The incalculable benefits of hardening the shoreline at historic Jamestown, Virginia

摘要

Historic Jamestown, Virginia, the "Cradle of the Republic," celebrated its 400th year of existence in 2007. Prior to the 300th anniversary (1907), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated almost 500 feet of erosion along the western shoreline of Jamestown [20 acres (8 hectares) of land area]. Col. Samuel H. Yonge convinced the Congress in 1901 to finance construction of a granite revetment (herein, seawall) to save Jamestown from further erosion by floods and waves in the James River. Near the end of the 20th century, the Jamestown Rediscovery Project sponsored by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) was able to locate the original 1607 fort configuration. Twenty percent of the fort footprint and hidden archaeological resources are gone forever. But the remaining 80 percent that were protected and preserved by the seawall have become an archaeological treasure that some call the most historically significant in this country. How will historic Jamestown be protected and preserved for its 500-year anniversary in 2107 when the potential for accelerated sea level rise is predicted for the next 100 years?