Chesapeake Bay health grade falls to 'D-plus'

| Back | Text Size:

https://triblive.com/news/world/chesapeake-bay-health-grade-falls-to-d-plus/

Chesapeake Bay health grade falls to 'D-plus'

Associated Press | Monday, January 7, 2019 1:30 a.m.

Debris washed into Maryland waters from record rainfall accumulates around a sailboat in Annapolis, Md., on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2018.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — An annual report on the Chesapeake Bay says pollution from unusually heavy rains last year contributed to the first decline in a decade in the overall health of the nation’s largest estuary.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation President Will Baker said Monday the bay “suffered a massive assault last year,” when large amounts of debris were flushed into the bay, mostly from Pennsylvania. The bay’s grade sank from C-minus to D-plus, which is the first decline of a grade in a decade.

But Baker says there is some good news. He says the bay appears to be developing resilience that may help it overcome long-term damage.

The 2018 State of the Bay report says bay grasses remain intact. Additionally, recent studies show an improving trend in underwater dead zones.

Email Newsletters