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research 1 : identifying issues

12Learning Barge

+ 9 sites out of mind 13

r1.1: Water, WetLand + WiLdLife haBitat

context

The E l i zabeth R iver i s an es tuary tha t d ra ins in to the James R iver, one o f the e igh t ma jo r t r ibu ta r ies o f the Chesapeake Bay. The Nor fo lk In te rna t iona l Termina l , one o f the bus ies t and fas tes t -g rowing por ts in the Un i ted S ta tes , l i es on the E l i zabeth . The Southern Branch is the most heav i l y indus t r ia l i zed o f the r i ve r ’s th ree b ranches . I t i s f lanked by the c i t ies o f Nor fo lk , Por tsmouth and Chesapeake. The E l i zabeth R iver watershed inc ludes the b rack ish Lake Drummond, as we l l as ra inwater runo f f f rom the sur round ing u rban areas .

An es tuary i s de f ined as a semi -coas ta l body o f water tha t has a measurab le sa l in i t y g rad ien t f rom i t s f reshwater d ra inage to i t s ocean en t rance . By i t s na tu re , i t i s a t ida l en t i t y, governed by the rhy thms o f the moon. The brack ish qua l i t y o f an es tuary var ies accord ing to i t s sources , i t s p rox imi ty to the ocean, and to the seasons . Bo th the E l i zabeth R iver and the Chesapeake Bay a re es tuar ies , bu t the i r d i f fe ren t sca les and shore l ine topograph ies d is t ingu ish them.

The eco logy o f an es tuary changes cons tan t l y. Bes ides tw ice-da i l y sh i f t ing o f the t ides , there i s a sec t iona l layer ing o f the water. Due to the h igher dens i ty o f sa l t wa ter, sa l in i t y i s genera l l y h igher a t g rea te r dep ths . The r i ve r i s there fo re the leas t sa l ine a t i t s source , and as the sa l in i t y g rad ien t sh i f t s be tween here and i t s mouth , the communi t ies o f p lan ts and an ima ls found in the waters and wet lands change accord ing ly.

There a re f i ve ma jo r Chesapeake Bay communi t ies . Wet land t ypes a re de f ined by the p r imary p lan t communi t ies o f wh ich they a re compr ised . Marshes can ex is t as f reshwater, b rack ish , o r sa l twater and a re domina ted by g rasses and reeds . Swamps tend to ex is t fu r ther in land and fu r ther a long the cha in o f success ion . One f inds in them shrubs and t rees as we l l as fo rbs , as these p lan ts g radua l l y rep lace the emergent marsh g rasses . Submersed grassbeds cons is t o f on ly

about ten ma jo r spec ies , commonly known co l lec t i ve ly as SAV, or submersed aquat ic vegeta t ion . Of c ruc ia l impor tance to the food cha in a re p lank ton . These organ isms f loa t near the sur face o f the water and inc lude zoop lank ton (copepods) , bac te r ia and je l l y f i sh . Nekton are f ree-sw imming aquat ic c rea tu res such as f i sh , c rus taceans and o ther inver tebra tes . Res id ing in the bo t tom sed iments , the benthos group inc ludes a lgae , bac te r ia and c i l i a tes .

Wet land a reas in the E l i zabeth R iver reg ion a re genera l l y b rack ish marshes . Cordgrass , nar row- leaved ca t ta i l , sw i tch-grass and common reed are the i r dominant vegeta t ion .

Two factors are of prime importance in de te rmin ing the popu lace o f a g iven a rea o f the r i ve r. One is the dynamic and harsh env i ronment p roduced by i t s sa l in i t y. Few c rea tu res a re adapted to permanent res idency in the bay o r the r i ve r. Those few, such as oys te rs , f lour ish in the bay. A second fac to r i s the abundance o f nu t r ien ts and sed iment suspended here , wh ich make i t an idea l nursery fo r juven i le ocean f i shes . These in tu rn a t t rac t p redators , so the bay and the r i ve r a re home to an ex t remely w ide var ie ty o f t rans ien t spec ies .

There a re th ree ca tegor ies o f endemic spec ies in the bay and the r i ve r. Nat ive spec ies such as the g rass shr imp and the b lue c rab a re ind igenous to the bay and spend the i r who le l i ves in i t s b rack ish waters . There a re th ree subcategor ies o f v is i t ing spec ies . Anadromous spec ies such as her r ing and shad migra te f rom the ocean to b reed. The young remain to feed . Semi -anadromous spec ies such as the s t r iped bass spawn in b rack ish water. Mar ine spec ies such as the menhaden and c roaker spawn in the ocean bu t car ry the i r eggs to b rack ish water to ha tch .

These spec ies a t t rac t o ther f i sh as we l l as b i rds as p redators . M ig ra t ing b i rds a lso take advantage o f the resources o f the r i ve r.

Ecology and p lant l i fe Wi ld l i fe

Diagrams showing geograph ica l re la t ionsh ips be tween the Eas t Coas t , the Chesapeake Bay and the E l i zabeth R iver, respec t i ve ly

D iagram o f the E l i zabeth R iver watershed ( in darker g rey)

new york

baltimore

washington, d.c.

norfolk

charleston

savannah

jacksonville

west palm beach

the east coast and the intracoastal waterway the chesapeake bay watershed the elizabeth river watershed

richmond

richmond

norfolk

norfolk

portsmouth

chesapeake

14Learning Barge


r1.2: Water, WetLand + WiLdLife haBitat

species

Accord ing to Chr is topher Whi te ’s Chesapeake Bay : Nature o f the Es tuary (Cent rev i l l e ,MD: Tidewater Pub l i shers , 5 th ed . , 1997) the fo l low ing a re a se lec ted l i s t o f endemic spec ies to the E l i zabeth R iver.

f reshwater wet lands and waters:

• b road- leaved ca t ta i l• r i ve r bu l rush• ta l l g rasses : w i ld r i ce , Wal te r ’s m i l le t• smar tweeds , tear thumbs• a t the edge, red map le , common a lder

