US Coastal Regions "Fair To Poor" In Annual Report - ENS

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WASHINGTON, DC, January 18, 2005 (ENS) - Estuaries across the United States are in fair condition overall, but conditions are poor in the estuaries of the Northeast coast and Puerto Rico regions, four federal resources agencies say in a new report on the coastal environment that is issued only once every four years.

The 2005 National Coastal Condition Report released on Monday is a comprehensive report on the condition of the nation’s estuarine waters and coastal fisheries. It shows poor to fair conditions in the Great Lakes, fair conditions in the Gulf coast, Great Lakes, and West coast, and good conditions in the Southeast coast. Estuaries are transition zones between the fresh water of a river and the saline environment of the sea, receiving freshwater and sediment from rivers and tidal influx from the oceans. This interaction produces a unique environment that supports wildlife and fisheries and contributes to the economy of coastal areas.

The new report is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with other agencies representing states and tribes. It is based on monitoring data collected between 1997 and 2000 on the condition of the estuarine and Great Lakes resources of the United States.

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This coastal population is increasing by 3,600 people per day, giving a projected total increase of 27 million people by 2015, the researchers found. This rate of growth is faster than that of the nation as a whole, and it is great stress on the coastal environment. In the report's introduction, the situation is expressed in no uncertain terms. "Because a disproportionate percentage of the nation’s population lives in coastal areas, the activities of municipalities, commerce, industry, and tourism have created environmental pressures that threaten the very resources that make the coast desirable."

"Population pressures include increased solid waste production, higher volumes of urban nonpoint source runoff, loss of green space and wildlife habitat, declines in ambient water and sediment quality, and increased demands for wastewater treatment, irrigation and potable water, and energy supplies."

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