Gov. Wes Moore on mission to reduce pollution in Chesapeake Bay

BALTIMORE - Official efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay have been ongoing since 1983. But new research may turn the tide in Maryland's fight to save the Bay. 

At the WYE Island Natural Resource Management area on Thursday, Governor Wes Moore signed an executive order creating a new governor's council on the Chesapeake and coastal Bay's watershed – made up of state, local, and federal agencies.

"This today will mark a new approach in the way that the state of Maryland will preserve the Bay," said Moore. 

The move is impelled by the findings of a May 2023 report by the federal Chesapeake Bay program.

"That we have made tremendous progress over the last four years, but that progress is not done, that it's been uneven," said Moore. "That we haven't been led by the science the way that we needed to."

While the report showed some progress in reducing two key pollutants: nitrogen and phosphorus, restoration efforts have barely moved the needle when it comes to water quality - the litmus test for the overall health of the bay.

Alison Colden is the Maryland executive director of the non-profit Chesapeake Bay foundation, which has closely monitored Bay health for years. 

"Bay restoration has been going on for more than 40 years now and over those four decades we've learned a lot about what has worked and what hasn't," said Colden.

Their most recent 'State of the Bay report' gave the bay a D+ for health -- the score has not changed since 2020. 

Colden calls the governor's change of tactics 'encouraging.'

"Whether that's reinvesting in our restoration policies targeting restoration efforts in areas where they will be most effective," Colden said.

The report recommends Maryland focus its restoration efforts on key areas such as shallow water habitats – which are most likely to show improvement.

Moore said saving the bay is still possible -- through collaboration, driven by data.

"This administration is going to use the science to study and build an approach that's actually going to support the bay," said Moore. 

The report also recommends concentrating efforts to restore wetlands and other habitats lost because of pollution, to help Bay wildlife bounce back. 

One way is through living shorelines like the one at Thomas Point park in Annapolis. 

You can read the full report here.