IV-554 



Increasing environmental pressures from demographic and commercial 

 development are paralleled in the same community by the increasing 

 desire for greater recreational use. That these can be compatible 

 is clearly shown by the San Diego Bay example. Such community 

 reactions as in San Diego and in San Francisco demonstrate that, 

 while people need commercial development and use, they want a safe 

 and enjoyable environment at the same time. 



SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC TRENDS IN THE ESTUARINE ZONE 



At the present time, the major uses of estuaries, in terms of gross 

 monetary return are: military use, shipping, and industrial activi- 

 ties. These uses are, of course, historical and do not necessarily 

 reflect the uses that would be made of the estuary under today's 

 conditions or future conditions, if each use were to compete for the 

 water use at the same time. In other words, historical use has 

 brought about the present use imbalance in many estuarine systems. 

 However, given the opportunity to develop, other uses might attain 

 equal importance economically while contributing important social 

 benefits. 



Estuaries at the present time represent underdeveloped natural 

 resources that are important to the socail as well as the economic 

 well-being of the Nation. Based on present trends and demands, there 

 is little doubt that there will be a tremendous need for estuarine 

 uses other than for military, shipping, and industrial uses. That is, 

 if the facilities are available for recreation, sports, or aesthetic 



