Overview - Phase I WIPs - Phase II WIPs - Phase III WIPs - Jurisdiction Contacts

Phase III WIP Updates

EPA received a draft, amended Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) from New York  to meet the 2025 nitrogen target. Click on the link below to view the draft Phase III WIP:
View New York’s draft amended Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan on its Department of Environmental Conservation websiteExit

2019 Phase III WIP Submissions

EPA received final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) from the jurisdictions on August 23, 2019. Click on the links below to view the final Phase III WIPs for each jurisdiction:

• View Delaware's Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan on its Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control websiteExit
• View District of Columbia's Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan on its Department of Energy and Environment websiteExit
• View Maryland's Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan on its Department of the Environment websiteExit
• View New York's Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan on its Department of Environmental Conservation websiteExit
• View Pennsylvania's Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan on its Department of Environmental Protection websiteExit
• View Virginia's Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan on its Department of Environmental Quality websiteExit

• View West Virginia's Final Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan on its Chesapeake Bay website Exit

The Chesapeake Bay TMDL called for a midpoint assessment to review progress toward meeting the nutrient and sediment pollutant load reductions necessary for Bay restoration. EPA completed this Midpoint Assessment of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (PDF)(4 pp, 4 K, About PDF) in 2018.  The jurisdictions committed to develop Phase III WIPs following this midpoint assessment.  The Phase III WIPs will provide information on actions the jurisdictions intend to implement through 2025 to meet the Bay TMDL restoration goals.

On July 9, 2018, the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership’s Principals’ Staff Committee approved the final Phase III planning targets (PDF) (1 pp, 196 K, About PDF) Exitwhich represent the nitrogen and phosphorus pollution imits necessary to meet applicable water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay. The Phase III WIPs will describe the actions the jurisdictions will take to have all practices on the ground by 2025 to achieve their respective Phase III planning targets.

On January 24, 2020, the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership’s Principals’ Staff Committee approved the final Phase III planning targets for sediment which represent the pollution limits necessary to meet applicable water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay.  Additional information on these sediment targets can be found on the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership’s  Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) Sediment Planning Targets Exitdocument.

EPA issued these two Phase III WIP expectations documents: 

• June 20, 2018 - EPA’s Expectations for the Phase III Watershed Implementation Plans (PDF)(18 pp, 318 K, About PDF)

• August 16, 2018 - EPA's Expectations for Federal Lands and Facilities in Supporting the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Jurisdictions' Phase III Watershed Implementation Plans (PDF)(7 pp, 80 K, About PDF)