Virginia and the other states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are continuing to cut pollutants flowing into the bay but are still well short of targets for nitrogen and phosphorus that they have promised to hit by next year.
Nitrogen and phosphorus feed the summertime algae blooms that starve the bay and its creatures of oxygen, which fish and shellfish alike need to stay alive.
The latest update from the Chesapeake Bay Program, a partnership of federal, state and other entities focused on restoring the bay, found nitrogen flows into the bay have declined to 247.6 million last year, which is 57% of the goal set for 2025.
Phosphorus flows, at 14.2 million pounds, are at 67% of the 2025 target.
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Flows of sediment — dirt — which can block sunlight and keep underwater plants from generating oxygen, totaled 17.8 million pounds — that’s 100% of the 2025 goal.
Over the years, Virginia has reached 80% of its goal for reducing nitrogen, 62% of its goal for phosphorus and 100% of its goal for sediment, even though it missed its specific targets for nitrogen and phosphorus for 2023, according to the bay program’s latest update from its Watershed Model.
“Despite significant gains estimated by the model’s data, including the largest year-to-year reduction from agricultural sources in Virginia and Pennsylvania, 2025 pollution reduction goals will not be met,” said Alison Prost, vice president for environmental protection and restoration at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group.
“These most recent model results are encouraging, but on-the-ground outcomes don’t match up and the latest science tells us we can better optimize our efforts,” she said. “Climate change is also making reducing pollution harder.”
The bay program’s watershed model tracks pollution control efforts from each of the bay jurisdictions — Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia — as well as data from water quality monitoring and land use changes to track progress toward the 2025 goals.
Three are further along than Virginia.
Washington, D.C., has hit 100% of its 2025 goals. West Virginia has reached 100% of its nitrogen goal and 91% of its phosphorous goal. Maryland is at 83% of its nitrogen and 100% of its phosphorous goal.
From the Archives: Who remembers Buckroe Beach?
Buckroe Beach is located in Hampton, Virginia, on the Chesapeake Bay. It is one of Virginia’s oldest recreational spaces. Originating in the 1600s as “Buck Roe” plantation, it was open to the public to use when new settlers arrived from England.
In the 1920s, the beach became a popular vacation destination for visitors up and down the East Coast. Several hotels and an amusement park stretched along the beach. Recreation areas were segregated until after the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
By the 1960s, Buckroe Beach lost its popularity, as many beach goers shifted to other areas like Virginia Beach. Also, there was amusement park competition from the nearby Busch Gardens in Williamsburg.
In the early 2000s, investors contributed to a revival for Buckroe Beach. They installed walking paths, pavilions, barbecue grills and a playground into a mile-long boardwalk.
Dave Ress (804) 649-6948
Dave Ress
Growth and Development Reporter
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