469 



available cannot be applied in terms of the needs of comprehensive 

 plans, because these do not yet exist. Again, there is needed the single 

 State organization with the authority and the resources to effectively 

 administer the many good but uncoordinated programs. In addition 

 to the lack of a comprehensive plan, neither Virginia nor Maryland 

 has effective State control over dredge, fills, and alteration in the wet- 

 lands and navigable waters at the present time. Neither is there zoning 

 nor other control over the use of the adjacent lands except at the local 

 level. Even at this level the amount of control is quite limited. 



FINANCIAL RESOURCES 



There has been steady growth in the personnel and financial re- 

 sources devoted to estuarine management; nevertheless, considerable 

 augmentation will be needed if comprehensive plans are to be made 

 and implemented. 



PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE 



There is a considerable amount of public awareness and interest in 

 the management of the Chesapeake Bay, as was evidenced by attend- 

 ance at the public meetings sponsored by this study, and by other 

 meetings and symposia. There is still much to do in obtaining public 

 participation in the decisions to be made. This is particularly neces- 

 sary at the level of local government where the important decisions 

 on land use are made. Public participation in St. Mary's County, Md., 

 decisions on locating a new oil refinery on the shore of the Potomac 

 is an excellent example. Increasing public interest and action and 

 understanding of the estuarine zone and its long-term value are 

 necessities. 



Section 6. Description and Uses of the San Francisco Bay ^ 



San Francisco Bay and delta comprises an extensive system of 

 shallow interconnecting channels and bays. Its water quality ranges 

 from sea water at the Golden Gate to fresh water at the upstream areas 

 of the delta suitable for a variety of uses. 



By its location and natural features the bay system from Spanish 

 times to the present has been a hub of commerce and a defense center, 

 regional first, and national later. With growth there were added the 

 recreational values of the immediate area and the national parks to 

 which the area gave access, and the beginning of an industrial sector. 

 With postWorld War II development, the industrial sector became 

 a major component of the economy. 



The bay is a single body of water, with a total area of 480 sq[uare 

 miles and a shoreline exceeding 276 miles, which receives drainage 

 from a 50,000-square-mile area. Although the bay is a single body of 

 water, its appearance varies greatly from one part to another. To 

 present an adequate or even a reasonably complete description of the 

 bay with its massive variety in terrain, appearance, condition, and 

 general development is almost an impossibility in this brief discussion 

 of management. 



1 The Information describing San Francisco Bay was taken from the San Francisco Bay 

 Conservation and Development Commission study. Extensive use was made of the report 

 entitled "San Francisco Bay Plan Supplement." 



