Program Manager: W. Brock Durig, (410) 293-1025 (mailto:durig@gwmail.usna.edu)

The Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), established in 1983 by the signing of the first Chesapeake Bay Agreement, is a unique voluntary partnership between Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, the tri-state legislative Chesapeake Bay Commission, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) representing the Federal government. One of the nation's premier ecosystem restoration and management efforts, the Chesapeake Bay Program focuses on North America's largest estuary and its watershed and airshed.

    The Chesapeake Bay Program relies on wide public support of its goals in carrying out its multi-faceted missions; it employs methods that go beyond environmental laws and regulations by stressing voluntary compliance, strong commitments, and measurable goals. The Program addresses:

- the prevention and abatement of pollution;

- the conservation and restoration of habitat, fish and wildlife;

- the enhancement of public access to the Bay and its tributaries;

- public education; and 

- the overall health of the Bay and its watershed.

    The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is the land area drained by all the rivers and streams that flow into the Bay. The watershed extends 64,000 square miles and includes over 2,010 miles of stream. There are nearly 1.6 million acres of Federally-owned lands within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, much of this land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The Naval Academy is dedicated to the Chesapeake Bay Program and the commitments that were identified in the second Chesapeake Bay Agreement in1987. The Naval Academy has participated in many programs that fall under the Chesapeake Bay Program.

    In the state of Maryland, ten Tributary Teams were created to work cooperatively to meet the overall Baywide forty percent reduction goal for nitrogen and phosphorus by the year 2000. The teams also provide a mechanism for ongoing State/local coordination and cooperation. A major focus of the teams' efforts is controlling nutrient pollution from farm fields and horse pastures, wastewater treatment plants, construction and road building activities and hundreds of thousands of suburban properties. The Naval Academy is a member of the Lower Western Shore Tributary Team. 

    The Department of Defense objectives for the Chesapeake Bay Program can be summarized into two areas: Nutrient and Toxic Reduction, and Land and Resource Management. Programs to help meet these goals are summarized below. 

    In order to help achieve both nutrient reduction and habitat restoration goals of the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Naval Academy has contributed toward is the creation of forested (riparian) buffers along streams. Nearly 800 trees have been planted along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries since 1996.

    Water quality monitoring was begun in June 1997 and will continue every year. Testing is done April - October. Sampling will determine whether water quality of the Severn and several nearby creeks is consistently good enough to restore submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). This SAV provides habitat for crabs, fish and benthic organisms.

    Various land management practices are used at the Naval Academy. Bayscaping is accomplished by planting native plants in new landscaping because they are hardy, noninvasive, and provide habitat. A reduction in mowing contributes to a reduction in toxics both in any runoff and air emissions. 

    The Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program has many different initiatives that reduce toxics. Oil water separators have been installed in specific drains throughout the Naval Academy. "Chesapeake Bay Drainage - Do not dump" signs are being painting on nearly all the storm drains.