Overwash continued north of belt E for many years. ihe washover flats 

 were still open in 1952. Small dunes developed at the outer washover edge, 

 and the dune line at belt E expanded landward. These dunes were not visible, 

 however, in the 1978 imagery, and salt-marsh vegetation colonized most of the 

 washover flats. Remnants of the dunes at the washover margin were evident 

 from field studies (Fig. 115). A low back-dune ridge, 80 centimeters high, 

 crossed belt E and was dominated by dead and dying Arrnnophila breviligulata, 

 Agropyron pungsns, and Spartina patens. The back dunes present in 1938 and 

 1952 were only marginally supratidal. After continuous dunes north of belt E 

 had developed and washover sand supply to the back barrier was cut off, these 

 marginal dunes deflated to an elevation where Spartina patens could grow. In 

 1978 the dune line was 7 meters high and 160 maters broad; the salt marsh was 

 very wide with broad bands of both Spartina patens and Spartina alterni- 

 flora. The dunes at belt E are more than 40 years old; the eastern part of 

 the salt marsh is very young — less than 26 years;, and the outer edge of the 

 marsh is at least 92 years old. 



3: 



Urwege (cited 



Ammonrti la breviligulata 



Sol f oo go semper vi r on* 



Lotnjrrus 



joporsicus 



Artemisia 



coudoto 



Agropyron 



Duncans 



Sporlino 



potent 



Plontago 



ftorifimo 



Spot tlna 



cits.-nlMoro 



Sollcornto 



virgintco 



Soli com iq europoeo 

 Olh»r 



100 pet cower 

 "50 



Figure 115. Vegetative-physiographic transect of belt E. 



Belt F is located 1500 meters south of belt E in an area that has been 

 stable since 1868 (Fig. 90). In 1868 the belt consisted of a recent washover 

 which had not penetrated the back of the dune line, a narrow dune zone, and 

 a broad salt marsh (Fig. 116) . Only minor changes occurred along the belt 

 between 1868 and 1978, apart from erosion of approximately 190 meters of the 

 oceanside dune line (Table 54) . In 1938 a narrow washover breach disturbed 

 the oceanfront of the dune line at belt F. Massive washovers, which occurred 

 north and sou^h of the belt in 1938 and 1952, deflated, adding sediment to the 

 back of the dune line. Redistribution of washover sand along the bay shore 

 also added sediment to the bayward edge of the salt marsh. 



194 



