The Chesapeake Bay Foundation today released its 2010 State of the Bay Report which concludes that there is good news and bad. The Chesapeake Bay is showing encouraging signs of rebounding but is still in critical condition as a result of pollution. The numeric index of the Bay’s health jumped three points from 2008 to 2010, with eight of 13 indicators rising. The indicator for the health of the blue crab population spiked 15 points, as the Bay’s population increased significantly last year. Also, underwater grasses showed steady progress for the fourth year in a row. But the overall health index of the Bay is 31 out of 100, which means it is still a system dangerously out of balance.
As today’s RTD reports, under the agreement reached between the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in May 201o, EPA is expected to issue a clean up plan for the Bay this week. Virginia submitted its plan last month.