PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – The EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) announced on Thursday that oyster restoration in the Bay is expected to meet their 2025 goal.

According to the CBP, eight out of the 10 tributaries chosen for large-scale restoration are considered complete as of June 6, 2024. The two remaining tributaries, the Manokin River in Maryland and the Lynnhaven River in Virginia, have just 222 and 38 more acres left to restore.

The restoration, which is a part of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, comes shortly after an April celebration of the restoration activities in the lower York River. To date, CBP partners have spent $108 million towards the construction of reefs.

“It’s exciting to see the progress that has been made toward the goal to restore oyster reef habitat in 10 Chesapeake tributaries by 2025,” Acting Director, Chesapeake Bay Office Kevin Schabow said. “All this work is possible thanks to the strong partnership of federal and state agencies, local governments, nonprofit organizations and academic institutions who are committed to restoring the tremendous ecosystem and economic benefits that healthy oyster reefs provide.”

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), the largest independent conservation organization dedicated to the Bay, works alongside CBP partners towards large-scale oyster restorations.

“The achievement of this large-scale oyster restoration work over the past decade has become the global model for restoring oyster populations and reef habitat,” Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden said. “The success of this work reflects the importance of strong partnerships and innovation in meeting a long-term goal in the larger effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay.”