Environmental Economics

Having grown up in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, it's good the hear that it looks like years of effort to improve the Bay's water quality might be paying off:

Conditions may be "poor to moderate" in Chesapeake Bay but scientists still found a reason to celebrate.

America's largest estuary got a C (53%) on its health report card for 2015. That's its highest score in a non-drought year since 1992 and it represents the third year of consecutive growth, according to researchers at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

 

It's also one of the three highest scores since 1986. Only 1992 and 2002 scored as high or higher, but those were years of sustained droughts, meaning there was little runoff water to wash pollutants into the bay.

 

The continued improvement in the absence of a major drought suggests efforts to reduce pollution are paying off, said Bill Dennison, vice president for science applications at the center.

 

The annual survey of bay conditions compares seven indicators to scientific thresholds. Those indicators are combined into an overall health index represented as a percentage toward a broad set of ecosystem goals.

 

Water clarity increased from 2014 to 2015 along with prevalence of aquatic grasses, an important habitat for key species including blue crab and striped bass. Meanwhile, nitrogen and phosphorous pollution fell, researchers said.

 

Blue crab, bay anchovy and striped bass populations also grew from year to year, though they are not included in the score.