Impacts of Inland Activities on our Estuaries: Mitigation, Improving, and Reverting the Impacts of the Past, Present, and Future
Impact Sources Population Growth – Agriculture – Pollution – Sedimentation – Traffic – Attempted Remedies Invasives Did you know that over half of the U.S.A.’s population lives within 50 miles of the coast? That area is less than 17% of the USA’s total land mass.
Agriculture Removal of Water – Less flushing – Less dilution Little Vegetated Buffers – Siltation Runoff Animal tracks Habitat Modification – Rice Levees/trunks Nutrient loading – Eutrophication Dead Zones Why is this “Dead Zone” Here???
Pollution Large debris – Plasticland Nutrient loads – Agriculture (Eutrophication) Chemicals – Drains – Sewage treatment Hormones How are these things involved in impacting the estuary?
Sedimentation Construction – Road building – Population centers Agriculture – Vegetated buffers – Animal Tracks – Fecal coliform Humans? Farm animals? Wild animals? – Displacement Estuaries are supposed to trap small amounts of sediment. Right? How might sedimentation directly impact an estuary.
Traffic Wave action – Erosion Siltation – Loss of plant life Petroleum Large debris – Plastic bottles/cans – clothes Explain this to me!
How Do Activities in our Estuaries Effect Inland Waters?
Estuarine activities Shipping: Estuaries are homes to our ports Pollution Dredging Tourism/Recreation Boat traffic Impacts to wildlands Overfishing Estuaries provide essential habitat for marine and freshwater species
Shipping lanes Pollution Petroleum/debris Maintenance: Dredging Flow change/Salt wedge Habitat for migratory animals including fish and birds.
Overfishing Some freshwater fish species depend upon the estuarine habitat for: – Nursery – Spawning
Summary: The Butterfly Effect Inland activities may effect estuaries since rivers flow to the sea and must cross the estuary. Estuarine activities can effect inland waters since tides push estuarine water inland and estuarine waters are home to a plethora of wildlife