A Path Forward in Considering Future Environmental Scenarios in Chesapeake Bay Restoration Efforts

Unlike previous workshops that introduced major structural changes, CC 3.0 focused on incremental improvements, refining model evaluation, expanding living resource modeling, and supporting the TMDL accountability framework. Participants engaged in science presentations and breakout sessions to develop cross-sector and within-sector recommendations addressing climate-driven changes in watershed processes, estuarine hydrodynamics, biogeochemical cycles, and living resources.

Impact/Purpose

The Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee's (STAC) Climate Change 3.0 (CC 3.0) Workshop, held from May 7–9, 2024, in Arlington, VA, was convened to refine and expand existing climate modeling efforts for the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. This workshop, the third in a series over the past eight years, aimed to advance modeling frameworks to better assess climate change impacts, in preparation for the reconsideration of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Planning Targets in 2027.

Citation

Shenk, G., M. Bennett, Z. Easton, M. Friedrichs, R. Hood, J. Keisman, Lew Linker, R. Najjar, R. Sabo, AND C. Stock. A Path Forward in Considering Future Environmental Scenarios in Chesapeake Bay Restoration Efforts. Chesapeake Research Consortium, Edgewater, MD, 2025.

• A Path Forward in Considering Future Environmental Scenarios in Chesapeake Bay Restoration Efforts