Instead of telling homeowners to use fewer pounds of fertilizer because it is good for water quality, Fran Geissler and her staff tie the message to something dear to people’s palates — crabs.Crabs, the signature food of the Chesapeake Bay region, drive every stormwater management program for the newly formed Stormwater Division in James City County, Va. The chief problem is bacterial contamination of crab, clam, and oyster beds. When authorities issue shellfish advisories in tidal waters, the beds remain closed to fishermen until the water is safe again.Formed in July 2007, the division and its six full-time and one
