c * Sfolt Histories ^S^JtePc^i^pJ^ionSj. Six sites were chosen on Old ttorCh 

 Beach that have, in large pare, not oeen affected by oysrwash recently. These 

 belts (A, 3, C, E, F, and Z) will be discussed first, followed by those areas 

 wnich were recently created. 



Belt A is located 1000 meters south of the Orleans parking lot (Fig. 90). 

 In 18S8 this belt consisted of a continuous dune line backad by a broad salt 

 marsh (360 meters) abutting the glacial aaratne (Fig. 110). Between 1886 fflsid 

 1938, overwash occurred along the epit for afcaut 1000 Eaters on either side of 

 belt A. The dunes were completely leveled, end a new, continuous dune line 

 had developed by 1938 on what had been salt ssarsh. Although this dune line 

 was disturbed again by overwash prior to 1952, send was transported only part 

 of the distance across the barrier. Remnants of the dune line had expanded 

 and coalesced, reestablishing a continuous dune line by 1973. In 1978 bait A 

 consisted of a dune line 130 Esters broad and 10 testers high which was backed 

 by a shrub c&sEunity and a Spartina patens- A gropy van pungsns grassland aad 

 marsh (Fig. Ill), 



In the past 110 years, 183 rasters of the belt A shoreline has eroded. 

 Overwash has driven fhe barrier dunes wast%*srd over the salt marsh. Unable to 

 expand landward, the salt marsh has becotaa progressively narrows? (Table 54). 

 The landward part of this belt is, therefore, older than 110 years, whereas 

 parts of the dune line have developed since 1952. 



Belt B is located 1000 raeters south of belt A (Figs. 90 and 1)0). la 18&8 

 this belt consisted of a narrow duae line fronting a broad salt Bareh. The 

 dune3 at belt B ware leveled by overwasa prior to 1836, and wsshovar flats 

 extended beyond the back-barrier shoreline into the bay. By 1886 tEse bayaard 

 margin of Che belt had been recoloalsed by salc-eaarsh vegafcatioet* (toferwaea 

 must have cantioivid at telt I during this period, since by 1S33 cite fc-ack &er- 

 rier sliarellue had extended about 75 eetesrs farther into tha wsstera creek aad 

 dunes had developed on the recently established salt sarsss. 



Between 193S aad 1978, £<sw cajor cfe&a^as occurred ©E belt B. Sfeareliea 

 erosion reduced the barrier width aad dune line by e&osat a0 sisters. T&b daas 

 line was 200 eaters bro-td and 8 to 10 titers high in 1978 (Fig* 1.2). Alosg 

 70 Eeter6 of the dune line a Hall-developed, stable duas— bsath eo^esanity «ss 

 present, dosiaated fcy Huisoniik Lomentoea (false baach heather)* As at bait A, 

 a grassland cosse»nity graded into a breed Spartina patens csrsh. Spartina. 

 alterniftom grew only at the cre«*k margir. . 



Belt C is located 1000 asstars smith of belt B and because it is backed by 

 Pochet Island, it no longer migrates landward (Fig. SO). In 1868 bait C con- 

 sisted of a narrow dune line backed by a narrow marsh, a broad creek t a second 

 broad sarsh, and a creek (Fig. 1 10). Frier to IBSfr this belt ovemrashed , 

 filling the brosd creek and extending the barrier to the base of the glacial 

 cliff at Pochet Island. A essssive washover euat have extended at lease 375 

 meters landward of the bars crest <, By 1886 dunes had developed at the back of 

 the washover which was still barren along tha seaward edge. Dunes present in 

 1886 were all landward of tha 1868 dune line. 



Between 1938 and 1978 very few changes occurred at belt C. Although the 

 barrier narrowed durieg this period, the dune line expanded landward aad 

 increased in width, probably because tha cce°k at the base of Pochet Island 



188 





