Something very big happened today for the Chesapeake Bay.

The U.S. Senate passed the Farm Bill by a veto-proof margin. It includes nearly $440 million new money for Chesapeake Bay restoration programs -- an amount the likes of which has never been seen before. It will go to what has long been one of the most difficult pollution problems to tackle: nitrogen and phosphorus that come into the bay from farm fertilizer.

One environmental leader in Annapolis said she wondered why people weren't dancing in the streets over this news. I think many who have worked on this for the past eight years probably feel like partying. But the fact is that, with millions of dollars going in to bay cleanup from this source and that source, it's easy for one's eyes to glaze over another big infusion of cash -- even when it's as much money as this one delivers.

I also think there's such a thing as Farm Bill fatigue. We have waited so long for news, and there were so many changes in the amounts, so many "almosts", so many "check back with us next week, it has to go to such-and-such a committee."

What would really make people dance in the streets would be if the effects of the bill work, and that water quality across the bay improves, and fast. Many people think that can happen now; but only if those who control the purse strings have to make sure the money is spent on the right projects in the right watersheds, not just given out to whomever wants it.

For mroe on the subject, check out tomorrow's Sun, in which Matt Brown and I will have a longer story...