This document provides guidelines for the successful production of non-tidal stream health report cards. Specifically, this document develops clear and consistent protocols for the identification, collection, and analysis of indicators to be used by report card-producing organizations in Mid-Atlantic rivers and streams.

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Restoring and expanding coastal and estuarine habitat leads to increases in fish populations, which have a positive impact on the communities and the industries that depend on thriving and sustainable fisheries. This report makes a powerful case that investing in our nation’s coastlines and estuaries leads to healthy habitat and strong fisheries, which has a positive impact on the businesses and industries, both recreational and commercial, that need healthy fisheries to survive and thrive.

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This report card summarizes 2012 water quality in the Chester River, based on data collected by the Chester River Association and various partners. They collect data for five indicators: water clarity, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a. It examines the health of the river in both tidal and non-tidal regions, and provides information on what concerned stakeholders can do to help improve water quality.

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Changes in Maryland's climate system will likely have far-reaching impacts, most notably those associated with rising sea level, increasing temperatures, and changes in precipitation patterns. Acknowledging the increasing likelihood and magnitude of these impacts and their associated risks is necessary to protect both natural and man-made environments for years to come.

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Agriculture is the largest commercial industry in Maryland, employing about 350,000 people, on almost 13,000 farms covering two million acres. With increasing impacts of climate change, water management will become a larger concern, rising temperatures, carbon dioxide, and ozone will increase stress on nearly all crop and livestock species, and pests and diseases, such as soybean rust will likely plague farmers in the future.

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Following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, seven Oil Spill Commission Action (OSCA) commissioners released their first report in April 2012— Assessing Progress: Implementing the Recommendations of the National Oil Spill Commission . It provided recommendations for making offshore energy production safer, improving oil spill response, and addressing the impacts on people, economy and the environment.

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The participatory engagement of stakeholders is perhaps the most important component of the planning and development of an MPA. Meaningful engagement depends on the ability of practitioners to build a healthy, lasting, and trustful relationship with stakeholders, including local communities. The approaches described in this guidebook are intended to help practitioners navigate this process of stakeholder engagement.

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This is the fifth annual West & Rhode Rivers report card. It presents data and information on six different ecological health indicators. It also gives examples of what the public can do to improve health of the rivers.

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This report card is an assessment of the aquatic health of the Eastern Bay, Choptank, Miles, and Wye Rivers, and is based on data collected by the Midshore Riverkeeper scientists and Midshore Creekwatchers. It is the third annual report card which discusses the status of river health in the midshore during 2012 based on five different indicators.

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Old Woman Creek, on the south-central shore of Lake Erie, is one of Ohio’s few remaining examples of a natural estuary and is designated as a National Estuarine Research Reserve and a Ohio State Nature Preserve. It is the only Great Lakes freshwater estuary in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and is managed cooperatively by NOAA and the ODNR.

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