Chesapeake Bay Agreement (1983)
The first Chesapeake Bay Agreement was drafted following studies focused on
the decline of bay grass populations and its causes highlighting the need to
“improve and protect the water quality and living resources of the
Chesapeake Bay estuarine system”. Read More Back to top
Chesapeake Bay Agreement (1987)
The second agreement expanded the original agreement to include several new
specific goals including:
Reduction and control of point and non-point source nutrient pollution
in an effort to improve water quality enough to support healthy populations
Development of a strategy to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous
entering the mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay by 40%
Development of the elements of habitat necessary to support living
resources (restoration, enhancement, and protection of bay grasses was a
priority under this initiative)
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Management Policy (1989)
The SAV workgroup of the Chesapeake Bay Program developed this policy to
protecting existing beds, set water quality objectives suitable to support
bay grasses, and set bay grass restoration goals. An Implementation Plan
based on these goals was drafted in 1990 to ensure that the goals put forth
in the policy were attained. Read More Back to top
Chesapeake Bay Agreement Signed (2000)
As a result of significant losses in bay grass acreage, one component of the Chesapeake 2000 Bay Agreement specified the restoration of 114,000 acres of
bay grasses.
