Coastal Marshlands Protection Act to a Research Vessel 50 Years Later

Many guests who have toured with Lighthouse Trolleys and Dolphin Tours know Reid Walker Harris, Jr. and have heard the story of his father, Reid Walker Harris, and the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act. In case you missed it, here it is.

Georgia has about 100 miles of coastline, with 14 barrier islands and nine major estuaries. The Golden Isles, which include Brunswick, St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island, offer locals and visitors plenty of ways to experience that coast beyond the beaches.

Protection of the coastline began with Reid Walker Harris, a Georgia native elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1964. During six years in office he wrote several conservation laws, including the Georgia Surface Mining Act of 1968 and the law that preserved the marshlands, the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act of 1970.

What is the salt marsh?

Georgia has nearly a third of the salt marsh in the eastern United States. If you've driven to Jekyll or St. Simons, you crossed it on the causeway. Salt marshes are coastal wetlands that flood and drain with the ocean tides. The marshy ground is made of peat, decomposing grasses and other organic matter, often called pluff mud. The University of Georgia's Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant describe five ecological zones in the marsh: the levee marsh, low marsh, high marsh, marsh border and transition zone. Learn more about the zones.

What does the act do?

The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act (CMPA) regulates activities and water-dependent structures in the marsh, and requires permits for marinas, community docks, bridges and similar projects. It preserved over half a million acres of Georgia's salt marsh, and Reid Harris is remembered as a champion of environmental law.

A research vessel in his honor

To honor his foresight, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources named a new research vessel the Reid W. Harris. Built by boatbuilders in Hancock County, Maine, it carries 18 passengers and 2 crew. Reid Harris and the Lighthouse Trolleys team were at the DNR docks in Brunswick to watch her christening. The vessel samples sites from the Savannah River to the St. Marys, running timed trawls to help protect Georgia's coastal resources.

All photographs courtesy of Lighthouse Trolleys.

References

• Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division. Marsh and Shore Permits. Link
• Hobbs, L. DNR Honors Marshland Protector with Christening of New Boat. The Brunswick News. Link
• The Nature Conservancy. Georgia Coast. Link
• Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, University of Georgia. Salt Marsh Ecology. Link
• National Ocean Service. What is a Salt Marsh? Link
• Dickson, T. Former Georgia Rep. Harris Gets DNR's Top Award. The Florida Times-Union.
• Rappaport, S. Maine-Made Research Vessel Headed for Georgia Coastline. The Ellsworth American.

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