442 



resulting from careless shipping and unloading methods and bilge 

 emptying (84), oil and grease from petroleum processes, including 

 undersea wells (42), and agricultural wastes (35). 



Modification, whether manmade or natural, was the second concern 

 (285) . While it was recognized that some limited dredging and filling 

 may be desirable, it was stated that the current methods are not ade- 

 quately supervised to protect the areas in which they are carried out. 

 Also commented upon was the problem of material carried from 

 upriver (sedimentation). In this context, the problems of indiscrimi- 

 nate development and improper land management could be mentioned, 

 as they allow land to lie unprotected for rain to wash off the topsoil 

 and add to sediment loads ( 107 ) . 



Conflicting use demands and lack of planning criteria were also 

 frequently mentioned problems (90). 



TABLE V.5.3b.— SUMMARY OF PREVAILING TONE OF RESPONSES PER TYPE OF 

 PUBLIC/PRIVATE GROUP AND PER CATEGORY 



Distribution of responses among groups- 



Subject category 



Pollution of all kinds 



Oil and grease - - 



Vessel— boat and ship -. 



Industrial, including thermal 



Agricultural , 



Municipal, especially sewage 



Inadequate waste treatment 



Modification— sedimentation, dredging and fill, and 



lack of supervision over them 



Indiscriminate development and improper land 



management. 



Changing water quality standards; loss of water 



resource 



Multitude of agencies, laws, jurisdictions, owner 



ships - 



Lack of scientific data 



Conflicting use demands and lack of planning 



criteria 



Nonenforcement of laws and weak laws 



Resource demands, especially for electricity. 



Cost of pollution control and defeat of financing 



bonds 



Public attitudes towards estuaries and marshes 



SUMMARIZATION OF VIEWS AND ANSWERS IN TABLE V.5.3C 



Table V.5.3c indicates that the most frequently mentioned result 

 of pollution, modification, and use in the estuaries was the destruction 

 of natural resources, especially fish and wildlife (231). Kelated to 

 this effect was the depression of the seafood industry, through either 

 killing or contamination of the species (106), coupled with the con- 

 current loss of marine food potential (117). 



Mentioned somewhat less frequently, but perhaps having more im- 

 portance, was the destruction of the estuaries themselves and their 



