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Priority Landscapes

Chesapeake Bay

Securing clean water and protecting critical habitats in our nation’s largest estuary.

View from the end of a boat looking into the Chesapeake Bay. A small red buoy sits on top of a seaweed covered crab trap. A blue bin containing silver fish sits next to it.
Fishing Boat on the Chesapeake Bay TNC works with fishermen and communities in the Chesapeake Bay. © Jason Houston

One for the Bay

Help support cleaner water, healthier habitat & more abundant life in the Chesapeake Bay.

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The Nature Conservancy is focused on conservation at the scale of entire ecosystems. As North America’s largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay’s watershed—the area of land that feeds all the water draining into it—covers approximately 64,000 square miles and includes thousands of streams and rivers across six states and the District of Columbia.

Much of the Chesapeake Bay’s watershed lies within the Appalachians—another priority landscape for TNC. Due to their importance in tackling climate change and protecting biodiversity, we are committed to conserving these two globally important landscapes in this critical decade. And in order to succeed, we need your partnership and support.

Map of the Chesapeake Bay watershed showing an area that span the Appalachian Mountain range from New York to Virginia.
Iconic Lands and Waters Much of the Chesapeake Bay’s watershed lies within the Appalachians, covering approximately 64,000 square miles. © The Nature Conservancy

The stories below highlight the variety of ways that TNC is working across Delaware, Maryland/DC, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

EXPLORE OUR WORK ACROSS THE BAY STATES

Chesapeake Bay Farmers on the Forefront (3:58) This video celebrates a diverse group of Chesapeake Bay farmers who go above and beyond to use best farming practices that are both good for the environment and good for their bottom lines.

Bringing Back an Icon

An oyster farmer wearing a mask holds an oyster in hand, showing it to the camera.

SOAR: Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration

Helping oyster farmers impacted by COVID-19 and the resulting economic downturn by purchasing surplus oysters and placing them on nearby oyster restoration projects.

Two men unload bushel baskets full of oysters from a delivery truck onto a boat slip.

Covid-Related Oyster Surplus Used for Bay Restoration

The kick off of the SOAR program in Maryland is a critical step in supporting aquaculture, oysters and the role they play in the Chesapeake Bay.

By John Page Williams | Chesapeake Bay magazine | Jan 26, 2021

Close up view of a large pile of loose oyster shells. The shell halves are massed into a pile, some showing the smooth white interior surface with a dark round mark where the oyster was attached.

Oyster Restoration in Virginia

Aggressive oyster reef restoration efforts are bringing a vital natural and economic resource back to Virginia waters.

A large, flat metal cage of freshly harvested oysters. A man wearing yellow and green gloves stands in the background sorting the oysters.

Video

SOAR: Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration

Learn how TNC is working with partners to give a boost to oyster farmers hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Promoting Clean Water

The sun sets behind grain silos near Cambridge MD.

Agriculture in Maryland

Engaging with Maryland's largest industry to keep nutrients on our farms and out of our waterways

The agriculture industry represents the backbone of Pennsylvania's heritage and economy.

Agriculture in Pennsylvania

Farms represent the backbone of Pennsylvania's heritage and economy.

Close view of two hands holding soybeans on the vine. Only the person's hands are visible. They are surrounded by healthy green plants.

4R Nutrient Stewardship

The PA4R Alliance brings together diverse partners to help farmers achieve Chesapeake Bay water quality goals.

A man sits in the cab of a large tractor using small computer monitors to held determine the amount of fertilizer to apply to his field.

Video

Farmers on the Forefront

Meet some of the Chesapeake Bay farmers who are going above and beyond to use best farming practices that are both good for the environment and good for their bottom lines.

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Reducing Stormwater

A person with a red umbrella on a rainy night in Washington, D.C.

Planning for a Rainy Day

Washington, D.C., combines regulations with a new credit market to keep polluted stormwater out of its rivers.

By Jenny Rogers

A rain garden placed in Mount Olivet cemetery acting as a barrier between graves and a winding road. The rain garden is full of pollinator-friendly plants.

Ten Years in, D.C.’s Stormwater Credit Market is Thriving and Still Growing

Ten years ago, Washington D.C. established the Stormwater Retention Credit (SRC) market, a first-of-its-kind approach to stormwater management.

A great blue heron hunts for fish on the Chesapeake Bay.

Green Infrastructure for Cities

NatureVest aims to help cities accelerate their use of green infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff.

Rain Garden in Mount Olivet Rain garden placed in Mount Olivet cemetery in Washington, D.C. © TNC

Partnerships

Stormwater in D.C.

The District’s innovative approach to stormwater management has become a globally examined model.

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Restoring Wetlands

A leafy tree frames a calm river.

Susquehanna River

The Susquehanna, the 16th largest river in the United States, supplies drinking water to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians along its reach.

Aerial view of the Pocomoke River. The narrow river channel is bisected in two places by wide cuts in the earthen berms that hem the river in and hold it back from the surrounding forested floodplain.

Freeing a Trapped River

Celebrating 10 years of restoration, partnership and the largest ecological restoration in Maryland’s history.

By Severn Smith | Last updated Jun 04, 2023

Sunrise over Holt's Creek. Aquatic vegetation floats in the foreground. Puffy white clouds are reflected on the water's surface. Low marsh grasses meet a line of trees.

In Water We Trust

The Virginia Aquatic Resources Trust Fund marks a quarter century of restoring wetlands and streams.

By Daniel White

A wetlands area of low grasses and thick tall trees. A fallen log creates a border between the open wetland area and scrub forest.

Pocomoke River: Restoration and Partnership

A healthy Chesapeake Bay is in our grasp. Partnership and collaboration is critical to restoring wetlands and floodplains at a meaningful scale.

