IV-205 



expenditures of the U.S. Navy, which amcount for nearly two-thirds 

 of the economic activity generated in the Narragansett Bay area. 

 The least significant economic use is commercial fishing, accounting 

 for less than one percent of the economic activity. 



An estuary such as .Narragansett Bay, through its effect on the 

 physical environment of the surrounding area, bestows a certain 

 value on this area. This is the only "output" of the Bay which does 

 not require combinations of labor and capital added to the Bay itself. 

 To be sure, it may be possible to increase this output or effect by 

 certain man-made modifications, but since the evaluation of our 

 environment is to a large extent subjective, one cannot always be 

 sure that net results of man-made modifications are, in fact, posi- 

 tive. 



There are two kinds of specific environmental effects involved: 

 (1) Climatic effects. Weather data indicate that 

 the Bay lowers the mean maximum summer temperature in 

 Providence as much as 4 degrees through the way the Bay 

 channels the afternoon sea breezes inland from the 

 ocean. Similarly the water gives off its stored heat 

 at a slower rate than does the land resulting in some 

 modification of mean low winter temperatures. This 

 can be observed on numerous occasions when the coast 

 will experience sleet or rain while it will be snowing 

 and drifting some miles inland. 



