Did the 2018 Rains Drown the Bay's Progress?

We recorded 73 inches of rain here. Washington and Baltimore both had record years. Scientists waiting to see if record 2018 rainfall dampens Bay recovery in the Bay Journal. 

The water-fouling nutrients and sediment that were also flushed into the Bay by record-setting rainfall throughout the region will test the staying power of recent water quality improvements to the nation’s largest estuary.

At risk are improving trends for the Chesapeake’s fish-stressing “dead zone” and the restoration of its vital underwater grass beds and oyster populations.

Some cleanup efforts seemed to withstand the repeated downpours, but others faltered. Farmers struggled to plant pollution-absorbing cover crops, for instance.

It will be months before anyone can fully gauge the impact of higher-than-normal river flows that began flooding the Chesapeake in May and persisted through the rest of the year. August, September and November all set records for freshwater flows into the Bay, and December flows were running far above normal in its three largest tributaries, the Susquehanna, Potomac and James rivers.

The one thing about the higher flows is that it will cause the Bay to flush out faster. I suspect there will be some shorter term damage in the upper Bay, with excess freshwater and sediment having set back SAV and oysters, but a recovery will be rapid. It has been observed that high flow years generally lead to improved Striped Bass recruitment, so that's a positive.