The Stormwater Report

According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF; Annapolis, Maryland), stormwater runoff is the only major source of pollution still on the rise in the 166,000-km2 (64,000-mi2) Chesapeake Bay watershed. As development continues across the six U.S. states touched by bay tributaries, runoff from paved, urban centers annually contributes immense amounts of nutrients, heavy metals, and […]

With next-generation technology appearing in more and more parts of water resource recovery facilities, a new partnership in Maryland is considering an interesting question: Can implementing technology directly in retention ponds and other control features lead to more effective stormwater management? Making retention ponds smarter Typical stormwater retention ponds accept large volumes of water during […]

In 2017, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP; Annapolis, Md.) recorded 42,448 ha (104,893 ac) of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) throughout the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, marking the first year the bay’s SAV surpassed 100,000 acres since CBP began conducting annual surveys in 1984. Results from CBP’s 2018 investigation, published in July, suggest that Chesapeake […]

Despite slight improvements to the Chesapeake Bay’s dissolved oxygen concentration, underwater grass growth, and shoreside green spaces during the last 2 years, scientists monitoring the largest estuary in the U.S. graded the bay’s overall health as a D+ in their 2018 State of the Bay Report. The assessment, published every other year by the Chesapeake […]

The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance (COA), a new coalition of non-profit groups, corporations, and universities in Virginia and Maryland, are working together to achieve a lofty goal: introduce 10 billion new oysters into the Chesapeake Bay by 2025. As oyster larvae grow, their shells accumulate algae and sediment from their surroundings. According to the Chesapeake Bay […]

To help lower monthly stormwater fees and the capacity for runoff generation at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C., the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington (D.C.) has partnered with the D.C./Maryland chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC; Bethesda, Md.) to build more than $1.5 million of green stormwater infrastructure on the property. In 2013, DC […]

Chesapeake Bay, the third-largest estuary in the world, has a chronic nutrient pollution problem. In 2010, gradual runoff pollution from more than 13.6 million people living in the watershed grew to national concern, prompting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set strict total maximum daily load (TMDL) regulations limiting nutrient emissions. Meeting those regulatory […]

In Chesapeake Bay this year, the amount of algae that will decay will render a stretch of water approximately equal to the volume of 2.3 million Olympic-sized swimming pools unable to support life. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and local partners in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, […]

In its latest effort to preserve and improve the health of vital waterways, the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Environmental Protection Agency will bestow grants totaling over $800,000 to 17 organizations from Pennsylvania to Southern Virginia through the partnership’s annual “Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns” (G3) program. The grant, which funds implementation of projects […]

In April, the CITGO Chesapeake Terminal in Chesapeake, Va., earned its fourth Sustained Distinguished Performance Award from the Elizabeth River Project, a nonprofit that leads community environmental restoration efforts along the river. Since partnering with the Elizabeth River Project in 2004, the CITGO Chesapeake Terminal has completed numerous environmental projects to achieve Model Level status, […]