Ecological-Economic Context

​The Chesapeake Bay's forests, wetlands, and waters provide natural benefits to millions of people, but those benefits have been greatly reduced by agricultural and other pollution. In 2010, the six Bay states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government began a renewed effort to restore the health of the Bay and its vast network of rivers and streams.

That effort - The Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint - is designed to substantially reduce the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution that enters local waters and the Bay. Its goal: to restore the Bay's ecological health. 

Key-Log Economics partnered with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to produce the first-ever analysis of the economic benefits provided by nature in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

Key Findings

• In 2009, the lands and waters of the Chesapeake Bay region provided economic benefits totaling $107.2 billion annually. These benefits include air and water filtration, agricultural and seafood production, property valuation, and flood and hurricane protection. 

• The value of these same benefits will increase by $22.5 billion to $129.7 billion annually if the Blueprint is fully implemented. Once realized, those benefits would be enjoyed year after year. 

• If the Blueprint is not fully implemented, pollution loads will increase, and the value of the natural benefits will decline by $5.6 billion annually to $101.5 billion. The value of the Bay region's natural benefits will decline further after 2025 as additional pollution continues to degrade its natural resources. 

Outcomes

• Senators Ben Cardin of Maryland and Robert Casey of Pennsylvania urged the Department of Agriculture to increase resources to help farmers in the Susquehanna River Basin reduce agricultural runoff

• In December 2014, the Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2014 was signed into law. The Act increases coordination and transparency within Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts and requires that an independent evaluator review and report on Bay Program restoration activities.

Resources

• Technical Report and peer-reviewed journal article detailing the economic benefits gained by cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay

• Presentation (embedded to the left, or in a new window) summarizing the methods and findings.

• The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s interactive web page features an infographic with our findings and state-by-state estimates.