Because of the many benefits of wetlands -- providing habitat, filtering water, preventing erosion -- work is ongoing to increase the acreage of these areas. This involves establishing wetlands where they did not exist or reestablishing former wetlands to their natural state. Removing invasive species is also a way to rehabilitate degraded wetlands. Additionally, these critical habitats are often protected through land purchases or conservation easements.
Learn more about wetlands restoration.
Restore 25,000 acres of wetlands in the watershed portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia by 2010.
Amount completed since 1998 (baseline year)
Between 1998 and 2008, 13,005 acres of tidal and non-tidal wetlands were established or reestablished in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Amount completed since 2000
10,823 acres
Amount completed in 2008
472.46 acres total:
- 211.46 acres in Maryland
- 261 acres in Pennsylvania
- No data for Virginia
- 0 acres in the District of Columbia
Functional Gains vs. Acreage Gains
Not all of the wetlands accounted for in this indicator are functional; they are present but not necessarily serving as a benefit to the Bay. While projects that result in gains in function on existing wetlands are ecologically beneficial, such projects are different than projects that result in the actual gain of wetland acreage and are therefore tracked separately for purposes of clarity and accuracy.
Tidal Wetland Trends in the Bay Region
This indicator tracks documented gains in wetland acreage, but the gains do not necessarily represented a “net resource gain.” Data analysis completed in 2007 shows that there is a negative trend in tidal wetland abundance in the Bay. According to the land change statistics, there was a 2,600-acre loss between 1996 and 2005. However, this change is not statistically significant on a Bay-wide scale due to limitations of the data.
Although the changes are not significant on a Bay-wide scale, there are some significant changes on a local scale. Aerial photography in specific locations around the Bay, such as Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, has been used to visually document significant loss of wetlands due to sea level rise, land subsidence, coastal erosion and invasive species such as nutria.
Wetlands Restoration and Water Quality Improvements
To improve water quality, the Bay watershed states call for the restoration of 200,000 acres of wetlands in their tributary cleanup plans. Progress toward this water quality goal is measured in part in the Pollution Control Efforts indicators.
Jennifer Greiner at (800) 968-7229 ext. 783
Chesapeake Bay Program Office