Chesapeake Bay: The Final Fantasy

Well, it appears that all the states in the Chesapeake Bay Compact put out their plans for the final five years of the Bay Clean Up (call it the Bay Diet, even though that refers more specfically to the nutrient reduction plans). Bolstering the Bay: Va., Md. release more plans to protect the Chesapeake Bay

Virginia and Maryland have released final details of the latest round of plans to protect and tidy the Chesapeake Bay.

Phase Three goals to improve the Bay’s health entail maintaining the agriculture practices from previous phases that will lead to reduced nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment in the bay.

Both sets of strategies, which were released on released Friday, include both states’ goals to achieve these reductions by the year 2025. The documents also take into consideration the effects of climate change and address plans to offset those effects that will be sustainable beyond that year.

Restoration aims include pollution reduction targets for agriculture, natural lands, septic, stormwater and wastewater and also takes into account the challenge of future needs due to both population and livestock growth.

In Maryland, Phase Three plans entail meeting pollution reduction goals through tree planting and streamside forest buffers to prevent pollutants from getting into waterways. There are also oyster reef restoration efforts and plans in both states.

Virginia’s document details 56 initiatives to support ongoing reduction goals, as well as implementation plans for each of the Commonwealth’s five river basins — Potomac River, Eastern Shore, Rappahannock River, York River, and James River — that drain into the bay. 

Delaware's Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

District of Columbia's Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake Bay
District Department of Energy and Environment

Maryland’s Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan to Restore Chesapeake Bay by 2025
Maryland Department of the Environment

Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan: New York Chemung and Susquehanna River Basins
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Pennsylvania Phase 3 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Commonwealth of Virginia Chesapeake Bay TMDL Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

West Virginia's Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load
West Virginia Conservation Agency

I tried to wade into Maryland's plan, but found that my tolerance for word salad has declined in retirement since I no longer get paid to read that kind of stuff, but I did note that Maryland considers its work on nutrient reduction basically complete. My up close and personal observations of the Bay suggest that probably isn't true. But I guess we'll see in five years or so.