Impact of Dredging in the Tampa Bay Estuary, 1876-1976
Lmhact of
Dredging in the
Roy R. Lewis, IT1 . . .
mrpz
....
Bay EStrrary, 1876
. .
....-
-
-
1976,
. . . . . . . . . . -3:-
PROCEEDINGS
SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE New Orleans, Louisiana
November 17' - 28. 1976
TiE COASTAL SOC%E W
TIME - STRESSED COASTAL ENVI RQ1VMEbiPS.ASSESS-MENTand FUTURE ACT!OAI
Pubiished by THE CGASTAL socrETY
3426 Noflh Wash tngton Boulevard Arlington, Virginia 22201
55
Lewis LG'rlCT
OF D R E X I X G I X
TEE T L V A M Y EST'JhRY, 1876-1976
2
Roy K- Lewis, 111 Professor of Biology
Billsborough Community College
Tanpa, Florida
Tampa Bay is an estuary located on t h e west coast of Florida. Onesixth of the state's population l i v e s in the three counties bordering i x s shores. During t h e last 100 years four major types of dredging have impacted t h e bay: c'namei deepening, maintenance & e d g i n g , s h e i i dredging, and d r e d g i n g for landfill construction. These %pacts range from rhe economic benefrit provided by chamel and port construction f o r wnat i s now the eighth largesr port in the nation to the environmental damage caused by dredging to create over 5,000 ha of l a d f i i l in r h e bay f o r r e s i d e n t i a l , commercial, and dredged material disposal use. These landfills Lave r e s u l t e d i n the loss of 44% of the original narine
wetlands Bordering Taws Bay.
Becenr environmental concerns have h a l t e d l a n d f i l l d r e d g i n g and severely restricted maintenance dredging. Research on s h e l l dredging in :he bay indicate ntnimal 5mpsc; if carefully controlled. Few c h a m e l deepening an6 open water d i s p o s a l of 55,000,000 m3 of dredged naterial is planned as parr of the Tzmpa &r>or Deepeaing Project, now in progress. Thfs project has uidergone fnteasive rev5ew and aodification as a result of envrironmental concern by b o t h citizens and scientists.
Introduction Duzing the f96Ds, t h e popillation of Florida increased 37% from 4.9 m i l l i o n to 6.8 million, while t h e United States as a wnole shoved only a 13%increase. Three out of four of chese new r e s i d e n t s migrated from o r h e r s;ates. The 1976 population is e s r h e e d to be 8.7 miiiion %
Dredging in the
Roy R. Lewis, IT1 . . .
mrpz
....
Bay EStrrary, 1876
. .
....-
-
-
1976,
. . . . . . . . . . -3:-
PROCEEDINGS
SECOND ANNUAL CONFERENCE New Orleans, Louisiana
November 17' - 28. 1976
TiE COASTAL SOC%E W
TIME - STRESSED COASTAL ENVI RQ1VMEbiPS.ASSESS-MENTand FUTURE ACT!OAI
Pubiished by THE CGASTAL socrETY
3426 Noflh Wash tngton Boulevard Arlington, Virginia 22201
55
Lewis LG'rlCT
OF D R E X I X G I X
TEE T L V A M Y EST'JhRY, 1876-1976
2
Roy K- Lewis, 111 Professor of Biology
Billsborough Community College
Tanpa, Florida
Tampa Bay is an estuary located on t h e west coast of Florida. Onesixth of the state's population l i v e s in the three counties bordering i x s shores. During t h e last 100 years four major types of dredging have impacted t h e bay: c'namei deepening, maintenance & e d g i n g , s h e i i dredging, and d r e d g i n g for landfill construction. These %pacts range from rhe economic benefrit provided by chamel and port construction f o r wnat i s now the eighth largesr port in the nation to the environmental damage caused by dredging to create over 5,000 ha of l a d f i i l in r h e bay f o r r e s i d e n t i a l , commercial, and dredged material disposal use. These landfills Lave r e s u l t e d i n the loss of 44% of the original narine
wetlands Bordering Taws Bay.
Becenr environmental concerns have h a l t e d l a n d f i l l d r e d g i n g and severely restricted maintenance dredging. Research on s h e l l dredging in :he bay indicate ntnimal 5mpsc; if carefully controlled. Few c h a m e l deepening an6 open water d i s p o s a l of 55,000,000 m3 of dredged naterial is planned as parr of the Tzmpa &r>or Deepeaing Project, now in progress. Thfs project has uidergone fnteasive rev5ew and aodification as a result of envrironmental concern by b o t h citizens and scientists.
Introduction Duzing the f96Ds, t h e popillation of Florida increased 37% from 4.9 m i l l i o n to 6.8 million, while t h e United States as a wnole shoved only a 13%increase. Three out of four of chese new r e s i d e n t s migrated from o r h e r s;ates. The 1976 population is e s r h e e d to be 8.7 miiiion %