( t rans i t ion and success ion)• somet imes a t h igh t ide , m innows• amph ib ians and rep t i les : va r ious f rogs

(Nor thern spr ing peeper, up land chorus f rog , Nor thern c r i cke t f rog , g reen f rog , sou thern leapord f rog) , Nor thern water snake

• b i rds : g rea t b lue heron , g rea t egre t , marsh ducks , ra i l s , coo ts , sandp ipers and a l l i es , o ther b i rds

• mammals : raccoon, vo les , muskra t

f resh water :

• inver tebra tes : g rass shr imp, r i ve r sna i l f i ngerna i l c lam, f reshwater musse ls

• f i shes : Amer ican ee l , ye l low perch

brackish marsh:

• p lan ts : b ig cordgrass , nar row- leaved ca t ta i l , o lney th ree square , ta l l g rasses (sw i tchgrass and common reed) , shor te r g rasses , herbaceous p lan ts , shrubs , sedges

• rep t i les and amph ib ians : f rogs and toads (g reen t ree f rog) , tu r t les (common snapp ing) , water snakes (Nor thern water snake)

• b i rds : herons and egre ts (g rea t b lue) , swans , geese, ducks ( tundra swan, Canada goose, snow goose, many k inds o f ducks , o ther b i rds

• mammals : raccoon, marsh r i ce ra t , muskra t

brackish water (estuar ine) :

• inver tebra tes : common c lam worm, seaweed sna i l , b rack ish-water c lam, b lue c rabs

sal t marsh:

• p lan ts :on ly two spec ies are predominant : sa l tmarsh cordgrass and sa l tmeadow cordgrass

• inver tebra tes : marsh insec ts (mosqu i to , deer f l y ) , c rus taceans and mo l lusks (marsh c rab , sa l tmarsh sna i l s , a t lan t i c r ibbed musse l )

• rep t i les ( few can to le ra te ) : nor thern d iamondback te r rap in , nor thern water snake

• b i rds : herons and egre ts , ib ises , gu l l s and te rns , ra i l s , sandp ipers and a l l i es , p lovers , b i rds o f p rey, passer ine b i rds

• mammals : raccoon, red fox , meadow

vo le , marsh r i ce ra t , muskra t

sal t shal lows:

• p lan t communi t ies : phy top lank ton , ben th ic a lgae , and submersed aquat ic vegeta t ion (w i ld ce le ry, common waterweed, pondweed, ee lg rass , sea le t tuce)

• aquat ic inver tebra tes : un iva lves , c rus taceans (common grass shr imp) , barnac les , o ther ep i fauna o f p ie r p i l i ngs (wh ip mud worm) , p lank ton , b iva lves (c lams and oys te rs ) .

• f i shes : bay anchovy, k i l l f i shes (mummichog) , juven i le f i shes (sandbar shark , b lack sea bass , b lue f i sh , s i l ve r perch , spo t ted sea t rou t , A t lan t i c c roaker, summer f lounder ) , o ther fo ragers (A t lan t i c need le f i sh , l i ned seahorse , nor thern p ipe f i sh

• waders and water b i rds : doub le -c res ted cormoran t , snowy egre t , common te rn p ied-b i l l ed g rebe, Amer ican coo t , Amer ican b lackduck

f rom top to bo t tom: t ransverse sec t ions look ing nor th o f the Southern Branch o f the E l i zabeth R iver a t Naut icus , Money Po in t , and th rough the Upper Reach, in approach to the Grea t Br idge Lock

16Learning Barge


S ix t ime per iods were chosen to represent impor tan t moments in the se t t lement h is to ry o f the Nor fo lk /Por tsmouth a rea .

r1.2: human cuLture + settLement

population + settlement

18Learning Barge


1807-1860 - S laves were o f ten so ld to the deep sou th (New Or leans and Mob i le ) f rom Nor fo lk . Th is t rade a lso invo lved k idnapp ing f ree b lack sa i lo rs and se l l ing them in to s lavery.The Chesapeake Bay was a lso a rou te to f reedom fo r many ens laved peop le . Maroon communi t ies were es tab l i shed in the Grea t D ismal Swamp.Ear ly 1800s - Amer ican Co lon iza t ion Soc ie ty sh ips leave f rom Nor fo lk , send ing f ree A f r i can-Amer icans to co lon ize L iber ia . Emigran ts to L iber ia were hos ted by f ree b lack fami l ies in Nor fo lk .

Colonia l ism and Slaveryeuropean impact

1607 – Europeans come ashore a t Cape Henry in Apr i l . One s ta tes , “Heaven and Ear th never agreed be t te r to f rame a p lace fo r man ’s hab i ta t ions than Vi rg in ia . ”Ear ly 1600 ’s - The 25 square mi le Hampton Roads tead, a t the con f luence o f the Chesapeake Bay and the E l i zabeth , James and Nansemond R ivers , i s named fo r Henry Wr io thes ley, 3 rd Ear l o f Southhampton .The OED def ines roads tead as “a p lace where sh ips may conven ien t l y o r sa fe ly l i e a t anchor near the shore . ”

“Most ens laved Af r i cans who came to Vi rg in ia and Mary land were o r ig ina l l y f rom Western o r Cent ra l A f r i ca . Many were sk i l l ed boa tmen, f i shermen, and boatbu i lders . In the mar i t ime communi t ies o f the Chesapeake Bay, A f r i can boat -bu i ld ing and boathand l ing sk i l l s were in g rea t demand. A no t i ce f rom the Vi rg in ia Gazet te in 1772 descr ibes a runaway s lave : “He ca l l s h imse l f Bonna, and says he came f rom a P lace o f tha t name in the Ibo Count ry, in A f r i ca , where he served in the Capac i ty o f a Canoe Man. ” (h t tp : / /www.mar iner.o rg /waters /s lavery /s lavery03 .h tm)

1624 – K ing James I makes f i r s t land g ran t to co lon is ts on the s i te tha t w i l l become Nor fo lk .1775 – Nor fo lk i s Vi rg in ia ’s most p ros-perous town, because o f i t s deep water harbor and t ransa t lan t i c t rade rou tes . In the 1600 ’s , much o f the t rade cons is ted o f s laves b rought to Nor fo lk f rom the West Ind ies , and by 1700 the t rade in ens laved peop le o r ig ina ted ma in ly f rom Af r i ca . Many o f the s laves were fo rced to cu l t i va te tobacco , wh ich was then expor ted to Europe.