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Tackling Climate Change

View of the Ocean City skyline. The buildings line the skyline in the distance across an open body of water. Green marshes cut by meandering channels of water are in the foreground.

Maryland's Legislative Priorities

We're striving for a greener, more resilient Maryland through policy solutions that work for people and the planet.

The sun rises over a forested mountain range. Rolling green ridges dominate the foreground and roll away to the horizon. White mist rises from the valleys in the distance.

Climate Solutions

Advancing innovative, science-based solutions that match the urgency of the climate crisis.

Views from this rocky outcrop look west onto the Shenandoah Valley and north to Shenandoah National Park.

Climate Change

Protecting and restoring healthy natural systems in Virginia to withstand a changing climate and rising seas.

An aerial view of ocean with wind turbines.

Press Release

New Study Uses Electronic Tags to Explore Relationship Between Fish Behavior and Offshore Wind Energy Construction

This first study of its kind, results will fill knowledge gaps to better inform fisheries and wind energy construction practices in the Atlantic Ocean

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Protecting Land to Protect the Bay

Nassawango Creek Preserve Maryland's Nassawango Creek flows southward into the Pocomoke River, a major tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. © Alan Eckert Photography
New Point Comfort Strategically located on a peninsula jutting into the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia's New Point Comfort is a key stopover point on the Atlantic Flyway. © Dana Blackmer Photography
Middleford North Preserve This Delaware preserve hugs a portion of Gravelly Branch, a last undisturbed portion of the Nanticoke River watershed, one of the bay’s most productive tributaries. © Harold Malde
Frenchman's Bluff Preserve At the northern extent of the bay watershed, this New York preserve overlooks the Chemung River, a tributary of the Susquehanna River. © Mathew Levine/The Nature Conservancy
Choptank Wetlands A survey of natural areas conducted by the Smithsonian Institution ranked this Maryland marsh system as one of the most important Chesapeake Bay natural areas. © Mark Godfrey / TNC
Great Falls Park At Virginia's Great Falls, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. © Devan King / TNC
Hamer Woodlands at Cove Mountain The 353-acre preserve on Pennsylvania's Kittatinny Ridge is part of the Susquehanna River watershed. © Eric Krukowski
Nanjemoy Creek The "green thumb" of the Potomac River and one of Maryland's most pristine watersheds. © Alan Eckert Photography
Dragon Flats Widely considered Virginia's most pristine blackwater stream, Dragon Run widens to form the Piankatank River, a key site for our oyster reef restoration efforts. © Andy Lacatell / TNC
Bear Rocks Preserve Situated high above the Canaan Valley of West Virginia, this preserve is located in an area that acts as part of the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. © Kent Mason
Robinson Neck Preserve Upland forests provide an important buffer in the protection of these Maryland marshes and the entire Chesapeake Bay. © Matthew Wroblewski / flickr Creative Commons CC by 2.0
Cumberland Marsh The preserve protects a pristine marsh habitat on Virginia's Pamunkey River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. © Daniel White / TNC
Pike Knob Preserve This preserve in West Virginia's Central Appalachians is located in an area that acts as part of the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. © Kent Mason
× Nassawango Creek Preserve Maryland's Nassawango Creek flows southward into the Pocomoke River, a major tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. © Alan Eckert Photography
× New Point Comfort Strategically located on a peninsula jutting into the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia's New Point Comfort is a key stopover point on the Atlantic Flyway. © Dana Blackmer Photography
× Middleford North Preserve This Delaware preserve hugs a portion of Gravelly Branch, a last undisturbed portion of the Nanticoke River watershed, one of the bay’s most productive tributaries. © Harold Malde
× Frenchman's Bluff Preserve At the northern extent of the bay watershed, this New York preserve overlooks the Chemung River, a tributary of the Susquehanna River. © Mathew Levine/The Nature Conservancy
× Choptank Wetlands A survey of natural areas conducted by the Smithsonian Institution ranked this Maryland marsh system as one of the most important Chesapeake Bay natural areas. © Mark Godfrey / TNC
× Great Falls Park At Virginia's Great Falls, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. © Devan King / TNC
× Hamer Woodlands at Cove Mountain The 353-acre preserve on Pennsylvania's Kittatinny Ridge is part of the Susquehanna River watershed. © Eric Krukowski
× Nanjemoy Creek The "green thumb" of the Potomac River and one of Maryland's most pristine watersheds. © Alan Eckert Photography
× Dragon Flats Widely considered Virginia's most pristine blackwater stream, Dragon Run widens to form the Piankatank River, a key site for our oyster reef restoration efforts. © Andy Lacatell / TNC
× Bear Rocks Preserve Situated high above the Canaan Valley of West Virginia, this preserve is located in an area that acts as part of the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. © Kent Mason
× Robinson Neck Preserve Upland forests provide an important buffer in the protection of these Maryland marshes and the entire Chesapeake Bay. © Matthew Wroblewski / flickr Creative Commons CC by 2.0
× Cumberland Marsh The preserve protects a pristine marsh habitat on Virginia's Pamunkey River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. © Daniel White / TNC
× Pike Knob Preserve This preserve in West Virginia's Central Appalachians is located in an area that acts as part of the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. © Kent Mason
Cover of the 2024 Chesapeake Bay case for support.
Chesapeake Bay: The Case for Support

Help us reach our 2030 goals for a healthier and more resilient Chesapeake Bay.

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Cover of the Regenerative Agriculture info brochure.
Regenerative Agriculture

The health of the Chesapeake Bay is intricately linked to the health of more than 83,000 farms that operate in its watershed.

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Explore the Bay States

Learn more about our conservation efforts across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

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