Estuary Save the Estuaries! --

Estuary

Save the Estuaries! -- the role of estuaries in relation to hurricanes and tropical storms

An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water that is formed when freshwater from rivers, streams, and groundwater flow into the ocean and mix with seawater. Although, like the ocean, estuaries are influenced by winds and tides, these bodies of water are usually protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds, and storms by the reefs, barrier islands, or fingers of land, mud, or sand that define an estuary's terrestrial boundaries ("Estuaries and Your Costal Wetland," 2006, EPA). According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "estuaries are an important component of the complex and dynamic coastal watershed" as well as provide homes for a wide variety of animal and plant life ("Estuaries and Your Costal Wetland," 2006, EPA).

The wetlands bordering many estuaries have a vital role in maintaining the overall environment's state of homeostasis, particularly in regards to its water quality. Estuaries provide flood protection and water storage during storms, such as the two catastrophic hurricanes that made landfall in the United States in August and September of 2005. Many upland areas drain into estuaries and thus estuaries act as filters, removing pollution from runoff ("Estuaries and Your Costal Wetland," 2006, EPA). Ironically, Hurricane Rita made landfall on the Texas coast on September 24, National Estuary Day. It is always necessary to minimize flooding from storm waters and protect the coastland from devastating storm surges and help clean pollutants from runoff, and "wetlands in our bays perform all these important functions and more for free. One study suggests wetlands provide nearly $7,000 per acre of services each year" (Harvey, 2005)