University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

Integration and Application Network

Communicate Better, Empower Change

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A report card for the Upper Rio Grande basin

This is the first Upper Rio Grande Report Card. It is the collective effort of dozens of stakeholders throughout the Upper Rio Grande watershed. Indicators in the report card were selected to assess the health of four different values in the watershed: Water Quantity & Quality, Management & Governance, Society & Culture, and Landscapes & Ecology. Overall, the Upper Rio Grande watershed earned a score of 54%, a C.

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Building Resilience in the Maryland Coastal Bays

The theme of this 2022 State of the Coastal Bays is building ecological resilience in the region. The structure of the State of the Coastal Bays is to 1) establish the challenge of climate change, 2) discuss various aspects of ecosystem health, 3) conceptualize key features and major threats and highlight features that increase health and resilience, and 4) discuss various aspects of resilience.

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2021 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card

Overall, the Chesapeake Watershed scored 56%, a C+. There were three ecological indicators, four economic indicators, and four societal indicators. Overall, Chesapeake Bay scored 50%, a C in 2021, which improved slightly since 2020. Long-term trends are still showing improvement for the overall Bay and four other regions, while one region is showing a declining trend. This is the third year the watershed has been scored, and four new economic indicators have been added.

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2021 Maryland Coastal Adaptation Report Card

The first-ever Maryland Coastal Adaptation Report Card was just released! This assessment is the first of its kind and examines how Maryland has and will adapt to oncoming and ongoing coastal changes. Overall, Maryland receives a B- in coastal adaptation.