Chesapeake Watershed Campaign
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed stretches across more than 64,000 square miles, and comprises parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia and Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Home to more than 19 million people, the watershed contains more than 100,000 streams, creeks and rivers, all of which ultimately feed into the Chesapeake Bay. The Watershed’s largest tributaries include such famous rivers as the Susquehanna, Potomac, Rappahannock, York and James rivers and the land-to-water ratio of the Chesapeake Bay is 14:1 – the largest of any coastal water body in the world. This fact explains why the impacts of society on land in the watershed have such a large impact on the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
Fly Fishers International, in partnership with our sponsors at Costa Sunglasses and Cheeky Fishing, is excited to celebrate the incredible beauty of the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake’s diversity of natural landscapes and species truly encompasses the philosophy of “All Fish, All Waters” that is the lifeblood of our organization. As you can learn about below, the Watershed provides an exceptional range of opportunities to target species on the fly.
Beyond its beauty, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed sits at a pivotal and exciting moment in it’s history. Signed in 2014 by the Governors of each state in the watershed, as well as the Mayor of Washington, D.C., the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement committed all seven jurisdictions to full partnership in the Chesapeake Bay Program. The Agreement envisions a future Chesapeake Bay Watershed with “clean water, abundant life, conserved lands and access to the water, a vibrant cultural heritage, and a diversity of engaged stakeholders.”
A first for Fly Fishers International, the Chesapeake Watershed Campaign is a celebration of the diversity of fisheries, landscapes and communities across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, spread across print, audio, online and film. Whether “Chesapeake” the first season of FFI’s new Fly Fish Forever podcast, the seven-part YouTube film series “Chesapeake Tales”, the most recent edition of Fly Fishers Magazine, or the newly released “Chesapeake: A Love Letter to a Watershed” in the 2023 International Fly Fishing Film Festival, the campaign seeks to educate and excite you about the past, present and future of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Thanks for visiting and see you in the watershed!