Nat ive Amer ican History1580 ’s - The Chesep ian Ind ians l i ved in the a rea tha t i s now Nor fo lk , Por tsmouth , Chesapeake and Vi rg in ia Beach when Ra le igh ’s exped i t ion a r r i ved in Vi rg in ia in the 1580 ’s . The i r name came f rom the nearby Chesapeake Bay, mean ing “Mother of the Waters . ”They had a few urban se t t lements , inc lud ing Sk icoak ( the la rges t town) , Apasus and Chesep ioc . These towns were a l l enc losed by wooden pa l i sades . Archeo log is ts be l ieve tha t Sk icoak was loca ted be tween modern-day For t Nor fo lk and the Lamber t ’s Po in t coa l p ie rs .The Chesep ian cu l t i va ted corn , beans , squash and tobacco . Houses were made f rom sap l ing wood and bu i l t by women. Women a lso fa rmed, co l lec ted f i rewood and made po ts , wh i le men hunted and f i shed. 1590 ’s - The Chesep ian were massacred by Powhatan a few years be fo re the Br i t i sh es tab l i shed a co lony a t Jamestown in 1607. The Powhatan Confederacy, o f the A lgonqu in e thn ic g roup, l i ved th roughout the Tidewater and Chesapeake bay reg ion . Wahunsonacock (ca l led Powhatan by the Br i t i sh ) ru led over more than 30 d i f fe ren t g roups in the reg ion , l i v ing th roughout 200 se t t lements .

Powhatan sen t war r io rs to the E l i zabeth R iver reg ion to secure the a rea a f te r the Chesep ian were massacred .


early settlement

Powhatan Vi l lage , Jamestown Set t lement

Ra lph Hamor v is i t s Powhatan w i th a p roposa l , By Johann Theodore de Bry a f te r Georg Ke l le rEngrav ing f rom book page, 1619, P la te 10 f rom Amer ica , Par t 10 (h t tp : / /www.vah is to r i ca l .o rg /co le /3 .3 .h tm)

S lave Ce l l s , Nor fo lk

Escaped s laves a r r i v ing a t League Is land f rom Nor fo lk , Vi rg in ia

Henry Wr io thes ley, 3 rd Ear l o f Southampton

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1776 - Br i t i sh a t tack Nor fo lk . Government o f Vi rg in ia o rders co lon is ts to burn the c i t y. The c i t y i s razed by February.

For t Nor fo lk i s cons t ruc ted , and For t Ne lson i s bu i l t i n Por tsmouth . When invas ion was imminent , so ld ie rs wou ld run a huge cha in be tween the two fo r ts ac ross the E l i zabeth R iver to t rap the encroach ing sh ips .

A f te r the Revo lu t ionary War, Nor fo lk rebu i lds and once aga in becomes a ma jo r A t lan t i c por t .

1795 - A new fo r t i s bu i l t i n Nor fo lk by congress iona l decree .

1810 - Br ick bu i ld ings cons t ruc ted a t For t Nor fo lk .

1845 – Nor fo lk incorpora ted as a c i t y.

1855 – Ye l low fever ep idemic . Near ly every person in Nor fo lk becomes i l l , and 2000 peop le , 1 /3 o f the popu lace , d ie . The s ing le sh ip a l lowed in the harbor car r ies co f f ins . 1000 d ie in Por tsmouth .

1907 – “Wor ld ’ Fa i r ” Jamestown te rcen-tenn ia l expos i t ion he ld in Nor fo lk . Subs tan t ia l a rch i tec tu ra l add i t ions made to the c i t y. S i te i s la te r inc luded in 474 acre parce l government buys to cons t ruc t Nor fo lk Nava l Base in 1917.

Bui ld ing and Rebui ld ing


norfolk

1767 – Gospor t Sh ipyard es tab l i shed under p r i va te ownersh ip in Por tsmouth on E l i zabeth R iver. Nor fo lk Nava l Sh ipyard es tab l i shed.

1779 – Sh ipyard burned by Br i t i sh .

1794 – Sh ipyard leased by federa l government , wh ich i t then purchased in 1801 fo r $12 , 000 .

1833 – F i rs t d rydock in Western hemisphere opens a t sh ipyard . Dry dock 1 , a na t iona l h is to r i c landmark , i s s t i l l i n opera t ion .1861 – Confedera te a rmy takes con t ro l o f Sh ipyard , burns and rebu i lds i t . Burns i t aga in when they depar t in 1862.1862 – Name changed to Nor fo lk Nava l Sh ipyard .

WWI + I I : Dur ing bo th wor ld wars the nava l Yards undergoes a huge expans ion .

Shipbui ld ing on the E l izabethnorfolk naval yard

Nor fo lk , 1905

Nor fo lk , 1913

Nor fo lk Water f ron t , 1913

Nor fo lk , 1914

Nor fo lk Water f ron t , 1913

Hampton Roads Nava l Base , 1918

Nava l Parade, 1918

Dry dock Razed Sh ipyard , 1862

Por tsmouth Mar ine Termina l

Janos Enyed i , Grand View - Por t o f Vi rg in ia , Work ing on the WaterJanos Enyed i

22Learning Barge


1883 – First coal arrives by rail in Norfolk, soon replaces cotton as primary export.

Most of the coal at Lambert’s Point Coal Terminal is mined in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky and brought in by rail.

The largest coal-transloading terminal in the Northern Hemisphere, it has an annual capacity of 48 million tons.

Shipping coal to the E l izabeth

r1.2: human culture + settlement

railway

1917-1945 - Population of Norfolk increases dramatically during the First and Second World Wars. The port becomes critical because of its ability to expand and handle additional capacity.

