This nectar filled ephemeral is one of the first signs of spring in the Chesapeake
April 9, 2025The pink and white Virginia spring beauty lives up to its name as one of the first flowers of the season.
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Chesapeake Bay Program
Our regional partnership guides the restoration and protection of the nation’s largest estuary.
Learn more about usFeatured Stories
Homegrown heroes
March 31, 2025The Elizabeth River Project is bringing 200+ year old wetlands back to the river
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Celebrating the women boat captains at the helm of the Bay
March 28, 2025Kristin Rutkowski uses her photography expertise to highlight waterwomen of the Chesapeake
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What Guides Us: The Chesapeake Watershed Agreement
5 themes guide the agreement:
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Abundant Life
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Clean Water
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Conserved Lands
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Engaged Communities
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Climate Change
Our partnership is guided by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, which includes goals and outcomes for restoring the Bay, its tributaries and the lands that surround them.
Learn more about the latest agreementLearn More About the Chesapeake Bay
The Issues
An array of complex problems threaten the health of the Bay and its wildlife.
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What is a Watershed?
Over 100,000 streams, creeks and rivers drain to the Bay, making up a 64,000 square mile watershed.
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Bay Facts
The Bay is full of interesting facts and trivia related to its history, wildlife, geography and more.
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Field Guide to the Chesapeake
Explore the Field Guide to learn about more than 300 species of birds, fish, insects, invertebrates, mammals, plants, reptiles and amphibians that live in the Chesapeake Bay region.
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Switchgrass
Panicum virgatumSwitchgrass is a tall, native prairie grass that benefits birds and pollinators.
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