Joe-Pye weed is a summer wildflower that pollinators love
August 6, 2026The native perennial can be perfect for home gardens
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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
Five ways to explore the James River Park System
July 31, 2026A park system connects tourists and residents with a major Chesapeake Bay tributary
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Visit the Chesapeake Bay’s southernmost beach where English colonists first landed
July 24, 2026First Landing State Park is Virginia’s most visited state park
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Goals & Strategy: The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement
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Thriving Habitat, Fisheries & Wildlife
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Clean Water
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Healthy Landscapes
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Engaged Communities
Our partnership is guided by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement: a collaborative commitment to restore, conserve and protect the Bay, its tributaries and the lands that surround them.
Learn more about the latest agreementLearn More About the Chesapeake Bay
The Watershed
Thousands of creeks, streams and rivers deliver fresh water to the Bay from a region that spans 64,000 square miles.
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Food Web
A balanced food web supports a productive ecosystem, as energy flows from the Bay's plants to its predators.
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The Issues
Complex problems face the Bay, its watershed and the plants, animals and people that live here.
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Bay Facts
From trivia about its geography to facts about its flora and fauna, the Bay has a lot to teach us.
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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.
Visit the field guideCritter of the month
Spatterdock
Nuphar advenaSpatterdock, also known as pond lily, is an aquatic perennial plant with large leaves and oval, yellow flowers that grow above the water.
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