The Chesapeake Bay Program is committed to tracking our progress toward the goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The accurate, up-to-date and accessible information found here helps oversight groups hold us accountable for our work. We envision abundant life, clean water, conserved lands and a diverse range of citizens and stakeholders who will steward an environmentally and economically sustainable watershed.
We depend on the Chesapeake Bay watershed for our wellbeing: its fish and shellfish give us food and work, while its forests and wetlands clean our air and water. By protecting fish and wildlife and restoring their habitats, we support a balanced ecosystem and sustain our quality of life.
The rivers and streams of the Chesapeake Bay provide habitat to wildlife and a resource to people. We must limit the pollution we send into these natural pipelines and protect the healthy waters that remain. By restoring degraded waterways and protecting pristine areas, we support clean water across the region.
The Chesapeake Bay is vulnerable to changes we make to the land. Development can pollute rivers and streams, degrade habitats, and harm fish and wildlife. By encouraging smart growth and conserving treasured landscapes, we protect the natural world and support healthy, vibrant communities.
Almost 18 million people live, work and play in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. We all rely on the natural world, and we all play a role in protecting it. Connecting people to this world is vital to fostering stewardship, and fostering stewardship is vital to the health of the environment.
A changing climate puts all aspects of life in the Chesapeake Bay at risk. Monitoring and assessing warming temperatures, rising sea levels, extreme weather events and other impacts of climate change helps us create programs and policies that make our resources, habitats and communities more resilient.