Beyond Bean Counting Report

Description

This project, initiated by the Urban Stormwater Workgroup through the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Water Quality Goal Implementation Team (GIT) funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT), evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of BMP (Best Management Practice) tracking and reporting processes across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

Objectives include identifying process inefficiencies, improving the integration of multiple restoration goals into performance assessments, and enhancing collaboration with external partners to ensure the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) is using the best available information. While current BMP reporting emphasizes nutrient and sediment reductions under the CBP’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) framework, this effort acknowledges a broader set of stormwater BMP benefits.

Recommendations developed through the project are outlined in the final report. By identifying actionable improvements and promoting alignment across reporting entities, this project will support more efficient data workflows, better integration of diverse BMP benefits like habitat and climate resilience, and stronger partnerships with agencies and organizations contributing to stormwater management and ultimately, the health of the Chesapeake Bay.