Lower Mississippi Region Comprehensive Study. Appendix O. Coastal and Estuarine Resources.
Abstract
The purpose of this appendix is to present the water-related needs for preserving and/or enhancing the coastal and estuarine zone with particular reference to productivity of fish and wildlife. The zone provides valuable habitat for the commercially important marine population dependent on the estuaries for a portion of their life cycle. The zone also provides one of the most important wintering areas in the Mississippi flyway for waterfowl and other migratory bird species. The maintenance of water quality and quantity in the wintering areas is necessary to meet U.S. responsibility under provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 between the U.S. and Canada. The needs presented in this appendix were developed under the limitations of data collected for the most part for other purposes. The complex problem of evaluating this estuary is accented by the limited knowledge of environmental factors affecting productivity and the manner of utilizing these factors to create optimum production of renewable resources. Furthermore, the science of ecology is in its infancy and, in its current state, does not permit formulations in the precise mathematical terms characteristic of engineering and other physical sciences.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1974
- Accession Number
- ADA041364