"ANNAPOLIS, Md. — An environmental group gave the Chesapeake Bay watershed a D-plus grade in an evaluation released on Thursday — the same grade earned in its last report two years ago.
Efforts to restore the nation’s largest estuary are struggling to reduce agricultural pollution, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said in a news release on its State of the Bay report, which is released every two years. Polluted runoff is increasing amid inconsistent enforcement from government agencies, new development and climate change, the report said.
“While we’ve made significant progress, far too much pollution still reaches our waterways and climate change is making matters worse,” said Hilary Harp Falk, CBF’s president, adding that the organization is particularly concerned with blue crab populations.
The report was established in 1998 to create a comprehensive measure of the bay’s health. CBF scientists compile and examine data and information for 13 indicators in three categories: pollution, habitat and fisheries."
Brian Witte reports for the Associated Press January 5, 2023.
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