1919 – Thousands of workers enter the Hampton Roads region in order to meet the demand for military supplies. The workforce at the Norfolk Naval Yard increases by 400 percent over the course of the war. The Norfolk Naval Base is rapidly constructed.

1939 – Three military bases are constructed in the region during WWII. The Norfolk Naval Yard adds 1,000 employees a month during the war, and doubles the size of its operation to 746 acres.

The influx of population strains the housing and civic resources of the area; housing stock is rapidly built by federal and local government, the navy, and private developers.

Postwar – The towns of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach were created in the 1960s through the merger of counties and cities. This was followed by a period of urban renewal. Today the Hampton Roads area is the 27th most populous metropolitan areas in the US, and the largest metro area between D.C. and Atlanta. It ranks behind Northern Virginia as the fastest growing region in the state.

Populat ion growth in the regionwartime/Boomtown

Nava l Base Summer Camp, 1920

Janos Enyed i , Dozer - -Domin ion Termina l Assoc ia tes , Work ing on the Water

Janos Enyed i , S leep ing G ian t - -Domin ion Termina l Assoc ia tes , Work ing on the WaterJanos Enyed i (Be low)

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Coexistence of polar i t iesThe E l i zabeth R iver i s one o f the most po l lu ted bod ies o f water on the Chesapeake Bay. Th is i s due to severa l fac to rs , inc lud ing i t s ro le as a p r imary sh ipp ing por t o f the eas t coas t , the sh ipbu i ld ing and re la ted ac t i v i t ies o f the Un i ted S ta tes Navy, and over a cen tu ry o f manufac tu r ing tha t inc luded t rade in chemica ls .

The po l lu t ion o f r i ve r sed iments w i th meta ls and chemica ls i s exacerba ted by the low f lush ra te o f the r i ve r wh ich tends to keep con taminants in p lace ra ther than d i lu t ing them in ocean water. Whi le pos i t i ve fo r the bod ies o f water connec ted to the E l i zabeth , th is has compounded prob lems loca l l y, par t i cu la r l y w i th the South Branch . Indus t ry, inc lud ing the Navy, con t inues to opera te a long the r i ve r. Numerous a reas o f “ legacy” con tamina t ion a re s i tua ted in the immedia te reg ion , inc lud ing four Super fund s i tes .

r1.3: contamination + restoration / conserVation efforts

pollution and remediation

Curren t l y, water qua l i t y o f the E l i zabeth i s po l lu ted by non-po in t sources coming f rom the u rban fabr ic more than po in t re lease f rom spec i f i c fac to r ies . S to rmwater f rom the 300 square mi le watershed is the number one source o f new po l lu tan ts in the E l i zabeth .

O i l and t race meta ls f rom roads and park ing lo ts f low to the r i ve r when ra in fa l l s . H igh nu t r ien t leve ls , bac te r io log ica l con tamina t ion and sed iments ( tu rb id i t y ) a lso a f fec t water qua l i t y. Non-po in t po l lu t ion comes f rom water re la ted ac t i v i t ies as we l l . A p r imary concern w i th water qua l i t y i s the chemica l Tr i -Bu ty l -Tin (TBT) , used as an an t i -fou lan t in mar ine pa in ts . The pa in t rubs o f f the sh ip hu l l and pers is ts fo r two years in the anaerob ic cond i t ions o f the water. Whi le the pa in t i s banned on smal l sh ips i t i s s t i l l w ide ly used on la rge ones . TBT is a suspec ted carc inogen.

Th is map o f the South Branch shows con temporary indus t r ies (ye l low) , Super -fund s i tes (g reen) , and the u rban fabr ic o f ad jacent c i t ies .

I t a lso shows po ten t ia l dock ing s i tes and the regenera t ion e f fo r ts , led by the E l i zabeth R iver Pro jec t , tha t inc lude wet land res to ra t ion and the cons t ruc t ion o f oys te r ree fs .

Compos i te watershed map

Money PointThe r i ve r bed sed iments o f fshore o f Money Po in t have been the focus o f a coord ina ted regenera t ion e f fo r t led by the ERP and the Army Corps o f Eng ineers .

H is to r i ca l l y, indus t r ies a t Money Po in t inc luded (1921) :Rober tson Fer t i l i ze r Co.Gu l f Ref in ing Co.Nor fo lk Creoso t ing Co.U.S. Wood Preserv ingSwi f t & Co. Fer t i l i ze r CompanyThese indus t r ies c rea ted a communi ty o f chemica l fac i l i t i es a t Money Po in t .

In 1969, a f i re a t Epp inger & Russe l l re leased thousands o f ga l lons o f c reoso te in to the so i l and water a t Money Po in t . Creoso te was a p roduc t used fo r wood preserv ing tha t con ta ins chemica ls known as Po lycyc l i c Aromat ic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) . Der ived f rom carbon sources such as wood, coa l and o i l , PAH’s a re o rgan ic chemica ls tha t rank in the top quar te r o f mos t tox ic chemica ls . Reproduc t i ve d isorders and cancer a re suspec ted to resu l t f rom contac t w i th PAHs.

Money Po in t i s s ign i f i can t because i t i s an ins tance o f a w idespread issue :“The most s ign i f i can t p rob lem wi th in the sys tem is re la ted to e leva ted leve ls o f o rgan ics (p r imar i l y PAHs) and meta ls in the bed sed iments o f cer ta in a reas…” 1983, DEQ Repor t

Benthic In tegr i ty

Most PAHs s t i ck to so l id par t i c les and se t t le to the bo t toms o f r i ve rs o r lakes . The r i ve r bo t tom, o r ben th ic zone, i s home to d iverse o rgan isms tha t a re key to the food cha in . The mummichog minnow was se lec ted as the ind ica to r spec ies fo r the E l i zabeth R iver ’s ben th ic hea l th because i t s tays loca l th rough i t s l i fe cyc le , and spends w in te r bur rowed in the r i ve r bo t tom. H igh ra tes o f cancer have been found in th is f i sh a t Money Po in t .

