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What is an Estuary? An estuary is a water body that occurs where freshwater at the mouth of a river or stream meets salt water from the ocean, as in a coastal mangrove, lagoon, bay, or sound. Estuaries provide valuable nursery and feeding grounds for fish, birds, and other wildlife. They also hold economic, recreational and aesthetic value for human populations, sustaining commercially important fish and shellfish species and creating protective coastal waters ideal for shipping, boating, swimming, and building homes. Under normal conditions, estuaries are biologically productive ecosystems. However, increasing impacts from point and nonpoint source pollutants are upsetting the delicate balance of estuarine systems across the country. |
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Why are Estuaries Important?
Estuaries are significant to both marine life and people. They are critical for the
survival of fish, birds, and other wildlife because they provide safe spawning grounds and
nurseries. Marshes and other vegetation in the estuaries protect marine life and water quality
by filtering sediment and pollution. They also provide barriers against damaging storm waves
and floods.
Estuaries also have economic, recreational, and aesthetic value. People love water sports and visit estuaries to boat, fish, swim, and just enjoy their beauty. As a result, the economy of many coastal areas is based primarily on the natural beauty and bounty of their estuaries. Estuaries often have ports serving shipping, transportation, and industry. Healthy estuaries support profitable, commercial fisheries. In fact, almost 31 percent of the Gross National Product (GNP) is produced in coastal counties. This relationship between plants, animals, and humans makes up an estuary's ecosystem. When its components are in balance, plant and animal life flourishes.
Because of our love of the water, almost half of the United States population now lives in coastal areas, including shores of estuaries. In addition, coastal counties are growing three times faster than anywhere else. Unfortunately, this increasing concentration of people upsets the balance of ecosystems. People need housing services, and roads, so new industry and businesses arrive to provide them. When severe, such stresses have forced government authorities to close beaches and shellfish beds and issue warnings about eating fish. In addition, removing grass and trees for development can cause soil erosion and reduce natural habitat, which contributes to the threat of extinction of endangered wildlife.
Challenges Facing Estuaries
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About the National Estuary Program
What is the National Estuary Program?
In 1987, Congress established the National Estuary Program (NEP) as part of the
Clean Water Act. The NEP's mission is to protect and restore the health of estuaries while
supporting economic and recreational activities. To achieve this, the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) helps create local NEPs by developing partnerships between government
agencies that oversee estuarine resources and the people who depend on the estuaries for
their livelihood and quality of life. These groups plan and implement programs according to
the needs of their own areas. To date, 21 local NEPs are demonstrating practical and
innovative ways to revitalize and protect their estuaries.
How Does the National Estuary Program Work to Protect Estuaries?
A major benefit of the NEP is that it brings communities together to decide the future of
their own estuaries. The NEP combines the work of many groups. Each local NEP consists
of representatives from government agencies responsible for the estuary's health and
productivity and from the community -- citizens, business leaders, educators, and researchers.
Each NEP identifies its estuary's problems, recommends solutions and makes financial
commitments in a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The CCMP
is a blueprint for revitalizing the estuary and protecting it from new dangers.
By providing grants and technical assistance, EPA helps state and local governments in their efforts to protect and restore their vital estuarine resources. EPA also shares "lessons learned" among all the individual estuary programs as well as other coastal communities.
