About This Series
The Washington Post explores government efforts to clean up The Chesapeake Bay. Part 1 of this series takes a hard look at what has been done in the past 25 years, while Part 2 highlights how several Chesapeake Bay communities are adapting to change.

Sources: Timeline: David A. Fahrenthold; Crab Harvest: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries data; Oyster Harvest: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries data; Underwater Grasses: EPA Chesapeake Bay program; Oxygen Levels: Don Scavia, University of Michigan

Credits: Historic photos by H. Robins Hollyday, courtesy of the Talbot County Historical Society; Present photos by Hunter H. Harris at Aloft Aerial Photography; Web Editor: Alicia Cypress; Producer: Katharine Jarmul; Map: Laris Karklis; Multimedia: Whitney Shefte; Design and Production: Kat Downs and Sarah Sampsel
VIDEO
Lost Way of Life
The Abbott family once made their living along the bay.

EPA proposes cleanup penalties

 One option would cut off funding for treating polluted waterways.

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Bay Stories
Voices of the Bay
VIDEO
Turning to Tourism
Many local towns are relying on tourist income, rather than money obtained by working the waters.
Voices of the Bay
VIDEO
A Fading Fleet
The decline of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay has resulted in fewer jobs for watermen and a shift in the local economy.
War Within
Panorama
Virtual Skipjack Discover the skipjack exhibit at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md.
Archive
Archive
Stories About the Bay
Explore The Washington Post's coverage of the Chesapeake Bay from the past 25 years.
Part 1

Broken Promises

Chesapeake progress reports painted "too rosey a picture" as pollution reduction deadlines passed unmet.
Scenes Unfold Across the Watershed

Optimism Over Saving the Bay

In 1983, local jurisdictions joined forces with the EPA to create an agreement that would "improve and protect the water quality and living resources of the Chesapeake Bay estuarine systems."
Part 2

Way of Life Slipping Away Along Chesapeake's Edge

In communities along the water's edge, where the bountiful estuary empties and the health disolves, residents say the region's culture is also eroding.
Recent Chesapeake Headlines
EPA Asked to Toughen Pollution-Prevention Laws
Evaluation of Chesapeake Goals Killed
Md. Bill Mandates Nitrogen-Removing Septic Systems Near Bay
A Baby Boom Of Blue Crabs
He's in Deeper Waters Now
Plug Is Pulled On Asian Oyster
Seeking Common Ground on Bay Oysters
Report: Pollution Killing Chesapeake Bay Crabs
Regulators Target Recreational Crabbers
Scientists Urge More Aggressive Cleanup
MORE NEWS About The Bay
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