The Problem of the Chesapeake Bay

It is well known that many of the restorative efforts being used today for the Chesapeake Bay watershed are failing. What is happening? Why is it that we spend millions of dollars to protect this important natural resource and yet no goals are being accomplished? Why do efforts never meet the set deadlines? Should we choose the well being of the Bay over the well being of the people who live there? To me this is a personal issue as my family owns a summer cottage on the Potomac River, part of the Bay watershed. I know what it is like to feel a connection with the bounty of the Bay. The River is an important part of my childhood and it has made me into the person I am today. I am not willing to stand by and watch it be destroyed.

For the year 2008, the Bay received a report card grade of C-. Unfortunately, this is the same grade the Bay received in 2007. Although C- may not sound so bad, many areas of the Bay tested as separate sections received failing grades of D or lower. With as much time and money that the nation spends on the Bay and its restoration, we have not been seeing the desired effects over time. It is not only the Bay waters that are being affected. All of the biodiversity that lives in and around the Bay are harmed by the Bay’s situation. Many populations have severely declined due to human effects of pollution and overharvesting. Two of the most popular examples of this, both only found in the Chesapeake Bay region, are the Blue Crab and the Chesapeake Bay oyster.

The motto of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, “Save the Bay,” needs to become more than just something seen on bumper stickers. The Chesapeake Bay watershed touches parts of 6 states and Washington DC, and influences the lives of countless people. Even people who never see the Bay are affected by its degradation. Restoring the Bay to healthy levels is important for the people who currently live there, but also for the future generations who will hopefully know the same Bay that we know today. I hope that with the appointment of a new representative of the Bay in the Federal government, more goals will actually be accomplished and a change will be seen.