Chesapeake Bay Report Card and Stream Health Newsletter

Report Card and Stream Health newslettersThe aim of this report card is to provide a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of 2008 Chesapeake Bay health. Three water quality and three biotic indicators are combined into one overarching Bay Health Index, which is presented as the report card score. The overall health of Chesapeake Bay was poor in 2008, obtaining a grade of C-. Health of the 15 individual reporting regions varied, ranging from B- (moderate-good) to F (very poor). Additionally, for the first time, scientists present a snapshot of ecological conditions in the freshwater streams and rivers that feed the Bay. This new stream health indicator is a first step in evaluating the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Bay-wide report card production is supported by Eco-Check, a NOAA-UMCES partnership. The stream health indicator newsletter was produced with Chesapeake Bay Program partners and the U.S. Geological Survey.