GULF OF MEXICO 561 



Table 4. — Existing industrial xvaste treatment facilities in the roaslal area of the Gulf of Mexico ' — Continued 



' Sources lying within 50 miles of the Gulf plus several significant sources lying just outside the 50-mile zone. 



DAMAGES TO RESOURCES CAUSED BY 

 POLLUTION 



Coastal waters of the Gulf are subjected to 

 pollution directly by discharges from waterfront 

 cities and industries and indirectly tlu'ough pol- 

 luted river systems. With this the case, the effects 

 of pollution are not spread uniformly along the 

 coast; they are restricted to localized areas where 

 population and industries are concentrated, where 

 rapid waste dilution is limited by physiographic 

 features, and where exploitable resources occur. 

 It is obvious from this that the susceptible re- 

 sources include the fin fishes, shrimp, crabs, and 

 oysters that depend upon estuarine existence for 

 at least a part of their life; and near centers of 

 population — the sport fishing and boating waters, 

 bathing beaches and recreational areas, and water- 

 front property that depreciates as pollution 

 increases. 



Available data on sources and kinds of pollution 

 imply notable potentialities for causing damages 

 to resources in restricted areas. In spite of this, 

 observed effects upon the resources have not been 

 of sufficient magnitude to stimulate the required 

 studies aimed at actually evaluating the extent of 

 damage. Surveys and closure of shellfish produc- 



ing areas because of bacterial contamination give 

 only a fair suggestion of one source of economic 

 loss. Lack of sufficient data makes it impossible 

 to evaluate the full damages from pollution along 

 the Gulf coast. 



For purposes of this report the Gulf Coast from 

 Key West to the Rio Grande has been divided 

 into 23 separate drainage areas.* Localized pol- 

 lution damages of some kind or other occur in 

 most of these areas. Almost one-half of them, 

 representing waters of each of the Gulf States, 

 have shellfish areas that are closed to commercial 

 fishing because of pollution. A number of other- 

 wise popular bathing beaches located in at least 

 seven different areas have been made unfit for 

 use. Outright destruction of fish and impairment 

 of sport fishing waters have occurred locally at 

 many points along the coast. Nuisance condi- 

 tions, losses in property values, effects of sediment 

 deposition, and other more subtle changes that 

 accompany pollution contribute to the total 

 damages. 



These impairments of water quality and dele- 

 terious effects upon specific resources of the Gulf 

 represent both tangible and intangible values. 



' See figs. 73 and 74, pp. 5(12 and 563. 



