MARYLAND— Significant strides are being made across Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia in tackling the nutrient and sediment pollution issues in the Chesapeake Bay, as revealed by the latest data from the Chesapeake Bay Program.
According to the program, under the stringent guidelines of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (Bay TMDL), these jurisdictions are on a mission to implement practices by 2025 that will curtail nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution to meet the Bay's water quality standards.
From the baseline year of 2009 to 2023, the following reductions have been recorded:
Nitrogren: A decrease of 17%, from 297.8 million pounds to 247.6 million pounds, achieving 57% of the 2025 target.
Phosphorus: A decrease of 17%, from 17.2 million pounds to 14.2 million pounds, achieving 67% of the 2025 target.
Sediment: A decrease of 6%, from 18.9 billion pounds to 17.8 billion pounds, already meeting the 2025 target completely.
The program says the agricultural sector accounted for 43% of the nitrogen reductions and 26% of phosphorus reductions between 2022 and 2023. Meanwhile, the wastewater sector was responsible for 53% of nitrogen reductions and a significant 67% of phosphorus reductions.
As for state specifics, the Chesapeake Bay Program says Delaware has reached partial goals but fell short in meeting its 2023 targets. Maryland excelled in phosphorus and sediment targets but lagged slightly in nitrogen. Virginia shows strong progress, especially in sediment reduction.
Suzanne Trevena, Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program Water Quality Goal Implementation Team, emphasized, "We strive to build upon our current successes, focus on effective strategies, and explore innovative actions to meet and sustain our water quality goals."
The excess of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment contributes to poor water quality by fostering harmful algae blooms and creating "dead zones" that deplete oxygen levels, severely affecting marine life. Sediment pollution also harms underwater grasses essential for aquatic life.