Acreage of Underwater Grasses in the Chesapeake Bay Declines for Second Straight Year
Rachel Felver, Chesapeake Bay Program • August 17, 2021
Despite decrease, experts see a glimmer of hope for the future of Bay grasses
One of the most important elements in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem is also its most overlooked. While blue crabs, rockfish or waterfowl may immediately come to mind, none of these creatures are able to survive without the help of underwater grasses. Bay grasses provide habitat and food for the Chesapeake’s crabs, fish species, and small invertebrates (e.g., sea slugs, sponges).
Underwater grasses help us too — they keep the water clean by absorbing excess nutrients that enter the Chesapeake and reduce erosion by anchoring the sediment on the Bay’s floor and softening waves that break along the shoreline.
But our Bay grasses are in trouble. In 2020, aerial surveys showed a preliminary 62,169 acres across the Chesapeake. This is a 42% decrease from only two years ago, when it was estimated that the Bay supported 108,078 acres.
Underwater grasses provide an excellent measure of the Bay’s health, as they respond rapidly to changes in water quality. They require abundant sunlight to grow, so water must be clear enough for it to reach the bottom of the Bay. When pollution or excess sediment clouds the water, the grasses are unable to grow and reproduce.
Climate change is also adversely affecting the Bay’s grass beds. Higher water temperatures and extreme weather — more frequent, stronger storms and droughts — threaten their growth and survival. Experts believe these are the causes for the continued decline of widgeon grass — which is referred to as a “boom and bust” species, because it responds rapidly to changes in water quality and extreme weather. The largest decline of grasses over one total area of the Bay in 2020 occurred in the moderately salty waters near Tangier Sound, the mouth of the Choptank River, and in the Little Choptank River. Widgeon grass is highly prevalent in these areas and it is believed that an estimated 5,684 acres of grasses disappeared.
The news isn’t all bad. While there was a large decline of grasses between 2018 and 2019, it is estimated that there was only a 7% decline between 2019 and 2020. Chris Patrick, head of the Chesapeake Bay SAV Monitoring and Restoration Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, notes that, “while the 7% decline is disappointing, the silver lining is that the 2020 survey shows that underwater grasses are stabilizing following the losses experienced in the middle Bay in 2019.”
The abundance of grasses in areas of the Bay with either fresh or very salty waters actually increased in 2020, from 17,618 to 18,478 acres, and 11,975 to 13,228 acres, respectively. Grasses in the middle Bay — in slightly and moderately salty waters — continued to decline for a second straight year, falling from 9,029 to 8,086 acres, and 28,061 to 22,377 acres, respectively.
So, how can you help restore the grasses at home? There are lots of different ways!
- If you live on a tidal tributary of the Bay, or the Chesapeake itself, do not rip out or mow your grasses.
- If you are a boater, make sure to slow down and trim your motor when you are navigating through a grass bed.
- Help experts collect data on underwater grasses by becoming a Chesapeake Bay SAV Watcher. This community science-based program asks volunteers to document everything from the types of underwater grass species they see to the presence of shoreline erosion.
- Do your part to help minimize pollution that may enter the Bay. Recycle, use Bay-friendly pesticides and fertilizers, plant trees to reduce erosion and make sure your home’s downspouts drain onto grass or gravel to lessen stormwater runoff. For more ways to help, check out our How-To’s and Tips.
Rachel Felver is the Director of Communications for the Chesapeake Bay Program. After obtaining her masters' in environmental policy and management from the University of Pittsburgh, she spent almost nine years with the Environmental Protection Agency before a stint with the National Aquarium.
Under the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the Chesapeake Bay Program is working to restore and sustain 185,000 acres of the Bay’s grass beds. Progress toward this goal is measured by meeting a target of 130,000 acres by 2025. Visit ChesapeakeProgress for the most up-to-date information on how we are doing in meeting this important target.
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.
The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.
Apparently, some people think that the GOP’s “big beautiful bill” is a foregone conclusion, and that the struggle over the budget and Trump’s agenda is over and done. Not true. On Sunday night, the bill — given the alternate name “Big Bad Bullsh*t Bill” by the Democratic Women’s Caucus — was voted out of the House Budget Committee. The GOP plan is to pass this legislation in the House before Memorial Day. But that’s not the end of it. As Jessica Craven explained in her Chop Wood Carry Water column: “Remember, we have at least six weeks left in this process. The bill has to: Pass the House, Then head to the Senate where it will likely be rewritten almost completely, Then be passed there, Then be brought back to the House for reconciliation, And then, if the House changes that version at all, Go back to the Senate for another vote.” She adds, “Every step of that process is a place for us to kill it.” The bill is over a thousand pages long, and the American people will not get a chance to read it until it has passed the House. But, thanks to 5Calls , we know it includes:
Let's talk about our Eastern Shore Delegation, the representatives who are supposed to fight for our nine Shore counties in Annapolis, and what they actually got up to this session.
