University of Maryland: Chesapeake Bay gets C+ on latest report card

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Chesapeake Bay watershed received an overall grade of C+ on its latest report card, released Monday by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

The Chesapeake Bay health score improved slightly from 45 to 50 last year, for a grade of C, the report said.

The health of the bay is a reflection of what is happening across its six-state watershed, which includes Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

“This year’s report card is the first to include a range of economic, ecological, and societal factors to help assess progress in improving this vast human and natural system that is a major component of the quality of life for people in the region,” Dr. Peter Goodwin, president of UMCES, said in a news release.