Map o f Money Po in t w i th over lay o f r i ve r a rea con tamina ted w i th PAHs.

The Mummichog minnow

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Genera l Tex tIndent

r1.3: contamination + restoration / conserVation efforts

contemporary industry

Indus t r ies repor t ing chemica l re leases Med ia o f chemica l re lease Chemica l re lease to a i r on South Branch

The Tox ic Re lease Inventory was launched in 1986 by the EPA to c rea te pub l i c knowledge o f tox ins re leased in to the env i ronment by indus t ry.

The map above, f rom 2003 da ta , shows tha t the indus t r ies repor t ing re leases o f l i s ted tox ins a re concent ra ted a long the South Branch o f the E l i zabeth R iver.

The map a lso under lays , in pa le g reen, four Super fund s i tes on the wes te rn s ide o f the South b ranch .

Tox ins a re re leased to so i l , to water, and to a i r. A l te rna t i ve ly, they a re t rans fe r red o f f s i te fo r l i censed was te d isposa l o r p rocess ing .

The d iameter o f the c i rc les above are keyed to quant i t ies o f chemica ls re leased. The map shows tha t the g rea tes t quant i t y o f tox ins a re re leased to the a i r.

Once a lo f t , tox ins migra te f rom loca l to reg iona l to g loba l sca les . Po l lu t ion to a i r cha l lenges the d rawing o f geograph ic boundar ies a round s i tes o f indus t r ia l p roduc t ion .

Th is map shows the d i f fe ren t t ypes o f chemica ls re leased to the a i r by South Branch Indus t r ies .

Chemica ls inc lude :Hydroch lo r i c Ac id 2 ,000 ,000 lbsN-Hexane 370 ,000Z inc 340 ,000Hydrogen F luor ide 240 ,000Xy lene 183 ,000Su l fu r i c Ac id 180 ,000Hydroch lo r i c Ac id 170 ,000N-Buty l A lcoho l 142 ,000Glyco l E thers 100 ,0001,2 ,4 -Tr imethy lbenzene 51 ,000

TBT causes in fe r t i l i t y in oys te r and mo l lusk popu la t ions lead ing to spec ies ex t inc t ion . TBT is the p r imary reason fo r the dec imat ion o f the oys te r popu la t ions in the bay. ERP is under tak ing a number o f oys te r ree f recons t ruc t ion p ro jec ts to bu i ld up the popu la t ions in the r i ve r. Oys te rs a re s ign i f i can t to the ecosys tem as a who le because they f i l te r water p roduc ing a c leaner env i ronment fo r less to le ran t spec ies .

The E l i zabeth R iver Pro jec t ’s R iver S ta r Program recogn izes loca l indus t r ies and organ iza t ions fo r the i r e f fo r ts to con t r ibu te to the c lean-up o f the r i ve r. The program recogn izes regenera t ion ac t i v i t ies as we l l as po l lu t ion p revent ion e f fo r ts , bu t a combina t ion o f the two is recogn ized w i th the h ighes t leve l o f “R ivers ta r Mode l ” . Many loca l indus t r ies and schoo ls have jo ined th is g roup wh ich mixes pub l i c ac t i v i sm w i th env i ronmenta l consc iousness .

Spec ies d ivers i t y and numbers o f po l lu t ion-phob ic spec ies a re lower than ta rge t leve ls . ERP has focused on wet land res to ra t ion and oys te r seed ing , w i th twe lve oys te r ree fs now ins ta l led .

Historic industries of Money Point included (1921):

Robertson Fertilizer Co.

Gulf Refining Co.

Norfolk Creosoting Co.

U.S. Wood Preserving Co.

Swift and Co. Fertilizer Company

These industries created a community of chemical plants.

PAHs Sediment Project at Money Point

Source: SIAC, Remediation Design Charette

regeneration efforts

Volun teers p lan t ing a wet land a t the fo rmer Peck I ron & Meta l

SAIC has p repared a ser ies o f op t ions fo r capp ing sed iments a t Money Po in t .Work i s expec ted to beg in in 2007.

River Stars Oyster Reefs

28Learning Barge


r1.4: naVigation + Barge issues

Potent ia l S i tes:

1 - Sco t t ’s Creek2 - Por tsmouth C i ty Park3 - E l i zabeth R iver Pro jec t4 - Parad ise Creek5 - Money Po in t6 - Scu f f le town Creek7 - Harbor Park8 - Naut icus

elizabeth river Key map

Exist ing Br idges:

1 - Church land F ixed Br idge 38 f t .2 - F ixed Br idge 45 f t .3 - N&PBL RR L i f t B r idge Down 6 f t . , Up 142 f t .4 - Jordon L i f t B r idge Down 15 f t . , Up 145 f t .5 - OVHD Power Cab Up 42 f t .6 - N&W RY L i f t B r idge Down 10 f t . , Up 135 f t .

Scotts Creek

Portsmouth City Park

ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car A

cces

s

Boat

Acce

ss

Relev

ance

to

Educ

ation

al Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory A

ppea

l

Safet

y/Pr

otecti

on

Chan

nel D

epth

docking site evaluations

Eva lua t ion was conduc ted by iden t i f y ing per t inen t i ssues a f fec t ing a s i te and then ass ign ing a numer ic g rade (1 -5 , 1=good, 5=bad) to each i ssue as i t re la ted to each s i te . The c r i te r ia fo r g rad ing a ca tegory o f ten invo lved cons ider ing sub-ca tegor ies . For ins tance , g rad ing “Car Access” cons is ted o f eva lua t ing bo th the ab i l i t y o f a car to access the s i te as we l l as ease o f f ind ing a s i te by car. The char t ( le f t ) maps our f ind ings , w i th the la rger do ts represent ing a h igher g rade and smal le r do ts represent ing a lower g rade.

