128 



The relative intensity of recreational use of the estuarine zone varies 

 in different sections of the country. Data pertaining specifically to the 

 estuaries are not available ; however, some information on the impor- 

 tance of recreation in the coastal area, which serves as an index to 

 estuary potential, is given in table IV.2.4. This table presents a break- 

 down of recreation shoreline by shore type, ownership, and degree of 

 development. The recreation shoreline is defined according to accessi- 

 bility and usefulness for recreational pursuits. It comprises about 

 one-third of the entire tidal shoreline of the United States. 



TABLE I V.2.4.— ESTIMATED MILEAGE OF THE U.S. RECREATION SHORELINE (STATUTE MILES) 



Biophysical region 



Extent of 



Total develop- 



shoreiine ment 



Type of shoreline 



Beach 



Bluff Marsh 



Ownership 



Public 



Recrea- Re- 



ation stricted Privately 

 areas areas owned 



North Atlantic 



Middle Atlantic 1.-- 



Chesapeake Bay 



South Atlantic 



Caribbean (Florida only). 



Gulf of Mexico 



Pacific Southwest 



Pacific Northwest 



Alaska 



Pacific Islands 



Total 



2,983 High 



2,929 do... 



1,798 Low 



2,517 Moderate. 

 809 Low 



3,642 do... 



1, 136 Moderate. 



2,039 do... 



(') - 



(') 



17,853 



158 

 742 

 157 

 746 

 328 



1,247 

 253 

 284 

 (») 

 (') 



3,915 



2,683 



1,146 

 941 

 283 

 124 

 586 

 788 



1,570 

 (') 

 0) 



8,121 



142 

 1,041 



699 

 1,489 



357 



1.809 



95 



185 



43 



147 



5 



149 



49 



81 



133 



163 



3 

 66 

 125 

 72 

 37 

 94 

 89 

 38 



2,937 

 2,717 

 1,667 

 2,295 



722 

 3,469 



913 

 1,839 



5,817 



770 



524 16,559 



1 Middle Atlantic region mileages include New York Great Lakes frontage and excludes all Pennsylvania frontage. 

 > No data available. 



Reference: Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, Rept No. 4. 



Analysis of the data in the table shows the differences in shoreline 

 development in various sections of the country. The heavily populated 

 northeast section of the country, including the North Atlantic and 

 Middle Atlantic regions, has a fairly well-developed coastal area. Of 

 the total 5,912 recreation shoreline miles (including the Great Lakes 

 portion of New York) there are 5,654 miles under private or restricted 

 public ownership, meaning that 97 percent of the shore is inaccessible 

 to the general public (fig. IV.2.14). In the Chesapeake and South 

 Atlantic regions the state of shoreline development is low to moderate. 

 Of the total 4,315 miles of recreation shoreline for the two regions, 

 only 154 miles are public recreational areas, a mere 4 percent of the 

 total. The level of development of the gulf coast is relatively low. Out 

 of a total 3,642 miles of recreation shoreline only 81 are dedicated to 

 public recreational areas, a total of only about 2 percent. The Pacific 

 coast, which is composed of 75 percent bluff type shoreline, in areas 

 suitable for recreation provides 10 percent of this length for recre- 

 ation, or almost 300 out of 3,000 miles. 



That so much of the recreation shoreline is in private ownership 

 indicates the high value placed on waterfront property and the desire 

 to own it, either for passive enjoyment or for more active recreational 

 pursuits. 



