BALTIMORE — The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science released its 13th annual report card on the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
The storm season and excessive rain had some negative impacts on the Chesapeake Bay, but it still received a "C" grade. That was the same grade it received last year. The state normally gets 42 inches of rain a year, but last year there were 72 inches of rain.
"And it could have been a disaster for the bay," said Bill Dennison, with UMD Center for Environmental Sciences. "We’ve had this happen before, and it has been a disaster. The good news is it took a dip, but it was not a crash. We did not have a disaster."
The annual report card highlights the fact that overall trends show the Chesapeake improving significantly over the years. Scientists say that the bay's long-term health trajectory remains positive.