5

4

3

2

1

Key

30Learning Barge


Scotts Creek


ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car

Acc

ess

Boat

Acc

ess

Rel

evan

ce

to E

duca

tiona

l Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory

App

eal

Safe

ty/

Prot

ectio

n

Cha

nel D

epth


sites navigation evaluation

Portsmouth Ci ty Park , Western Branchgood access by water & land , no indus-t r ia l o r remed ia t ing s i tes , cemetery as th resho ld

Scotts Creek


ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car

Acc

ess

Boat

Acc

ess

Rel

evan

ce

to E

duca

tiona

l Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory

App

eal

Safe

ty/

Prot

ectio

n

Cha

nel D

epth

El izabeth River Pro ject In fo Centercent ra l loca t ion , long te rm dock ing pos-s ib i l i t i es , good water and land access , connec t ion to ERP

Paradise Creek, Por tsmouthgood indus t r ia l /env i ronmenta l combi -na t ion , ambiguous dock ing / anchor ing poss ib i l i t y, sha l low depths , land s i te undetermined

Scotts Creek


ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car

Acc

ess

Boat

Acc

ess

Rel

evan

ce

to E

duca

tiona

l Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory

App

eal

Safe

ty/

Prot

ectio

n

Cha

nel D

epth

Scotts Creek


ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car

Acc

ess

Boat

Acc

ess

Rel

evan

ce

to E

duca

tiona

l Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory

App

eal

Safe

ty/

Prot

ectio

n

Cha

nel D

epth

Scotts Creek


ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car

Acc

ess

Boat

Acc

ess

Rel

evan

ce

to E

duca

tiona

l Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory

App

eal

Safe

ty/

Prot

ectio

n

Cha

nel D

epth

Money Point , Chesapeake good remed ia t ion p rox imi ty, bad land access , b r idge sens i t i ve water access , good indus t r ia l / env i ronmenta l combina t ion

Scuf f le town Creek / E l izabeth River Park

good indus t r ia l / env i ronmenta l combina t ion , good land access , b r idge sens i t i ve water access

Harbor Parkgood land and water access , cen t ra l loca t ion , no indus t r ia l / remed ia t ion

Naut icus. Downtown Norfo lkgood land and water access , cen t ra l loca t ion , teach ing / museum prox imi ty, v is ib i l i t y, no indus t r ia l / remed ia t ion

Scotts Creek


ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car

Acc

ess

Boat

Acc

ess

Rel

evan

ce

to E

duca

tiona

l Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory

App

eal

Safe

ty/

Prot

ectio

n

Cha

nel D

epth

Scotts Creek


ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car

Acc

ess

Boat

Acc

ess

Rel

evan

ce

to E

duca

tiona

l Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory

App

eal

Safe

ty/

Prot

ectio

n

Cha

nel D

epth

Scotts Creek


ERP

Paradise Creek

Money Point

Scuffletown Creek

Harbor Park

Nauticus

Car

Acc

ess

Boat

Acc

ess

Rel

evan

ce

to E

duca

tiona

l Pr

ogra

m

Sens

ory

App

eal

Safe

ty/

Prot

ectio

n

Cha

nel D

epth

Hopper Barge:

32Learning Barge


Hopper Barge

-doub le -hu l led wa l l s and deck-open in te r io r f ree f rom s t ruc tu ra l in te r -fe rence-des igned to hau l so l id cargo-can be covered w i th re t rac tab le roo f to cover cargo

New barge :D imens ion : 146 ’ x 38 ’ x 17 ’g ross tonnage: 885capac i ty : 800 tonscos t : $2 / cub ic foo t


Barge types

Flat Deck Barge

-s ing le -hu l l w i th f la t deck-con ta ins any number o f water - t igh t bu lkheads-bu lkheads a re b isec ted by a water -t igh t r ib down the cen te r

New barge : D imens ion : 120 ’ x 30 ’ x 7 ’L igh twe igh t tonnage: 100 tonsDra f t (empty ) : 16” – 18”Dra f t (we igh t / fee t ) : 80 tons / 1 f tCos t : $1 / pound1/4” s tee l p la te bu lkheads3/8” s tee l p la te hu l l

Hopper Barge:

-s t ruc tu re i s con ta ined w i th in the doub le hu l l-because the deck i s a t the base o f the barge , more s tee l i s requ i red to c lad the in te r io r wa l l s , mak ing these barges more expens ive than f la t deck barges-spec ia l care i s requ i red when mod i fy ing the deck because, when loaded, the deck s i t s be low the water l i ne-access to water by cu t t ing down a por t ion o f the s ide i s more d i f f i cu l t in th is scenar io because the la te ra l suppor t s t ruc tu re i s con-ta ined w i th in the wa l l i t se l f-An advantage o f the hopper barge i s tha t bu i ld ing up f rom the deck i s more in tu i t i ve g iven the p reex is tence o f wa l l s t ruc tu res

Flat Deck Barge:

-s t ruc tu re spans f rom the hu l l to the deck-a ser ies o f s tee l t russes run a long the barge-s tee l ang les s i t a top these t russes to suppor t the we lded s tee l deck-mod i f i ca t ion o f f la t deck barges i s poss ib le , as long as la te ra l suppor t and water - t igh t in tegr i t y o f the una f fec ted bu lkheads i s ma in ta ined-an advantage to th is t ype o f barge i s tha t the deck i s we l l above the water l i ne , thus enhanc ing sa fe ty and v is ib i l i t y-a d isadvantage is tha t to u t i l i ze the bu lkhead space fo r human inhab i ta t ion , s t ruc tu re must be removed and reca lcu la ted to ma in ta in s tab i l i t y

The d iagram compares the mode l o f a smal l barge to tha t o f a typ ica l se l f -p ro -pe l led vesse l , by load ing each w i th a vo l -ume comparab le to the ERP conference room. A 90 ’x30 ’ barge has been loaded w i th (3 )15 ’x25 ’x10 ’ vo lumes. The accu-mula ted mass takes up about ha l f o f the deck , leav ing s ign i f i can t sur face a rea fo r ou tdoor p rogram. The se l f -p rope l led ves-se l , mode led a f te r the d imens ions o f the Chesapeake Baywatcher, ho lds one o f the vo lumes w i th a smal l amount o f le f t -over ou tdoor space . The advantage o f the barge i s the amount o f space i t a f fo rds . In th is con f igura t ion , a c lass o f s tudents cou ld s tand ou ts ide and d i rec t l y re la te to the water.

