V-291 

 SECTION 7. MAJOR PROBLEMS AND DANGERS TO THE BAY 



Enjoyment of the Bay is adversely affected by: 



(1) Land Fill Problems. Wildlife and shellfish resources 

 are damaged and sometimes lost when tidelands and marshes 

 are filled. Eighty percent of the marshland has been 

 "reclaimed". About 20 percent of the reclaimed areas are 

 salt ponds and are currently used by wildlife. Fifty 

 percent of the remaining water area of the Bay is vulner- 

 able to reclamation and fill. Current uncontrolled urban 

 growth threatens both tidelands and marshes. 



Amounts Reclamation 



Habitat in 1967 Losses 



Original Amounts 

 (before reclamation) 



Marshlands 300 sq. miles 50 sq. miles 250 sq. miles 



(83 percent) 



Tideflats 82 sq. miles 65 sq. miles 17 sq. miles 



(21 percent) 



The effects have been noticeable. Wintering waterfowl 

 population originally numbered about 2 million to 3 million. 

 Today, wintering waterfowl populations number about 

 600,000 to 800,000, a loss of approximately 1.8 million 

 waterfowl . 



Prior to 1900 the annual commercial harvesting of the 

 oyster fishery amounted to 10 to 15 million pounds. With 



