Water Quality

The overarching water-quality goal stated in the Chesapeake Action Plan is to: “Achieve and maintain the water quality necessary to support the aquatic living resources of the Bay and its tributaries and to protect human health”.

The Chesapeake 2000 agreement had a commitment to: “correct nutrient- and sediment-related problems in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries sufficiently to remove the Bay and tidal portion of tributaries from the list of impaired waters under the Clean Water Act.”

Water-quality standards for dissolved oxygen, water clarity, and chlorophyll have been established for the Bay. The amount of nutrient and sediment reduction needed to meet the water-quality standards was determined and allocated to each State in the watershed and the District of Columbia. Each jurisdiction has developed river-specific cleanup strategies, known as tributary strategies, detailing activities that need to be implemented to reduce the amount of nutrients and sediment delivered to the Bay.

See the decision boxes and links below for more information on objectives and strategies for water quality.

Review Objectives and Strategies for restoration (reducing nutrients): Review the CBP water-quality goal, Review dashboard with a summary and status of implementation of nutrient and sediment pollution practices, Review the nutrient and sediment allocations for each state and basin, Review state tributary strategies to address nutrients and sediment, Based on outcomes of COAST process, assess if objectives, strategies, and practices need to be adjusted.

Learn More:

• An overview of water-quality standards and supporting information for the tributary strategies
• Information about restoring water quality
• Understand the major source sectors to reduce nutrients, sediment, and contaminants

Watersheds

Maintaining the heath of forests and others lands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed will help provide water quality benefits to the Bay and the health of streams in the watershed. The primary CBP goals for maintaining healthy watersheds include:

• Preserving valuable resource lands (forests and wetlands),
• Minimizing conversion of forests, wetlands, and working farms,
• Minimize impacts on pre-development hydrology

Review Objectives and Strategies for protecting lands: Review the CBP goal to maintain healthy watersheds and the CBP Directive 06-1: Protecting Forests of the Chesapeake Bay watershed Review the State forest conservation goals to protect water quality Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania Based on outcomes of COAST process, assess if objectives, strategies, and practices need to be adjusted.