Erosion
Shoreline
erosion is rampant throughout the Chesapeake Bay region, even in the smallest
creeks. The eroded sediment causes our creeks to shoal up, and smothers oyster
beds.
There
are three reasons why so much erosion is taking place, and we can all do
something about two of them. We can’t do anything about the fact that Virginia’s
Coastal Plain is sinking about 2 mm each year. It’s just bad luck. But we can
do something about the fact that global sea level is rising about 2 mm each
year because of global warming. Increased coastal flooding caused by rising sea
level is just one reason we all need to conserve fossil fuels.
Boat
wakes are the third reason our creek banks are eroding away.
Here is
the NAPS Stewardship "Tip-of-the-month":
When boating, never make waves larger than Nature makes, especially in small waterways.