This companion document to the report card contains information about data sources for all indicators, summary of analysis methods, and scoring details for each of the six America’s Watershed Initiative goals, and for two watershed wide indicators. Additional information regarding the goals is included to provide greater detail and discussion than is possible in the report card document.

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The Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers (CSCs) and their managing organization, the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center at the U.S. Geological Survey, have chosen the emerging climate science field of Ecological Drought as a research focus area. This newsletter highlights the outcomes of a two-day workshop held in Fairbanks, Alaska, as part of a series of meetings at each of the nation’s eight CSCs.

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This poster outlines the project objectives and goals, three areas of focus, and requests input from nontraditional monitoring groups.

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This poster illustrates some results from work on a climate change resilience index for Chesapeake Bay. One aspect analyzed in the index was coastal wetland resilience to sea level rise. Overall, coastal wetlands currently have good resilience but under future sea level rise rates coastal wetlands will have moderate to very poor resilience.

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The Report Card measured six broad goals for America's Watershed - Ecosystems, Flood Control & Risk Reduction, Transportation, Water Supply, Economy, and Recreation. The Report Card Measures how well we are currently meeting each one of these goals, using real data and relevant information that was identified by experts in these fields. Over time, as we adapt our management strategies for the Mississippi River Watershed, the Report Card can track progress in achieving objectives.

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This report card provides a transparent, timely, and geographically detailed assessment of Chesapeake Bay. In 2014, the report card includes five water quality indicators and two biotic indicators. In 2014, the overall grade for Chesapeake Bay is a 50%, a C. This means the Bay is in moderate health. A fisheries index and climate change resilience index as well as trajectories of reporting region health are also presented. For further details, visit the Report Card website.

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The Inner Hempstead Harbor report card is part of a larger effort to assess Long Island Sound health on an annual basis. The Long Island Sound and embayment report cards provide a picture of overall health. Bringing embayment report cards together with the Long Island Sound report card communicates a complete picture of ecosystem health in the area. The report card provides a geographically specific assessment of annual Inner Hempstead Harbor ecosystem health for 2013.

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The Long Island Sound Report Card was developed through a collaborative effort between the staff at the Long Island Sound Study and their Science and Technical Advisory Committee, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and New York Department of Environmental Conservation. The Sound was divided into 5 reporting regions; western and eastern narrows, western, central, and eastern Long Island Sound.

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The Norwalk Harbor report card is part of a larger effort to assess Long Island Sound health on an annual basis. The Long Island Sound and embayment report cards will provide a picture of overall health. Bringing embayment report cards together with the Long Island Sound report card communicates a complete picture of ecosystem health in the area. The report card provides a geographically specific assessment of annual Norwalk Harbor ecosystem health for 2013.

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Report cards are useful assessment tools and have been widely used to inspire and endorse changes. They have paved the way to new legislation, improved longitudinal data collection systems, established new professional partnerships, and inspired reforms on community-wide and national scales. With the abundance of report cards available, it is beneficial to compare reporting styles and critique data collection methods and dissemination strategies across the board.

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