Two subdivisions are made here, based primarily on proximity of 

 the airea to ocean inlets, and consequently, on water salinity. The 

 marshes, while not neaurly so extensive as those of the northeast 

 embayed portion of the North Carolina coast, are relatively Isirge and 

 diverse for this part of the state, 



1, Salt Marsh: 



Salt marsh communities occur along the Intracoastal Waterway 

 and around the landward periphery of barrier, and to some extent, 

 spoil, islands. The dominant species is smooth cordgrass 

 ( Spartina alterniflora ) , which often occurs in large, pure popu- 

 lations. The most extensive — ajid apparently, robust — stands 

 occur within the marshes of the Smith Island complex. Soils are 

 almost exclusively Typic Sulfaquents and Typic Psammaquents. 



In addition, included within this category are the fairly 

 broad salt flats dominated by halophytic species such as glass- 

 wort ( Salicornia spp,), which occur to a significant extent on 

 the backbarrier flats of Smith Island, and to a lesser extent 

 behind other of the county's barrier islands. Because these are 

 generally areas of oceanic storm overwash, "soils" are mixtures 

 of shell fragments and unconsolidated sandy sediments, 



2, Brackish Marsh: 



Brackish marshes dominate the estuaries of the Cape Fear, 

 Lockwoods's Folly, and Shallotte Sivers, along the tidal reaches 

 of their tributaries, and to some extent behind most of the 

 county's barrier islands. Of these areas, the most extensive 

 and diverse brackish marshes occur at the mouth of Town Creek 

 and northward, and within the intact western and northern por- 

 tions of Eagle's Island, probably a late Pleistocene backbarrier 

 flat (Dubar et al. 1976). 



The dominant species in "seaward" brackish marshes is gener- 

 ally black needle rush ( Juncus roemerianus ) , which occurs in 

 tremendous pure populations along the lower reaches of the 

 Lockwood's Folly and Shallotte Rivers, and on various creeks 

 within the Smith Island complex. Soils here, though generally 

 slightly higher elevationally than those in salt marsh areas, 