A f te r cons ider ing i ssues sur round ing the f loa t ing f ie ld s ta t ion idea , the barge i s the more appropr ia te cho ice o f vesse l . The barge w i l l s tay in each p lace fo r ex tended per iods o f t ime, de-emphas iz ing the need fo r f requent mob i l i t y. Fur thermore , tug serv ice has been donated fo r the t imes the barge does change loca t ion . The barge a l lows fo r a s ign i f i can t inc rease in usab le educat iona l space fo r the ERP, a p r imary goa l o f the o rgan iza t ion . The abundant space resu l ts in the g rea tes t poss ib i l i t y fo r educat iona l exp lo ra t ion , a l low ing bo th she l te r and immedia te access to the ou tdoors and water. Wi th a more robus t on-board educat iona l p rogram, the barge d i f fe ren t ia tes the ERP f rom s imi la r p rograms in the a rea , such as the Chesapeake Baywatcher.

A 90 ’x30 ’ barge wou ld requ i re a smal l tug -boat to move i t . Mos t tugs in the E l i za -be th R iver a re A T /B , o r “Ar t i cu la ted Tug/Barge , ” wh ich means they push the barge , g iv ing g rea te r con t ro l in t igh t spaces . Specs fo r a tug push ing 90 ’x30 ’ barge :

-300-500 Horsepower-approx imate ly 55 ’ x 25 ’- th is tug has approx imate ly 7 -8 f t . d ra f t .- tug cab in must be ta l le r than he igh t o f barge s t ruc tu re to a l low fo r unobs t ruc ted s igh t when mov ing .

( in fo p rov ided by C&P Tug and Barge , Por tsmouth , VA)

Spud po les a re a means o f anchor ing a barge by d ropp ing a ser ies o f we igh ted p i les in to land sur face be low the water.

-On an ex is t ing barge i t i s mos t economi -ca l to ins ta l l spuds a t raked ends , a l low-ing a l l i ns ta l la t ion to be per fo rmed “d ry ” , o r w i thou t hav ing to opera te on par ts o f barge tha t a re submerged.

-Spud po le dep ths to be de te rmined by channe l dep ths a t po in ts o f dock ing .

-The grea te r we igh t and depth o f spud po les c rea tes g rea te r s t ress on w inch and human opera t ion . Hydrau l i c spud po les ease maneuverab i l i t y bu t inc rease cos t .

Tug Boats Spuds Barge vs Boat

Conclusions

34Learning Barge


EPA Environmenta l Protect ion Agency

CBF Chesapeake Bay Foundat ion

Naut icus & NOAA @ Naut icus

cur r i cu la r goa ls :• Mar i t ime H is to ry and Cu l tu re• Weather• R iver Eco logy

EE ac t i v i t ies :Se l f - tour o f Ba t t lesh ip Wiscons inNav iga t ion Games

Tornado in a TubePressure cups ac t i v i t y

Water tes t ingRiver Eco Exped i t ions

cur r i cu la r goa ls :• Inc rease pub l i c awareness and know-

ledge o f env i ronmenta l i ssues and cha l lenges .

• He lp peop le ga in an unders tand ing o f how the i r ind iv idua l ac t ions a f fec t the env i ronment , and acqu i re sk i l l s tha t they can use to we igh var ious s ides o f i ssues , and become be t te r equ ipped to make in fo rmed dec is ions .

EE ac t i v i t ies :Qu izzes , puzz les

cur r i cu la r goa ls :• Improve water qua l i t y in the Chesa-peake Bay by revea l ing the re la t ionsh ip be tween peop le , land , and water.

EE ac t i v i t ies :Inves t iga te loca l waterways .Observe , co l lec t da ta , ana lyze , and syn thes ize in fo rmat ion th rough f ie ld s tudy.

r1.5: enVironmentaL education in the region

collaborators

Virg in ia Natura l ly Vi rg in ia Aquar ium ERP - E l izabeth River Pro ject

cur r i cu la r goa ls :• To connec t s tudents w i th Vi rg in ia ’s

env i ronmenta l educa t ion resources .

EE ac t i v i t ies :Web based ac t i v i t y sheet , workbooks , games

cur r i cu la r goa ls :• To inc rease the pub l i c ’s knowledge

and apprec ia t ion o f Vi rg in ia ’s mar ine env i ronment and insp i re commi tment to p reserve i t s ex is tence .

EE ac t i v i t ies :Touch tanksTer ra r ium

cur r i cu la r goa ls :• Educate schoo lch i ld ren and the pub l i c

on r i ve r eco logy and the E l i zabeth R iver ’s key cha l lenges .

EE ac t i v i t ies :Pr incess E l i zabeth ’s v is i t sR iver i s a l i ve - bo t tom grabsVis i t s to res to red wet lands

36Learning Barge


educational context

r1.5: enVironmentaL education in the region

I t i s impor tan t to unders tand the Learn ing Barge w i th in i t s env i ronmenta l educa t ion con tex t . Mapp ing the loca t ion o f o ther s i tes fo r exper ienc ing the Chesapeake Bay and E l i zabeth R iver by boa t he lps to iden t i f y what serv ices a re miss ing , and ways tha t the barge can s tand ou t f rom the o ther op t ions .

One un ique fea tu re o f the barge i s i t s s ize . The ma jor i t y o f boa t ing oppor tun i t ies a re on smal l boa ts , such as canoes (b lue do ts ) . The f lex ib i l i t y o f ac t i v i t ies on the barge fa r exceed those on smal le r boa ts . Boats , l i ke the Vic to ry Rover and The Bat t lesh ip Wiscons in a t Naut icus , do no t focus on Env i ronmenta l Educat ion , bu t on mi l i ta ry and mar i t ime h is to ry. The Baywatcher, run by the Chesapeake Bay Foundat ion , i s the on ly vesse l tha t goes in to the E l i zabeth R iver, and i t on ly goes as fa r sou th as the E l i zabeth R iver Pro jec t Headquar te rs . The barge w i l l v i s i t a reas o f the r i ve r and her t r ibu ta ry c reeks no t v is i ted by the o ther educat iona l boa ts in the reg ion .

