The Marshes of Back Bay, Virginia

An inventory was undertaken to determine the type and extent of the emergent tidal wetlands in Back Bay, which, historically, has ranged from a lunar tidal brackish estuary to a wind tidal freshwater system. The inventory was conducted primarily by boat with visual observations made for each marsh. The configuration and areal extent of each marsh was determined from USGS topographic maps and confirmed with aerial photography where necessary. Approximately 9925 acres of wetlands as defined by the Commonwealth of Virginia were identified within the watershed. These wetlands supported a very diverse flora consisting of over 109 species. The five dominant species accounted for almost 75% of the wetland acreage. They included: cattails, Typha spp., (4004 acres), needlerush, ]uncus roemerianus, (2371 acres), big cordgrass, Spartina cynosuroides, (605 acres), saltmeadow hay, Sp.artina patens, (449 acres) and switchgrass Panicum virgatum, (427 acres). The remainder of the species represented a diverse mixture of brackish plants with a significant component of freshwater species. The emergent tidal wetlands are dominated by plants typically indicative of brackish conditions even though the system now tends toward freshwater conditions under normal circumstances. These brackish species are probably relicts from when Back Bay was directly influenced by the salinity and tides afforded by inlets to the ocean. The brackish communities because of their continued dominance appear to be more adaptable to the periods of freshwater than the freshwater species are to periods of brackish conditions. These historical oscillations between brackish and fresh conditions are probably responsible for much of the plant diversity found. These plant communities are not static either, as evidenced by changes in the coverage of common reed, Phragmites australis, which has increased substantially between this inventory done in 1977 and recent (1990) observations

York County Shoreline Situation Report 1999

This report represents the first attempt to update the earlier Shoreline Situation Reports. It \u27s purpose is to present recent shoreline conditions, and evaluate, where possible, the change in shore condition since previous reports. New information is presented for areas not previously surveyed. Additional attributes have also been added in phase two. Some information, however, was not computed as part of this second reporting phase, and reference to earlier conditions may be presented. For example, revised shoreline erosion and accretion rates were not computed, but knowledge of previous rates may be of interest in some areas. These are included in this report

James City County Shoreline Situation Report 1999

This report represents the first attempt to update the earlier Shoreline Situation Reports. It\u27s purpose is to present recent shoreline conditions. and evaluate, where possible, the change in shore condition since previous reports. New information is presented for areas not previously surveyed. Additional attributes have also been added in phase two. Some information, however, was not computed as part of this second reporting phase, and reference to earlier conditions may be presented. For example, revised shoreline erosion and accretion rates were not computed, but knowledge of previous rates may be of interest in some areas. These are included in this report

Gloucester County Shoreline And Tidal Marsh Inventory

This inventory is intended to serve as a useful planning tool for managers, planners, regulators, and environmentalists with an interest in Gloucester County. This report documents conditions measured in the County of Gloucester using remote sensing techniques. Two separate activities have occurred in tandem to develop this inventory of tidal marsh, and shoreline features. First, a delineation of tidal marshes within the county used high end image processing software along with color infra-red imagery to delineate the boundaries oftidal marshes\u27within 33 georeferenced scenes. The process calculates the amount of tidal marsh measured within each river segment in acres. Second, the report illustrates results from an aerial survey to delineate the types of shoreline structures, and general conditions observed along the shore. Documentation describing the waterway segments has been edited from the earlier Tidal Marsh Inventory Report for Gloucester County. Frequent reference to the Marsh Types, as defined by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and the Wetlands Advisory Program at VIMS, is noteworthy. Appendix 1 defmes these types. The report organizes the county into nine (9) river segments or waterways: the Poropotank River to Purtan Island, Purtan Bay to Sandy Creek, Jones Creek to Carmine Islands, Gloucester Point, Guinea, the Severn River, the Ware River, the North River, and the Piankatank River. Both shoreline features and tidal marshes are illustrated separately as a series of plates which divide the waterway into smaller segments. A composite image of the waterway segment is presented fust, followed by the larger scale plates at 1:24,000. A brief description of each segment precedes the plates, and presents information related to the composition of the marshes, and the general state of the shoreline. Appendix 2 defines some important terms found in these sections