The Whole Watershed Act was passed during Maryland’s 2024 General Assembly, led by Senator Sara Love and U.S. Representative Sarah Elfreth. The legislation grew out of the 2023 Comprehensive Evaluation of System Response (CESR), which was a major scientific assessment of Chesapeake Bay water quality progress conducted by dozens of researchers.
CESR called for focusing restoration efforts in priority watersheds to speed up improvements to water quality and habitat, especially in creeks and streams. The Whole Watershed Act answers that call by directing resources where they’ll have the greatest impact, with the ultimate goal of restoring impaired streams and removing them from the federal impaired waters list once water quality standards are met.
The Whole Watershed Program is a five-year pilot program targeting five watersheds with the goal of improving watershed health through a diverse selection of environmental actions. Some of the program goals include pollution reduction, habitat creation, aquatic resource improvements, equitable public access, carbon sequestration, public health enhancements, outreach to overburdened and underserved communities, and more.
One of the watersheds chosen for this pilot program was the Antietam watershed, located mainly in Washington County and parts of Pennsylvania. Conservation partners such as the Catoctin Land Trust, Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), Antietam-Conococheague Watershed Alliance (ACWA), Washington County Soil Conservation District, Washington County Department of Stormwater & Watershed Services, City of Hagerstown, DNR Forest Service, DNR Fishing and Boating Services, Chesapeake Conservancy, Seneca Valley Trout Unlimited, Potomac Riverkeeper Network, Antietam Fly Anglers, Western Maryland Resource Conservation Development Council, Beaver Creek Watershed Association, and Maryland State Highway Administration are all collaborating on a full watershed approach to restoring and protecting the land. As the Antietam Creek Restoration Collaborative (ACRC) for this project, we and our partners are stepping up conservation efforts by strengthening water quality monitoring, planting more trees in both rural and urban areas, and supporting regenerative farming practices. Partnerships for this project include Federal, State, Local, and nonprofit partners.
We’re excited to share this news and will continue to provide updates as projects move forward throughout the five-year program—be sure to check back often for the latest progress and check out our Whole Watershed Act page with upcoming tree planting opportunities!
We deeply appreciate all of our partners who make this work and its impact possible, and we thank them for their continued support! We look forward to a new year that continues the progress and momentum of the last.