The ex is t ing educat iona l boa t t r ips th rough ERP’s co l labora to rs a re success fu l and a re cons is ten t l y booked by schoo l g roups . I t i s expec ted tha t the Learn ing Barge w i l l en joy the same popu la r i t y, i f no t more .

38Learning Barge


virginia standards of learning (sols)

r1.5: environmental education in the region

Spec

ific

G

ener

al

Elementary ScienceThroughout a s tudent ’s sc ience schoo l ing f rom k indergar ten th rough grade s ix , spec i f i c con ten t top ics , a re inc luded. o Sc ien t i f i c Inves t iga t ion , Reason ing , and Log ic ;

o Force , Mot ion , and Energy ;o Mat te r ;o L i fe Processes ;o L iv ing Sys tems;o In te r re la t ionsh ips in Ear th /Space Sys tems;

o Ear th Pat te rns , Cyc les , and Change; and

o Resources .

ScienceAs a resu l t o f sc ience ins t ruc t ion , s tudents w i l l be ab le to ach ieve the fo l low ing ob jec t i ves :1 . Deve lop and use an exper imenta l des ign in sc ien t i f i c inqu i ry.2 . Use the language o f sc ience to communica te unders tand ing .3 . Inves t iga te phenomena, us ing techno logy.4 . App ly sc ien t i f i c concepts , sk i l l s , and p rocesses to exper iences .5 . Exper ience the r i chness and exc i tement o f sc ien t i f i c d iscovery o f the na tu ra l wor ld th rough the co l labora t i ve ques t fo r knowledge and unders tand ing .6 . Make in fo rmed dec is ions regard ing con temporary i ssues , tak ing in to account the fo l low ing :

o pub l i c po l i cy and leg is la t ion ; o economic cos ts /benef i t s ;

o va l ida t ion f rom sc ien t i f i c da ta and the use o f sc ien t i f i c reason ing and log ic ;

o respec t fo r l i v ing th ings ;

o persona l respons ib i l i t y ; and o h is to ry o f sc ien t i f i c d iscovery.7 . Deve lop sc ien t i f i c d ispos i t ions and hab i ts o f m ind inc lud ing : o cur ios i t y ; o demand fo r ver i f i ca t ion ; o respec t fo r log ic and ra t iona l th ink ing ;

o cons idera t ion o f p remises and consequences ;

o respec t fo r h is to r i ca l con t r ibu t ions ; o a t ten t ion to accuracy and prec is ion ; and

o pa t ience and pers is tence .8 . Exp lo re sc ience- re la ted careers and in te res ts .

3rd, 4 th & 6th GradesSOLs in these th ree g rades spec i f i ca l l y address i ssues re levant to the Learn ing Barge : o 3 rd Grade - water re la ted env i ronments , so i l , wa te r cyc le , l i fe cyc le , human e f fec t on hab i ta t , renewab le and non- renewab le energy.

o 4 th Grade - p lan t ana tomy and l i fe cyc le , watershed, ecosys tems, hab i ta t and n iches , weather.

o 6 th Grade - hea l th o f ecosys tems and watersheds , r i ve rs and s t reams, wet lands , es tuar ies , water hea l th and conserva t ion i ssues , water qua l i t y mon i to r ing , resource management .

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th

MathThe con ten t o f the mathemat ics s tandards i s in tended to suppor t the fo l lowing 5 goa ls for s tudents : becoming mathemat ica l p rob lem so lvers , com-mun ica t ing mathemat ica l l y, reason ing mathemat ica l l y, mak ing mathemat ica l connec t ions , and us ing mathemat ica l representa t ions to mode l and in te rp re t p rac t i ca l s i tua t ions .

Engl ishFrom k indergar ten th rough twe l f th g rade, s tudents become inc reas ing ly aware o f the s t ruc tu re o f language and the wr i t ing p rocess . Improvement in wr i t ten communica t ion i s ach ieved th rough f requent oppor tun i t ies to app ly nar ra t i ve , persuas ive , expos i to ry, and techn ica l sk i l l s .

Socia l Sc ienceHistory -S tudents w i l l unders tand chrono log ica l th ink ing and the connec t ions be tween causes and e f fec ts and be tween con t inu i ty and change. Geography -Geograph ic sk i l l s inc lude the ab i l i t y to use maps, g lobes , and aer ia l imagery ; to in te rp re t g raphs , tab les , d iagrams, and p ic tu res ; to observe and record in fo rmat ion ; and to assess in fo rmat ion f rom sources .Civ ics -C iv ics ins t ruc t ion shou ld p rov ide regu la r oppor tun i t ies a t each g rade leve l fo r s tudents to deve lop a bas ic unders tand ing o f po l i t i cs and government and to p rac t i ce good c i t i zensh ip .

High School Sc ienceHigh schoo l sc ience goa ls a re d iv ided up in to ca tegory by sub jec t . The sub jec ts a reo L i fe Sc ienceo Phys ica l Sc ienceo Ear th Sc ienceo B io logyo Chemis t ryo Phys ics

High SchoolHigh Schoo l SOLs tha t spec i f i ca l l y address i ssues re levant to the Learn ing Barge : o Maps and mapp ing o Vi rg in ia energy resources , renewab le and non- renewab le o Weather, da ta co l lec t ion , weather pa t te rns o Ground water, water qua l i t y i ssues , f reshwater and sa l twater env i ronments o Ecosys tem equ i l ib r ium o Vi rg in ia f lo ra and fauna o Vi rg in ia ecosys tems o F lu id p roper t ies inc lud ing buoyancy o Hydro log ic cyc le

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