"Record rainfall washed more pollution into the Bay during 2018"

"The Chesapeake Bay Foundation downgraded the health of the nation’s largest estuary Monday from a C-minus to a D-plus, blaming the dip in its latest report card on increased pollution from extraordinary amounts of rainfall in 2018.

“The Bay suffered a massive assault in 2018,” said CBF President Will Baker. Chronically wet weather throughout the six-state watershed washed more water-fouling nutrients into the Bay, reversing what had been several years of sustained gains in reducing pollution.

Only two years ago, the Annapolis-based environmental group had bumped the Bay’s health grade up to a C-plus, declaring the estuary to be in the best shape since it began issuing periodic report cards in 1998."

Timothy B. Wheeler reports for the Bay Journal January 7, 2019. [2]