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COPYRIGHT 2004 American Geographical Society
The wild horse may be the icon of Assateague Island, but there are many other features and stories to enjoy in Maryland's coastal bays and surrounding region. From the beaches and trails, the birds of shore and woodland, and the soybean fields colored gold in early autumn, the coastal bays region is a dynamic and delightful area. While the impact of people continues to alter the landscape as the ways of making a livelihood and leisure activities adjust to the changing times, for the interest of geographers, the region has a diversity of physical elements that shape its human history as well as human decisions that shape its physical setting.
In examining the land features and historic sites, visitors will be aware of changes and environmental pressures. People visit the area for vacation and recreation; they move to the region for retirement, and come here for other reasons. Population growth fuels commercial development that changes the coastal habitat of birds, terrapins, and plant communities. Long-time residents may decry the loss of beach access or large stretches of tranquil places where one can paddle and be alone. New settlers may seek a convenient familiar big-box retail center. County planners will need sophisticated techniques to manage growth through often competing demands. Visitors to the coastal bays region can appreciate the physical and human geographic elements of the region while the environmental issues remain in the background of consciousness.
Origins
In the planet's great geologic time span, the earth-shaping events giving rise to the barrier islands landscape occurred quite recently. When the glaciers melted about 10,000 years ago and water levels rose, the lower part of the Susquehanna River was flooded, creating the Chesapeake Bay. This made the Eastern Shore peninsula a prominent and distinct feature on the map. The highest elevation of the Delmarva Peninsula is about 45 feet and the "divide" runs roughly northeast to southwest across the county. To its west, the rivers flowing west into the Chesapeake Bay, while east of the ridge, the rivers flow into the coastal bays and Atlantic Ocean (see Figure 1, Delmarva Coastal Bays Watershed). The narrow coastal bays watershed extends from southern Delaware through Chincoteague, Virginia, and encompasses 175 square miles. By contrast, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with 64,000 square miles, extends into upstate New York and to the Blue Ridge Mountain of western Virginia. The coastal bays are formed west of the barrier islands. Four bays separate the islands and the mainland, from north to south: Assawoman, Isle of Wight, Sinepuxent, and...
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