Chapter 3 Problems of Natural and Man-Made Changes in the Environment 



Despite natural changes, both long term and 

 catacylsmic, the more serious disturbances to the 

 coastal environment that we have to consider are 

 those caused by man. Man's uses— and abuses— of 

 the Nation's shoreline outlined in Chapter 2 are 

 producing changes in our environment that we are 

 only beginning to understand. Ample evidence 

 exists that many rivers and estuaries were polluted 

 by industrial waste before 1900 and will require 

 major efforts to restore.* More recently, stories of 

 the effects of pollution in Lake Michigan and Lake 

 Erie have attracted considerable attention. 



Construction activities are increasing rapidly in 

 the coastal zone as population pressure mounts 

 and economic development continues to expand. 

 The impact on the coastal environment and 

 ecology is evident as works associated with mod- 

 ern technology alter the tidal regimen, and degrade 

 or enhance shore and water areas of substantial 

 value. 



Land fill and dredging, harbor and channel 

 construction, jetties and breakwaters, causeways, 

 hurricane barriers, salinity control structures, and 

 artificial beaches may generate important ecolo- 

 gical changes. In present knowledge, many effects 

 are obscure and a better understanding of relation- 

 ships is needed. Systematic studies of preventive or 

 corrective action and a full evaluation of man's 

 effects are necessary to realize the potential and to 

 prevent destruction of our coastal resources. 



Based upon the material made available to us 

 and the great interest we have noted, the following 

 problems have been identified involving natural 

 and artificial changes in our coastal environment. 



—Pollution 



—Shoreline erosion 



— Shorehne damage from storms 



—Loss of wildlife and nutrient areas 



—Silting and shoaling 



— Eutrophication 



-Proliferation of pests and unwanted species. 



Pollution, the most severe problem, has been 

 singled out for special emphasis in Chapter 4. The 

 others are discussed in the following sections. 

 Such other problems as shoreUne subsidence, 

 ecological disruptions, and socioeconomic and 

 legal considerations are discussed where associated 

 with the more fundamental cause or in other 

 reports of the panel or the Commission. 



I. SHORELINE EROSION 



Erosion of beaches and shorelines is a serious 

 National problem. Shoreline erosion is due to both 

 natural and man-made effects. Sand is a diminish- 

 ing important natural resource and its conservation 

 must be considered in long-range planning. The 

 Corps of Engineers reports that about 65 per cent 

 of the Nation's coastline is inadequately protected 

 or endangered.^ 



The principal factors in shoreline erosion are: 



-Damage by storms 



-Shoreline construction affecting beach processes 



—Inland development that curtails normal beach 

 sand nourishment. 



The U.S. coastline (including Alaska, Hawaii, 

 Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) is 89,548 

 miles, of which Alaska alone accounts for 33,900 

 miles.^ This mileage includes tidewater areas up to 

 locations where the stream or embayment width 

 becomes less than 100 feet. To this can be added 

 the 4,776-mile U.S. shoreline of the Great Lakes, 

 for a total of 94,324 miles. 



The characteristics of these shores may vary 

 from the broken, varying shoreline of New 

 England to the broad sand beaches of the Gulf and 

 Pacific; from the low tidewater backshores of the 



Restoring the Quality of Our Environment, Report 

 of the Environmental Pollution Panel of the President's 

 Science Advisory Committee. 



Annual Report of the Corps of Engineers, Vol. 2, 

 1966. 



Coast and Geodetic Survey, Shore and Sea Bound- 

 aries, Publication 10-1, 1964. 



III-29 



