A little fish with big significance for clean water
February 24, 2026Four states share the same state fish—and a commitment to protecting the habitat it needs for survival
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Chesapeake Bay Program
Our regional partnership guides the restoration and protection of the nation’s largest estuary.
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Landowners find their perfect match
February 14, 2026Conservation speed-dating workshops help farmers find conservation programs for their properties
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Old chemicals and new concerns
February 9, 2026Toxic contaminants persist in the Bay, but so do the efforts of the Bay Program to understand and reduce them
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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
Sand Dollar
Abertalla abertiThe sand dollar is commonly known for its skeleton’s beautiful appearance that can be found along shorelines, but living sand dollars travel along the ocean floor.
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