WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Largest estuary in the U.S., rich and complex ecosystem fed by waters stretching from Virginia to New York, key nursery for fish and shellfish, commercial fishery, a globally important resource.
THE THREAT
SELC is assisting in overseeing the state and federal agencies charged with developing and implementing restoration plans for the Bay, which continues to suffer from pollution from air, land, and water.
Decades of pollution, overfishing, and other problems have pushed the nation’s largest estuary to the brink of survival. Populations of blue crabs, oysters, and other species vital to commercial fisheries have plummeted to historic lows. When it became clear that some states would fail to meet a 2010 deadline for addressing the bay’s water quality challenges, EPA took charge of the process. It will now manage the development and implementation of water restoration plans that will provide a roadmap for the cleanup of pollution in all of the bay’s many watersheds and from all sources. SELC is assisting in overseeing the state and federal agencies charged with developing and implementing these plans. Our goal is to make certain that these plans are based on sound data and analysis and will succeed in bringing the bay back to health.
