The Chesapeake Bay received a C+ in the latest annual assessment from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, its highest overall report-card score in 40 years of tracking. The 20th annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card evaluates environmental, social and economic conditions across the Bay and its watershed, using data collected through December 2025. Researchers found that eight of the Bay’s 15 regions had improving long-term health trends. Those regions include the Patapsco and Back rivers, the Upper Western Shore, the Rappahannock, James and Elizabeth rivers, the Lower Eastern Shore, the Upper Bay and the Lower Bay. The Lower Bay earned a B+, the highest grade recorded for any region. The Lower Western Shore received the lowest mark, a D-. The assessment also found long-term improvement in watershed water quality. Its measures include nitrogen and phosphorus levels, turbidity — a measure of water clarity — and conductivity. The overall C+ is evidence of progress, but it is not a sign that the Bay’s health problems are solved. UMCES officials said the results reflect the effects of long-running restoration work and stressed that efforts to improve the estuary must continue. Healthier waters can support fish, crabs and other wildlife, while also benefiting recreation, tourism and local economies across the watershed.