Was 2011The Year the Bay Turned Around?

In an article in the Nation Geographic online, Dan Klotz argues that this may have been a critical year for the restoration of Chesapeake Bay. Did the Chesapeake Bay Turn the Corner in 2011?

His reasons?

In December, 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency introduced new caps for the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous that can enter the Chesapeake Bay. Promoted as a “pollution diet,” the new effort would reduce the amount of nitrogen entering the bay by 25 percent and the amount of phosphorous by 24 percent. In 2011, advocates beat back repeated attempts in Congress to defund this effort, and draft implementation plans for this pollution diet have now been submitted by those states in the Bay watershed along with the District of Columbia.

Last month, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission reacted to the most recent stock assessment for Atlantic menhaden and agreed that the amount of menhaden caught should be reduced by more than a third. This action will leave more fish in the water to rebuild vastly depleted populations—and thus increase the capacity of the fish to clean more of the Bay’s waters.

Both issues have been extensively covered here.  I'm less than convinced that the "pollution diet" will achieve the results promised for the costs proposed.  My guess is that it will achieve less and cost more.  That's not to say it will achieve nothing however.  I don't think anyone reasonable would predict an out come for the menhaden catch reduction, but there is a lot of hope that it will help cure the Bay's sick food webs.

I guess we'll find out in a few years...