The University of Maryland’s Annual Chesapeake Bay Report Card ranked the Bay at a “C” and the watershed at a “C+”.
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) released its 19th annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card yesterday. The overall Chesapeake Bay earned a grade of C (50%). The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Health, which includes ecology, society, and economy indicators, scored C+ (57%).
As 2025 marks a critical deadline for Chesapeake Bay restoration goals, this year’s report card provides essential data and trends analysis to assess progress. The overall Bay score had a five-point decrease from last year and there were decreases in almost all indicator scores. One possible cause for last year’s downturn was the extreme rainfall patterns and extreme heat. While parts of the watershed experienced drought, brief but intense downpours also caused runoff into Bay waters.
Despite the decrease, the Bay continues to show long-term improvement compared to past decades. Six regions are trending upwards: the Elizabeth, James, Patapsco and Back Rivers, Upper Western Shore, Upper Bay, and Lower Bay. Most indicators, specifically dissolved oxygen, aquatic grains, phosphorus, and nitrogen, also show improvement over time.
