Three new tools can reveal watershed insights

In 2024, the Chesapeake Bay Program provided three new tools to help easily visualize watershed data, connect to other stewardship professionals across the region and better understand what is happening within a particular waterway. For decades, the Chesapeake Bay Program has been a leader in data collection and the creation of tools that enhance watershed restoration conservation and restoration. The latest expansion of our suite of tools will allow these data and information to be more accessible than ever.

Chesapeake Bay Watershed Data Dashboard

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Data Dashboard was created to make scientific and technical data from Chesapeake Bay Program partners easily accessible to environmental managers and planners. The website provides clear data visualizations and technical information that can help guide water quality and watershed planning efforts. It allows someone to target restoration and conservation efforts geographically.

For example, users can develop scenarios to run on the Chesapeake Assessment Scenario Tool (CAST), allowing them to figure out the most effective best management practices in which to reduce pollution. The Data Dashboard also allows users to download graphics to support outreach efforts and the communication of water quality information. In 2024, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Data Dashboard was updated to improve the accessibility of the website and to make the platform faster and easier to navigate.

Tributary Summaries

The Chesapeake Bay Program has now compiled 12 tributary basin summaries for major tributaries or tributary groups in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These documents summarize the monitoring and research data of federal, state and academic partners. The summaries include data for the total amount of nitrogen and phosphorus found on the water’s surface, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen concentrations and water clarity. The Tributary Summaries are technical documents intended for managers within jurisdictions and local watershed organizations to help them understand how various factors have caused water quality to change over time.

These documents will be updated on a rotating basis to provide the up-to-date results that can drive the direction for future management actions. In addition to creating the Tributary Summaries, the Integrated Trends and Analysis Team converted information from the summaries into engaging story maps, making complex scientific information more accessible and easy to share with a wider audience. In 2024, the team created story maps for the James River and Potomac River.

Chesapeake Steward Map

Watershed restoration relies on data, but it also relies on people to put practices in place. That works best when people are able to connect and learn from each other. The Chesapeake Steward Map was designed to increase partnerships for sharing knowledge and resources across the Chesapeake region. It accomplishes this by identifying hubs and gaps in connectivity and highlighting opportunities for stewards to connect and strategically work together. To connect with professionals working on Chesapeake watershed conservation and restoration, you can view and join the map. 

Interested in learning more? Check out the following Chesapeake Bay Program webinar on some of our tools.. If you're seeking specific data sets or tools for your restoration project, please contact us. We are here to help you find the right resources to support your projects. Keep an eye on our website throughout 2025 as we roll out more tools and l continue to support the needs of individuals and organizations across the watershed.