2.1 million from the Bay Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for projects that will protect 3,400 acres of land, restore approximately 15 miles of streams and plant more than 160 acres of marsh and wetland grasses.
- Bay Program Submits Report to Congress Outlining Chesapeake Action Plan - Chesapeake Action Plan features tools that can strengthen and expand partnerships in the watershed, enhance coordination of restoration activities and increase the collective accountability for protecting the Bay.
- Mid-Summer Bay Grass Monitoring Shows Some Increases, But Concern Remains - Annual monitoring for underwater bay grasses is now in full swing, and scientists with the Bay Program are currently conducting aerial observations of the middle and lower Bay to document bay grass acreage.
June 2008
May 2008
- Thomas Pyle 6th Graders Showcase Bay Projects - On Thursday, May 22, Thomas Pyle Middle School in Bethesda, Maryland, hosted its annual Chesapeake Bay Extravaganza. The event showcased the work of the school’s 460 sixth grade students.
- It’s Wade-in Season! - This spring, more than a dozen wade-ins will be held on Maryland’s rivers, creeks and streams -- from the Monocacy all the way to the Nanticoke.
- National Aquarium Wins Grant to Help Improve Patapsco Water Quality - $200,000 cleanup grant from the U.S. EPA’s brownfields program will help Aquarium’s Center for Aquatic Life and Conservation remediate a 13-acre site on the Middle Branch of the Patuxent River.
April 2008
- Underwater Bay Grasses Up in 2007, But Still Short of Restoration Goal - Grasses covered nearly 65,000 acres of the Bay and its tidal rivers in 2007, about 35 percent of the 185,000-acre baywide restoration goal. Though a 10 percent increase from 59,000 acres in 2006, bay grasses have not yet recovered to the recent high of 90,000 acres in 2002.
- Watershed cleanups thousands of tons of success - Thousands of volunteers across the watershed stepped up on Saturday, April 5 to turn the tide on trash along the Potomac, South and other local rivers.
- Annual Bay Assessment Shows Ecosystem Health Still Poor, Restoration Progress Falling Short - The Bay Program released its Chesapeake Bay 2007 Health and Restoration Assessment, a four-part snapshot of health conditions and restoration efforts in the Bay and its watershed.
March 2008
- Volunteers Turn the Tide on Trash - Building on the success of last year’s cleanup, the Alice Ferguson Foundation will host its 20th annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup on Saturday, April 5, 2008.
- South River Receives Grade of 34 in Latest Scorecard - The overall health of the South River declined in 2007, according to the South River Federation’s 2008 South River Scorecard, an annual report on the health of the river.
- New Mentoring Program Helps Both Farmers and the Bay - A new farmer-to-farmer mentoring program will help improve the economic productivity of Maryland farms and bring healthy, grass-fed livestock to restaurants and local residents -- while also reducing pollution to the Bay.
February 2008
January 2008
- Commission Submits Oyster "Vision" - Maryland's Oyster Advisory Commission (OAC) recently submitted their “possible vision” of the future of Maryland's oyster management program to Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, the Maryland General Assembly and the secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- New Watershed Management Program to Help the Heart of the Shenandoah - The Page County, Virginia Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution to adopt a new watershed management program (WMP) that will help improve water quality in the South Branch of the Shenandoah River by reducing polluted runoff from the land.
- Tree Plantings Promote Clean Air - The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, in partnership with Constellation Energy and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, recently wrapped up a three-year Baltimore-area reforestation project, intended to help slow the harmful effects of global warming and clean local waterways.
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
- Eelgrass aquaculture holds promise - MD-DNR is conducting large-scale bay grass restoration at their Piney Point Aquaculture Center on the Potomac River.
- The ABCs of HABs - Algae are a vital component of the Bay’s ecosystem — these free-floating plants make up the base of the food chain. However, when algae populations explode to unusually high numbers they create what are called harmful algae blooms (HABs).
August 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
- Tidal Rivers Impaired by Chemical Contaminants - Fifty-three percent of the tidal tributaries in the Bay watershed are contaminated by chemical pollutants in fish tissue, according to newly compiled data by the Bay Program.
- Would You Kiss These Lips? - PAHs shown to cause high rates of lesions and tumors on bottom-dwelling fish in at least two Bay tributaries.
- A Star on the Rise - Once considered by the community to be “dead,” Va.’s Elizabeth River is being revived by the Elizabeth River Projec
January 2007
- Good News, Bad News for the Bay’s Crab Population - Read about how scientists measure the health of the Bay's blue crab population, and what the future may hold for Chesapeake crabs and crab lovers everywhere.
- The Art of “Catch and Release” Angling - Even with the best efforts of federal and state agencies, it's impossible to combat all the environmental problems facing the Bay watershed without the work of watershed organizations. Learn how you can contribute to the Bay restoration effort by assisting your local watershed organization.
- Spat-on-shell Experiments Hold Promise for Bay's Oyster Population - Learn more about spat-on-shell oyster programs and how this method may become a viable and effective process for growing healthy and harvestable oysters in Virginia waters.
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
- 2006 Executive Council Meeting: New Goals Target Farms, Forests Lawns - The Chesapeake Executive Council adopted new policies to improve water quality throughout the watershed by conserving forests, reducing phosphorus in home lawn care products and supporting efforts to fund Bay-friendly farming practices.
- Retaining a "Sense of Place"- As development threatens much of the watershed, a group is working to protect one road's local character.
- Nonprofit Group Reaches Out to Hispanics - At a time when most popular environmental initiatives are geared toward white, middle-class residents, one family-run nonprofit has instead directed their efforts toward the Hispanic community, a fast-growing segment of the watershed's population.
- Watershed Population Hits 16.6 Million - The latest Bay watershed population estimates show that population continues to grow, and it may not slow anytime soon.
August 2006
January 2006
- MWEEs Foster Young Bay Stewards - Bay Program partners are incorporating Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences into their local curriculums . Find out more about this initiative and what teachers are doing to ensure that their students experience the Bay both inside and outside of the classroom.
- Invasion of the Wetland Snatchers: Nutria Eradication in the Watershed - Between 1968 and the late 1990s, the nutria population in Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge expanded from about 150 to 50,000. The creatures chased out other native animals and damaged local wetlands. Learn how they were eradicated from the refuge.