Have you ever taken a sip of water, a taste of food, or a breath of air and wondered if it was safe for your health and the environment? As a local who grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, I have watched firsthand as the water quality has worsened, water levels have risen, and temperatures have skyrocketed. From swimming in pools instead of the Miles River to rarely seeing tubes or water skis on the water anymore, I always wondered what was causing such detriment to our water. Beyond the vast beauty and productivity of farmlands lining the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, the root cause of water pollution in the bay is harmful nutrients sourced from agricultural farm runoff.
Agricultural runoff is the leading cause of water pollution in the United States, threatening our water, food, and air quality. The truth is, we are still not doing enough without effective policies to prevent our water quality from worsening, as bay water continues to threaten human health and environmental safety. Without a shoreland protection policy to safeguard this issue, this problem is only progressing further, and water quality improvement goals are capable of being met. This environmental issue requires immediate attention because the current rate of detriment polluting the Chesapeake Bay water that we boat on, fish, crab, and oyster, and hope to swim in and drink from safely, is causing more harm than good for society.
Excess nutrients from farm runoff in the Chesapeake Bay have long-lasting effects: killing marine life, polluting swimming areas and drinking water, flooding properties and homes, and causing many health problems. These dangers also harshly target low-income and minority communities, who often experience disproportionate harm from pollution and other environmental threats. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s annual water quality report cards well document the extent of the bay’s problems and current conditions, which are evidently not improving. Strict legislative change must be made because a safe environment, clean water, and clean air are rights that need to be shared and fought for when threatened.
In order to create accurate and involuntary change, the Chesapeake Bay bordering states need to implement a shoreland zoning policy to enforce the protection of bay water quality from the threats of agricultural runoff. In environmentally unique yet critical areas like the Chesapeake Bay, the government must fund efforts to protect these crucial, indeed life and death, natural assets. Farmers cannot and should not be burdened by the costs of such programs. Citizens have a constitutional right to a dependable food supply, safe water, and clean air, which requires the government to legislate and fund these efforts properly.
A policy that has proven effective for New England states that Chesapeake Bay states could implement is Maine’s Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act. This act uses mechanisms to protect land near lakes, ponds, and rivers from pollution and other environmental challenges. Creating a “Maryland Mandatory Shoreland Zoning Act” will enforce Chesapeake Bay farmlands in Maryland to administer shoreland zoning ordinances that regulate land use activity within 250 feet of horizontal distance from the water to eliminate any possible farm runoff.
Though making a shoreland zoning policy in Maryland could temporarily set back the productivity of farms within these newly zoned shorelines, nonmonetary sustainability costs, water quality, and health safety outweigh any monetary costs and consequences. Protecting the future of local Chesapeake Bay community health, marine life, and environment safety must be our priority over financial gain. Despite commendable voluntary efforts by organizations like The Chesapeake Bay Program, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and Environmental Engineers, the scale of the problem exceeds the current goals, highlighting the need for an enforceable policy.
Implementing a shoreland zoning policy may initially pose challenges and incur costs, but the long-term benefits to community health, marine life, and environmental safety far outweigh the financial considerations. Chesapeake Bay watershed states like Maryland must consider enacting a Shoreland Zoning Act through the state legislature, with support and guidance from state environmental agencies. By prioritizing the protection of the Chesapeake Bay through proactive policy, we will ensure a safer and healthier future for all.
Elle Hogan
UNC-Chapel Hill ‘27
Benjamin Stayton says
I would encourage you to research the Maryland Critical Area Law. It already regulates land use within 1000 feet of all tidal waters, wetlands, and tributaries of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Bay’s. Even stricter development regulations are applied to lands within 100 feet of the shoreline.
Tom Hughes says
Maryland’s Critical Area law has practically nothing to do with agricultural practices.Farmers are allowed to plow and fertilize within 25 feet of the water. The restrictions on homeowners are far more stringent. Some in Talbot tried to change this disparity years ago, but local politicians lacked the courage to change the status quo. This is but one reason why next year the state will not have met its T.M.D.L. (total maximum daily load) goals to decrease the amount of nutrients and sediment entering the bay. Politicians at all levels will have a lot of explaining to do.