437 



difficulty of directly evaluating the dollar worth of the aesthetic features of the 

 marine resources they do, however, engender vast economic activities and 

 production. 



The combination of sea, sand and sun is usually irrestible. Hundi'ods of thou- 

 sands of people are attracted temporarily (tourists and vacationists) and perma- 

 nently to the shorelines of the State, iiartially because of the water. Williams- 

 burg, Jamestown and the towns, homes and river plantations of the James and 

 other estuaries are made more attractive by the proximity of attractive waters 

 and shorelines. Industrial and mdlitary recruiting in the area is made easier by 

 their presence, though this is not an unmixed blessing. 



Marine waters with their special properties support profuse and diverse forms 

 of life wlrich in themselves are interesting and useful resources. 



The waters of the sea, especially the brackish waters of the estuaries serve as 

 processing and, more generally, cooling waters for industry and shipping. Estua- 

 rine and marine waters also receive, to dilute, disperse and transform, it is hoped, 

 the waste materials and waters from the major cities. For example, they are 

 used variously as primary, secondary or tertiary and final sewage treatment 

 plants for Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, Newport News, Norfolk, West Point, 

 Fredericksburg and the metropolitan Washington complex, etc. and the major 

 industi'ies of the State. Wastes of all types including agricultural and radioactive 

 materials reach the estuaries and tlie sea. This use has saved communities and 

 industries millions of dollars but has often been a wasteful and destructive proc- 

 ess. We have not hesitated to put marine waters to this use — ^ve should recognize 

 their service in any accounting of valuable marine resources. 



Because they function as an almost universal solvent, the waters of the sea 

 receive, dissolve, hold and sometimes release, most of the important elements and 

 compounds known. Because of this it is a rich natural nutrient for life from 

 the lowest to the highest forms. 



In addition, the waters of the sea serve as storehouses of energy, moderators 

 of weather, determiners of climate and as the central reservoir of 90 per cent 

 of the earth's water. The ocean is our ultimate source of water — it is our great- 

 est water reservoir. 



Marine waters, especially the less salty estuarine waters, will be increasingly 

 used for drinking, irrigation and process water. To do this, special techniques 

 of capturing less salty surface waters or of desalting the marine or estuarine 

 waters will have to be developed. 



Valuable though they are, these waters also are the cause of economic loss 

 and death. Destruction of real property by slow erosion or SAvift storm damage 

 is not uncommon. Loss of life and property on land and ships and their cargoes at 

 sea are frequent. 



Increasing contamination by chemicals, sewage, radioactivity, silt, heat and 

 multiple, sometimes destructive, use of these waters both above and below their 

 fall lines pose serious threats to their cleanliness and utility and undoubtedly 

 affect their habitability by marine organisms of all kinds. 



Shorelines, beaches and bottoms 



The waters of the Virginian Sea and the estuaries are bounded and contained 

 by shorelines and bottoms which, themselves, play important roles in the ecology 

 of the marine environment and in the economy of the Commonwealth. 



There are over 4,000 statute miles of tidal shoreline in Virginia. These vary 

 from salt marshes and muddy flats to sandy ocean and river beaches and high 

 bluffs. Some are stable— some are not. 



Shorelines are economically and aesthetically valuable. Almost everyone likes 

 to wander along a sandy strand. This is a peaceful and healing pleasure. Many 

 people wish to l>uild iiermanent or vacation homes along ocean and bay beaches 

 and water. Residential shoreline is extremely valuable, often co.sting over $100 

 a linear foot, unimproved. 



Pleasure beaches are particularly valuable not only in cost i>er linear foot but 

 attractiveness to recreationists with money from elsewhere. So valuable are they 

 that expensive engineering works whose sole function is to protect the beaches 

 and resort properties and costly programs of beach replenishment are justified. 

 To remedy damage cau.sed to Virginia Beach by the "Ash Wednesday (1962) 

 Storm" cost over ten million dollars and a continuous replenishment program is 

 underway. Because of building and replenishment programs like this, submarine 

 sand has become a valuable resource and a search is on for sources of high qual- 

 ity strategically located sand for beach nourishment. 



