Publications
Access hundreds of Bay Program publications, from scientific reports to factsheets to memorandums.
Cultivating and Strengthening Partnerships with Underrepresented Stakeholders
Published on August 25, 2023 in ReportThe "Cultivating and Strengthening Partnerships with Underrepresented Stakeholders" project was funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) Goal Implementation Team (GIT) Funding Program. The project, proposed by the Chesapeake Bay Program Stewardship Goal Implementation Team (GIT 5) and their Diversity Workgroup, aimed to understand the needs, barriers, and priorities of organizations serving historically underrepresented and underserved communities. Chesapeake Conservancy was contracted to complete the project, which began in spring 2021 and ended in summer 2022. The project involved conversations with community leaders and Chesapeake Bay Program staff to identify barriers and opportunities for engagement. A Leadership Workshop was conducted to define meaningful community engagement, and a Community Forum in July 2022 brought together community members and Bay Program leadership to build trust and develop engagement strategies. Recommendations for next steps were compiled based on input from participants, and a community engagement guide was developed. The project's outcomes will help the Chesapeake Bay Program develop long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with organizations serving communities of color and other underrepresented communities.
View detailsCharting a Course to 2025
Published on July 21, 2023 in ReportIn October 2022, the Chesapeake Executive Council charged the Principals’ Staff Committee with recommending a critical path forward that prioritizes and outlines the next steps for meeting the goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement leading up to and beyond 2025. The Executive Council Charge to the Principals’ Staff Committee: Charting a Course to 2025 and Beyond asked the Principals’ Staff Committee to report back to the Executive Council at their 2023 annual meeting with recommendations on how to best address and integrate new science and restoration strategies leading up to 2025.
View details2023 Blue Crab Advisory Report
Published on June 27, 2023 in ReportAnnual report published by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee that summarizes the results of the Winter Dredge Survey and harvest information, and provides management advice for the jurisdictions based on stock status.
View details2022 Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration Update
Published in ReportThis document includes details on large-scale oyster restoration, including acres of reef constructed and number of spat-on-shell planted, in Maryland and Virginia tributaries for calendar year 2022.
View details2022 Blue Crab Science Workshop Report
Published in ReportThis report summarizes discussions held at the Blue Crab Science Workshop in September 2022. Workshop discussions were focused on blue crab population drivers and stock assessment modeling to better understand the recent population declines and to prepare for the upcoming benchmark stock assessment.
View details2021 Outcome Attainability Documents
Published on December 13, 2021 in ReportOver the past year, the Chesapeake Bay Program assessed each outcome in its ability to attain its target. This assessment found that 11 outcomes are fully on track to meet their targets by 2025. On the other hand, several challenges were identified in meeting some outcomes (e.g., forest buffers, wetlands, 2025 Watershed Implementation Plans, tree canopy). These issues are now being discussed to determine the appropriate solutions that will accelerate progress. These documents include the original outcome language, current status, background information in how the outcome came to be included in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the baseline (if available) and data source. Information is updated as of November 18, 2021.
View detailsUnderstanding Chesapeake Bay Modeling Tools
Published in ReportThe Chesapeake Bay Program uses state-of-the art science and monitoring data to replicate conditions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This information is then used by decision-makers at the federal, state and local levels to determine how best to restore and protect local waterways, and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. By combining advanced modeling tools and real-world monitoring data, we gain a comprehensive view of the Chesapeake ecosystem—from the depths of the Bay to the upper reaches of the watershed.
View detailsCropland Irrigation BMP Expert Panel Report
Published on December 12, 2019 in ReportWQGIT approved final report from the Cropland Irrigation Expert Panel.
View detailsBay Barometer: Health and Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (2018-2019)
Published in ReportThe data in Bay Barometer reflect the Chesapeake Bay’s health over the course of many years and, in some cases, decades. The publication offers a snapshot of the best available information from 2018 and 2019 on ecological health and our efforts to protect and restore the nation’s largest estuary, as well as our progress toward achieving the goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.
View detailsWetland Rehabilitation, Enhancement and Creation BMP expert panel report
Published on March 18, 2020 in ReportThe Wetland Workgroup approved the formation of this expert panel to evaluate the effectiveness of nontidal wetland best management practices (BMPs) to reduce loads of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment to the Chesapeake Bay. This panel was formed to expand on the CBP-approved report by a previous Wetland Expert Panel that clarified the wetland restoration BMP and established two nontidal wetland land uses in the Phase 6 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model (WEP, 2016).
The current panel first convened in November 2017 and deliberated its approach and recommendations over the subsequent months. This report describes the panel’s recommendations for review, feedback and approval under the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Protocol for the Development, Review, and Approval of Loading and Effectiveness Estimates for Nutrient and Sediment Controls in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Model, or “BMP Review Protocol.”
The expert panel worked diligently to articulate BMP efficiencies for wetland creation, rehabilitation and enhancement with respect to the available literature and the CBP-approved wetland restoration BMP. As with wetland restoration, the recommended wetland creation BMP is simulated as a land use change that also reduces upland loads using the above efficiency value. The recommended wetland rehabilitation BMP is not a land use change, but the efficiency is applied to upland land uses. Further details for how the BMPs will be reported for progress runs and simulated in the Watershed Model are provided in Appendix B. As explained in section 5, the panel recommends that wetland enhancement should not be a BMP for purposes of achieving nutrient and sediment reduction targets under the TMDL, as simulated in the Watershed Model.