Chesapeake Bay Foundation releases statement on bay water quality

There’s mixed news for the Chesapeake Bay. A new federal analysis shows some progress in cutting pollution — but not nearly enough to restore the health of the Bay anytime soon.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program released its latest findings yesterday. The report shows that while slightly less pollution is flowing in from major rivers, overall water quality in the Bay has stayed about the same.

The review also looked at whether states are meeting commitments under the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint — a legal agreement designed to cut nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution. The verdict: progress has been slow, and states are on track to miss the 2025 cleanup deadline.

Bay states and federal partners are now rewriting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, due by the end of 2025. But environmental advocates say the current draft doesn’t go far enough. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is calling for stronger accountability, clearer targets for water and wildlife, and more monitoring stations to track real water quality improvements. They also want one uniform deadline — 2035 — for all cleanup goals, with progress checks every two years.

There is one bright spot. Conditions in Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River — the Bay’s single largest freshwater source — are improving across the board. That’s encouraging, says the Foundation’s Senior Policy Director Keisha Sedlacek, but overall efforts remain far too slow.

At the current pace, she warns, it could take more than 300 years for the Bay to fully meet clean water standards.

Advocates say pollution doesn’t respect state borders, and they’re urging leaders across the region to strengthen the new agreement before it’s finalized next year.