A rattlesnake that calls the Appalachian Mountains home
September 15, 2026The timber rattlesnake is one of the only venomous snakes found in the Bay watershed
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Chesapeake Bay Program
Our regional partnership guides the restoration and protection of the nation’s largest estuary.
Learn more about usFeatured Stories
With a lifetime on the water, loons are skilled hunters and nervous walkers
September 14, 2026The common loon visits the Chesapeake Bay each fall
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Three late-season blooms bring color to the Chesapeake
September 13, 2026Keep an eye out for these vibrant native flowers
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Goals & Strategy: The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement
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Thriving Habitat, Fisheries & Wildlife
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Clean Water
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Healthy Landscapes
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Engaged Communities
Our partnership is guided by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement: a collaborative commitment to restore, conserve and protect the Bay, its tributaries and the lands that surround them.
Learn more about the latest agreementLearn More About the Chesapeake Bay
The Watershed
Thousands of creeks, streams and rivers deliver fresh water to the Bay from a region that spans 64,000 square miles.
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Food Web
A balanced food web supports a productive ecosystem, as energy flows from the Bay's plants to its predators.
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The Issues
Complex problems face the Bay, its watershed and the plants, animals and people that live here.
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Bay Facts
From trivia about its geography to facts about its flora and fauna, the Bay has a lot to teach us.
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Field Guide to the Chesapeake
Explore the Field Guide to learn about more than 300 species of birds, fish, insects, invertebrates, mammals, plants, reptiles and amphibians that live in the Chesapeake Bay region.
Visit the field guideCritter of the month
Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum spp.Mountain mint is native perennial that blooms from mid to late summer. It’s considered one of the most ecologically valuable native plants in eastern North America.
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