From New York to Virginia, more than 40 major rivers link land and people to the Chesapeake Bay. How the land in the watershed is treated and cared for profoundly affects the Bay's overall health. With a land-to-water ratio higher than any estuary in the world, the 64,000 square-mile watershed drains into the shallow 4,000 square-mile Bay. The result: a delicate natural system that makes the Chesapeake Bay especially vulnerable to development and pollution.

Focusing on the top conservation priorities of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, in 2002 The Conservation Fund launched an ambitious program to protect 100,000 acres of high priority land and water within the watershed.

Recent Projects

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

We've worked for more than a decade to help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) acquire lands for Blackwater. But conservation at Blackwater is about more than just protecting land, we're also helping restore the land to its native, natural state. Learn more >>

Sea Level, Climate Change and the Chesapeake Bay

The effects of sea level rise and periodic storm surge on the Chesapeake Bay region include shoreline erosion, coastal flooding, salt water intrusion of freshwater resources, and inundation of some coastal areas. The watershed has 11,684 miles of coastline along the main Bay and tidal tributaries, with many historic and natural areas at risk of permanent or periodic inundation from sea level rise and storm surge.

The Conservation Fund and its partners recently produced a map and website on this topic. Learn more about the map and the effects of climate change in the Chesapeake Bay area.

A Sustainable Chesapeake: Better Models for Conservation

In 2010, The Fund released a new book, A Sustainable Chesapeake: Better Models for Conservation, as a conservation resource for government agencies, community groups, businesses and others involved in the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.

A Sustainable Chesapeake profiles promising conservation practices and technologies and describes the protection of critical land and water resources in a series of 31 case studies that feature the work of government and private organizations and conservation leaders throughout the Bay watershed.

The book can be downloaded for free in its entirety, by chapter, or by case study. Click here for downloads.

Project Profiles

Chester River

Three miles of historic Chester River shoreline, 600 acres of unique Delmarva Bays, a 90-acre waterfowl sanctuary, and important habitat for bald eagle and endangered fox squirrel are now preserved forever under the 5,200-acre Chino Farms conservation easement—the largest in Maryland’s history. The Fund, collaborating with the landowner, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Queen Anne County, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ensured the protection of more than eight square miles of critical riparian habitat and wetlands. This easement keeps Chino Farms in agricultural production while conserving valuable natural resources in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Savage River

If ever a river lived up to its name, it is the Savage. Site of the 1992 World White Water Kayaking Championship, this wild mountain stream careens through Savage River State Forest in the far reaches of western Maryland to join the Potomac River on its way to the Chesapeake Bay. At the request of the state, the Fund protected 400 acres of forested mountainside and riparian habitat, including two miles of Savage River frontage. The area is now managed as part of the state forest.

Potomac River

One of the few remaining pockets of pristine shoreline along the Potomac River, Douglas Point is a vital link in the Chesapeake’s delicate ecosystem. The property nurtures nearly 1,300 acres of forestland, including wetlands and habitat for wildlife species such as the bald eagle and osprey. Working with Maryland’s GreenPrint Program and the Bureau of Land Management, the Fund helped to acquire and protect this riverside jewel.

Garrett Island

With a fabled history that includes nearly four centuries of human occupation, the landscape of Garrett Island remains remarkably wild. In 2004 the Fund joined with Bass Pro Shops, Lenfest Foundation, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to acquire the 169-acre island for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It lies right at the mouth of the Susquehanna River, and its waters and fragile bay grasses have been hailed as one of the best bass fishing spots in the country.

Gateway to the Chesapeake

Admired by millions who cross the Bay Bridge each year, Holly Beach Farm joins Sandy Point State Park as the gateway to Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay. This 300-acre site, known for its exceptional scenic value, includes three miles of sensitive Bay shoreline that is protected thanks to a partnership of the Fund, a private landowner, the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Transportation, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources. When they visit this property, now under the stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, school children will learn about the significance of the watershed and what they can do to preserve its health.