1 



40 80E 



Unvegetoled 



Ammophila brevi liqulolc 

 tothyrus japenicus 

 Artemisi a caudola 

 Rhm r pdican? 

 Myrico pemyivanico 

 Spartina polens 

 Typho Ictifolia 

 Other 

 Open water 



100 pet cower 

 '50 



Figure 119. Vegetative-physiographic transect of belt Z. 



Three areas were chosen that were either established between 1886 and 1938 

 (belts H and I) or were severely overwaehed during the 1938 hurricane (belt 

 D). All three of these areas are, therefore, between 40 and 80 years eld. 



Belt H is located approximately at the site of the 1868 inlet (Fig. 90). 

 By 1886 the southern end of North Beach had extended as far as belt H, and was 

 characterized by washovers at the spit terminus (Fig. 120). In 1893 Old 

 Harbor Coast Guard Station was erected at this site, 330 meters from the ocean 

 beach (Smith, 1909). Belt H was 8 kilometers from the spit terminus by 1938 

 and consisted of several dune ridges, which were remnants of spit recurves, 

 and a salt marsh which had developed between these dunes. Between 1938 and 

 1952 the ocean shoreline eroded at a rate of 6.7 meters par year, reducing the 

 dune field substantially. During this period, overwash from areas north of 

 belt H filled most of the salt marsh in the interior without destroying the 

 low, seaward dune line. By 1978 Old Harbor Station had been partially under- 

 mined and had to be removed by using a crane and barge. During the 1978 

 northeaster, overwash eroded sections of the remaining dune line burying the 

 remnants. The features at belt H are, therefore, not all the sane age. The 

 salt marsh and back barrier spit recurve are between 40 and 80 years old, 

 while healthy foredunes arc the result of sheet washovers in 1978 on top of 

 low dunes (Fig. 121). 



Belt 1, located 1000 meters south of belt H, first developed several years 

 after the Old Harbor Station was built in 1893 (Fig. 90). As at belt H, this 

 area, consisting of several dune ridges thet were remnants of spit recurves, 

 was very broad (677 meters) when it first formed (Fig. 120). A &alt marsh, 

 connected to the bay at high tides by a tidal creek, developed between these 

 dunes. 



198 



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