202 



Island coast, New York and northeast New Jersey coast and the 

 Philadelphia- New Jersey-Delaware areas. These areas, with the possi- 

 ble exception of the Maine coast, are mature areas which experienced 

 an early growth in population and reached a large population density 

 relatively quickly. They are now growing comparatively slowly. High- 

 est relative growth between 1930 and 1960 (more than 100 percent 

 above the national average) took place in four areas: Florida, the 

 Mississippi-Alabama-west Florida coast, Texas, and California. These 

 areas are expected to experience extensive short- and long-term growth 

 in the future. Significantly, these areas also reflect a change in life 

 style toward a suburban, leisure-centered existence with its attendant 

 demands for land- and water-related activities. 



TABLE IV.4.1.— POPULATION GROWTH RATES IN OBE ESTUARINE ECONOMIC AREAS COMPARED TO NATIONAL 



GROWTH, 1930-60 



Difference 



from 



national 



Growth rate growth 



Individual estuary economic areas (percent) (percent) 



1. Maine coast - 



2. Massachusetts-Rhode Island coast 



3. Connecticut coast. - - 



4. New York-northeast New Jersey 



5. Philadelphia-New Jersey-Delaware 



6. Maryland-Virginia coast.. 



7. North Carolina coast 



8. South Carolina coast 



9. Georgia-eastern Florida coast. 



10. Southern Florida gulf coast 



11. Central Florida gulf coast 



12. Mississippi-Alabama-west Florida coast 



13. Louisiana coast 



14. Texas north gulf coast 



15. Texas south gulf coast 



16. Southern California coast 



17. Central California coast 



18. Northern California coast _ 



19. Oregon coast _._ 



20. Washington coast.. 



Note: National population growth rate, 46 percent; total estuary economic region growth rate, 78 percent; difference, 

 plus 32 percent. 



Actual trends and projections of numbers of persons by OBE estu- 

 arine economic area are given in table IV.4.2. Table IV.4.3 demon- 

 strates population pressure on the available coastline and associated 

 estuaries. That pressure can be summarized as follows: 



(1) The New York-northeast New Jersey coast area, OBE area 

 4 with a population density of nearly 4,000 persons per square 

 mile in 1970 (more than twice as high as the next most densely 

 populated area projected for 2000), will continue to be the most 

 populous area in the United States and exert the most concentrated 

 pressure on remaining coastal open space and water quality from 

 municipal and other wastes ; 



(2) The southern North Atlantic and Middle Atlantic bi()- 

 physical region, OBE areas 2 through 6, will continue to experi- 

 ence the greatest concentration of population of economic 

 activity; 



(3) The distribution of major population densities will change 

 from a heavy preponderance located in the North Atlantic and 

 Middle Atlantic region, to a more even distribution including 



