". . .The Showcase Watersheds program was launched in 2010 as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was pressing to develop a new, more regulatory Bay cleanup plan — one that in theory would press states to more aggressively seek nutrient reductions from agriculture.

President Obama the previous year had pledged “a new era of federal leadership” on the Bay. The Farm Bill was pumping unprecedented amounts of funding into the region, and the USDA wanted to show that it would make a difference.

It identified three watersheds where actions would be accelerated. The U.S. Geological Survey would monitor water quality to show results.

Along with the Smith Creek watershed, the effort included the Upper Chester River watershed in Maryland and Delaware and the Conewago Creek watershed in Pennsylvania. . ."