CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The health of the Chesapeake Bay is monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency through the Chesapeake Bay Program. The Chesapeake Bay Program released a progress report Thursday.
News 3 caught up with folks who walked along the shoreline in Norfolk's Ocean View Friday. Several people said they typically picked up trash along the water as they walked. One person said he made the effort because he worries about pollution in the area in which he lives and enjoys.
But the cleanup efforts of the Bay are not left only to concerned passersby. Various groups clean the shorelines and others work to address pollutants in the water like nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment that come from all over the watershed.
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"There are sources from sewage treatment plants. There are sources from developed lands, from turf, grass fertilizer from people's lawns, as well as agriculture," said Joe Wood, Virginia Senior Scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "Really the whole watershed contributes some level of pollution, but those buckets are fairly substantial."
So, why do the groups raise concerns when they see high levels of those elements?
"They drive an unsustainable growth of algae, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous, and they bloom really, really quickly. And then these large, massive algae blooms die and sink to the bottom. They basically suck the oxygen out of the water as a result. That's really damaging to fisheries and wildlife, oysters, crabs, striped bass. Many of the things that we care about, that we enjoy, about the Chesapeake Bay are degraded as a result," said Wood.
"Sediment similarly causes problems here. Sediment can smother the bottom lands. It can create poor water clarity and sunlight can't penetrate to support underwater grasses. And underwater grasses are critical for habitat for many, many different species that live in the area."
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Virginia and neighboring states signed a Watershed Agreement to clean up the Bay. It has a 2025 deadline and several ambitious goals. The latest EPA report shows cleanup efforts over the decades have yielded mixed results.
The report shows a slight improvement from previous years, saying there's slightly more dissolved oxygen which can lead to a smaller dead zone. But the report also shows more than two thirds of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers and streams did not meet clean water standards between 2020 and 2022.
"There's a clear sign we still have challenges. There's too much pollution still reaching the bay, and the bay is still degraded as a result of that pollution," commented Wood.
While there's work to be done, Wood said local governments, farmers, businesses and other groups have come together to install best management practices that have been helping move the needle.
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There's a new assessment tool too, a Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load Indicator, that's expected to help track restoration efforts and narrow in on what's working.
"It's not just how hard we're trying, but also what worked and what didn't work. And I think this new tool that they've put out is really going to help advance restoration initiatives throughout the watershed," said Wood.
Wood added, for him, all the effort's worth it as the Bay is important for Virginia's economy, ecology, and resilience.
"Personally, I think the Chesapeake Bay is one of the most special places in the world. I think many people in our region feel that way," said Wood. "I mean, a clean Chesapeake Bay is one of the great things about Virginia, you know, and it provides a number of different benefits, whether it's seafood or wildlife or oysters. Also healthy grasses and healthy oyster reefs are good for resilience," said Wood.
Despite progress, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation doesn't believe the states in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement will meet the commitments to reduce pollution by the 2025 deadline. A committee hopes to update the agreement by the end of the year, including new deadlines. That will be discussed by some of the region's leaders at the Chesapeake Executive Council meeting on Dec. 10.
