Maryland Whole Watershed Program Federal Partnership Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill allows the federal Chesapeake Bay Program Office to join Maryland’s state watershed management team as an advisor. This means federal experts will work directly with state officials to help clean up and protect local waterways.
• The federal office will be able to give Maryland technical advice and money for specific projects. This support is aimed at improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers and streams that flow into it.
• By working together, federal and state agencies can better coordinate their efforts. This helps ensure that money and resources are used efficiently to fix environmental problems like pollution and habitat loss.
• The bill also allows the federal office to help other states if they create similar watershed programs. This could lead to better water quality across the entire region surrounding the Chesapeake Bay.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.