Chesapeake Bay & Watershed Report Card 2020

This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. Since 2016, UMCES has engaged stakeholders throughout the watershed to transform the report card into an evaluation of the Chesapeake Watershed health. Watershed health includes traditional ecosystem indicators, but also social, economic, and cultural indicators. This is the second year the watershed has been scored, and four new indicators have been added. Additional indicators are being researched for use in the next report card.

Overall, the Chesapeake Watershed scored 64%, a B-. There were four aquatic indicators, one terretrial indicator, and four societal indicators.

Overall, Chesapeake Bay scored 45% in 2020, which improved slightly since 2019. Despite low scores in 2020, long-term trends are still showing improvement.

To see learn more about the report card and indicator scores, visit chesapeakebayreportcard.org

Keywords: Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Bay Health, Watershed Health, Aquatic, Terrestrial, Societal, Report Card, environment, ecosystem, walkability, heat vulnerability index, social index, protected lands, stewardship, benthic community, water quality