Last week, the Chesapeake Bay Program unveiled a new web-based tool designed to help states, municipalities, federal agencies and others quickly and easily assess the most effective ways to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Chesapeake Assessment and Scenario Tool allows users across the watershed to develop and quickly receive feedback on various pollution reduction scenarios, said a press release. Using CAST, jurisdictions are able to see the implications of their specific actions and management decisions, and they can gain an understanding of which best management practices are most effective at reducing the nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment loads reaching their local streams and entering the bay.

The information can help jurisdictions refine their management decisions and actions before submitting their information into the full Chesapeake Bay Program model for analysis, said the release.

First developed by the State of Maryland under a grant from E...