Save the Bay News: Potomac Spill, Menhaden, and Showing the Bay Some Love

This special Valentine’s edition of our newsletter is all about fighting for what you love—whether it be the Potomac River, a new Bay agreement, or menhaden and striped bass. Explore these stories and more.

In 1880, U.S. ichthyologist George Brown Goode called the Atlantic menhaden “a most beautiful fish.” He wrote: “Each scale has all the beauty of a fine pearl….When sailing over a school of menhaden, swimming a short distance below the surface, one may see their glittering backs beneath, and the boat seems to be gliding over a floor inlaid with blocks of solid silver.” If that’s not reason enough to love menhaden, these tiny fish are vital to a healthy Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. They’re also the target of a colossal foreign-owned industry with outsized political influence. This month, we launched savemenhaden.org, where you can learn all about menhaden and get involved in ongoing efforts to protect them.

It’s just one way to show the Bay some love (and if you’re still recovering from Valentine’s Day, we apologize). Legislative sessions are in full swing, and we have a wide-ranging list of priorities in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, covering everything from forest and wetland conservation to funding for wastewater upgrades (as if the major sewage spill in the Potomac River wasn’t reminder enough). You can keep tabs and take action on pending legislation, or help out with hands-on restoration at a living shoreline. Other things to love right now: the wide-open opportunity that comes with a freshly updated Bay Agreement; the chance to better protect striped bass in Maryland; Pennsylvania taking center stage in the Chesapeake Bay cleanup; and of course, Bay-themed love stories.

Fotolia

From Chesapeake Bay, With Love

We say often that the Chesapeake Bay, and all of its rivers and streams, are more than mere water. Whether a centerpiece or backdrop, they are witness to moments in life both magical and mundane. This Valentine’s Day, CBF staff shared brief recollections of times when the Bay helped us connect deeply.

Dean Thomas Harrison

The Chesapeake’s Next Chapter

The Chesapeake Bay states and federal partners adopted an updated Chesapeake Bay Agreement in December, setting the stage for the next 15 years of restoration. “What’s next is up to us,” writes CBF President Hilary Harp Falk, making the case to use the agreement as a foundation rather than a limit to what’s possible. “Each of us can be a catalyst.”

Save Our Menhaden

Menhaden are small, nutrient-rich forage fish that anchor the Chesapeake Bay food web. But without reform, industrial menhaden extraction threatens the Bay as we know it. This month, CBF launched a new public education campaign to raise awareness about the fish and ongoing efforts to protect them in the Bay.

Sarah Cayton

What’s Next for Striped Bass in Maryland?

For six consecutive years, the future of striped bass has looked bleak. Proposed changes to the fishing season in Maryland (open for public comment until this Monday Feb. 23) could help protect more fish during the summer heat and make rules easier to follow. Allison Colden, CBF’s Maryland executive director and fisheries expert, explains what the changes might mean for fish and fishermen.

ClipArt.com

Pennsylvania Front and Center

In 2026, Pennsylvania is in charge. Gov. Josh Shapiro chairs the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Executive Council, and state Sen. Gene Yaw leads the tri-state Chesapeake Bay Commission. From supporting farmers to addressing the potential impacts of data centers, CBF’s Pennsylvania Executive Director Julia Krall breaks down what needs to happen next to protect local waters and the Bay.

Now in Session…

Maryland and Virginia are in the midst of their annual legislative sessions, while Pennsylvania enters the second year of its two-year session. CBF is advocating for a wide range of priorities, including climate resilience and programs to tackle the biggest sources of pollution, to keep progress moving at the state level amid uncertainty around federal funding and policy.

In the News

Potomac River sewage spill shows need for continued sewer line upgrades across the watershed: A major sewer line collapse caused millions of gallons of untreated wastewater to spill just north of Washington, D.C. in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Climate protection rollbacks threaten people and the Chesapeake Bay: The Trump administration repealed a finding that greenhouse gases and climate change pose a threat to the public.

CBF encourages the public to support Maryland’s striped bass fishing season adjustment: The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment through Feb. 23 on proposed changes that could better protect the fish when they’re most vulnerable.

Smart environmental policies will deliver a more prosperous future for all Virginians: The new governor and General Assembly have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen the economy, protect lives and livelihoods, and invest in what makes Virginia a great place to live, writes CBF’s Jay Ford.

Data centers, food processing residuals, and Clean Streams Fund on radar in Pennsylvania: Several pieces of legislation are up for consideration that could impact the Commonwealth’s rivers and streams and the Chesapeake Bay.

U.S. House passes funding bill that defends environment from harmful Trump cuts: Important programs that fund Chesapeake Bay cleanup, including oyster restoration and habitat conservation initiatives, were spared in a minibus spending bill.

What You Can Do

• Legislative sessions are well underway across the watershed, and there are plenty of opportunities for advocates like you to speak up on critical clean water legislation. Head to our Take Action web page to show your support for a healthy and thriving Bay watershed.
• It may be chilly outside, but CBF Education is already dreaming about summer! Registration is open for Bay Eco-Camp: Girls in STEM, Student Leadership Summer Expeditions, and Chesapeake Classrooms courses. Space is limited, so sign up today.
• Local, regeneratively grown produce is now available through the CSA program at CBF’s Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Purchase your share today and enjoy seasonal veggies every week!
• Skip the gym and join us this spring to install an urban buffer in Hampton, Virginia. Register today for the prep and planting of this hands-on restoration project.
• Sustain our fight to save the Bay! Become a Chesapeake Guardian today, and we’ll send you a special gift to say thanks.

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