Newport Bay is currently the most polluted of the five bays on Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore.
- Environmental Health: The bay received a C- grade in the 2024 Maryland Coastal Bays Report Card.
- Indicator Species: We are seeing very poor levels of healthy seagrass and hard clams.
- The Impact: Seagrass is a vital indicator of water quality, while clams serve as essential filter feeders for the ecosystem.
Newport Bay is a watershed that collects rainwater, runoff from farms, backyards and roads. A watershed acts like a large funnel, collecting water that flows over the land or through groundwater into a single water system. Communities, such as the Town of Berlin, South Point, and other areas are all in the Newport Bay watershed.