Grading the Susquehanna: The 2026 Chesapeake Bay Report Card

Take a deep dive into the 2026 Chesapeake Bay Report Card:  Overall, the Chesapeake Bay scored its highest grade ever in 40 years’ worth of data, with a C+. There’s a lot of good news within the report, including a B for the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and a B for the Middle Susquehanna. But there are also some concerning grades, including a C for the Juniata River and a D+ for the Lower Susquehanna – a region that includes Harrisburg, York, and Lancaster.  Our guests are Dr. Heath Kelsey and Alexandra Fries, both of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, which issues the report.   We talk about the science behind each watershed’s grade, and what we can do to continue improving (with lots of tips regarding road salt!). And we talk about why the health of the Susquehanna is vital to the health of the bay as its largest tributary.  The Susquehanna Scout, hosted by journalist Karen Hendricks, is a weekly podcast by WITF that explores the Susquehanna River and its ripple effects across Pennsylvania and beyond.