For the first time in recent memory, Virginia Democrats have candidates running in all 100 House of Delegates districts — a milestone party leaders and grassroots organizers say reflects rising momentum as President Donald Trump’s second term continues to galvanize opposition.
The 447th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly adjourned on April 8. This End of Session Report highlights the work Shore Progress has done to fight for working families and bring real results home to the Shore. Over the 90-day session, lawmakers debated 1,901 bills and passed 878 into law. Shore Progress and members supported legislation that delivers for the Eastern Shore, protecting our environment, expanding access to housing and healthcare, strengthening workers’ rights, and more. Shore Progress Supported Legislation By The Numbers: Over 60 pieces of our backed legislation were passed. Another 15 passed in one Chamber but not the other. Legislation details are below, past the budget section. The 2026 Maryland State Budget How We Got Here: Maryland’s budget problems didn’t start overnight. They began under Governor Larry Hogan. Governor Hogan expanded the state budget yearly but blocked the legislature from moving money around or making common-sense changes. Instead of fixing the structural issues, Hogan used federal covid relief funds to hide the cracks and drained our state’s savings from $5.5 billion to $2.3 billion to boost his image before leaving office. How Trump/Musk Made It Worse: Maryland is facing a new fiscal crisis driven by the Trump–Musk administration, whose trade wars, tariff policies, and deep federal cuts have hit us harder than most, costing the state over 30,000 jobs, shuttering offices, and erasing promised investments. A University of Maryland study estimates Trump’s tariffs alone could cost us $2 billion, and those federal cuts have already added $300 million to our budget deficit. Covid aid gave us a short-term boost and even created a fake surplus under Hogan, but that money is gone, while housing, healthcare, and college prices keep rising. The Trump–Musk White House is only making things worse by slashing funding, gutting services, and eliminating research that Marylanders rely on. How The State Budget Fixes These Issues: This year, Maryland faced a $3 billion budget gap, and the General Assembly fixed it with a smart mix of cuts and fair new revenue, while protecting working families, schools, and health care. The 2025 Budget cuts $1.9 billion ($400 million less than last year) without gutting services people rely on. The General Assembly raised $1.2 billion in fair new revenue, mostly from the wealthiest Marylanders. The Budget ended with a $350 million surplus, plus $2.4 billion saved in the Rainy Day Fund (more than 9% of general fund revenue), which came in $7 million above what the Spending Affordability Committee called for. The budget protects funding for our schools, health care, transit, and public workers. The budget delivers real wins: $800 million more annually for transit and infrastructure, plus $500 million for long-term transportation needs. It invests $9.7 billion in public schools and boosts local education aid by $572.5 million, a 7% increase. If current revenue trends hold, no new taxes will be needed next session. Even better, 94% of Marylanders will see a tax cut or no change, while only the wealthiest 5% will finally pay their fair share. The tax system is smarter now. We’re: Taxing IT and data services like Texas and D.C. do; Raising taxes on cannabis and sports betting, not groceries or medicine; and Letting counties adjust income taxes. The budget also restores critical funding: $122 million for teacher planning $15 million for cancer research $11 million for crime victims $7 million for local business zones, and Continued support for public TV, the arts, and BCCC The budget invests in People with disabilities, with $181 million in services Growing private-sector jobs with $139 million in funding, including $27.5 million for quantum tech, $16 million for the Sunny Day Fund, and $10 million for infrastructure loans. Health care is protected for 1.5 million Marylanders, with $15.6 billion for Medicaid and higher provider pay. Public safety is getting a boost too, with $60 million for victim services, $5.5 million for juvenile services, and $5 million for parole and probation staffing. This budget also tackles climate change with $100 million for clean energy and solar projects, and $200 million in potential ratepayer relief. Public workers get a well-deserved raise, with $200 million in salary increases, including a 1% COLA and ~2.5% raises for union workers. The ultra-wealthy will finally chip in to pay for it: People earning over $750,000 will pay more, Millionaires will pay 6.5%, and Capital gains over $350,000 get a 2% surcharge. Deductions are capped for high earners, but working families can still deduct student loans, medical debt, and donations. This budget is bold, fair, and built to last. That’s why Shore Progress proudly supports it. Click on the arrows below for details in each section.
