In the 2025 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, released by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), the health of the Bay declined in 2024, receiving a C grade (50%) due to extreme weather exacerbating pollution runoff. The watershed earned a C+ (57%), with a five-point drop from the previous year. Despite this setback, long-term trends indicate improvement since the 1980s, driven by restoration efforts.
The report highlights challenges linked to proposed federal budget cuts to agencies essential for Bay restoration, including the EPA and NOAA. Advocacy groups stress that the Bay’s health impacts 19 million people and that recent extreme weather is a warning of accelerating climate change. Long-term improvements in key ecological indicators have been achieved through community-led initiatives.
The release coincides with updated restoration goals under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, emphasizing the need for continued investment and collaboration among stakeholders. While ecological health is improving, societal issues like heat vulnerability and income inequality remain concerns. The report serves as both an assessment of progress and a call to action, emphasizing the necessity of ongoing cooperative efforts to restore and protect the Bay.
