Field Preparation
Water Module »
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Estuaries
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An estuary (es CHOO airy) is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water on a salt water coast. Semi-enclosed means that it is connected to the ocean but surrounded by land like a river mouth or bay. The salt water in an estuary is diluted by fresh water from the land . The mouth of the Columbia River, Willapa Bay, and Puget Sound are all examples of estuaries.
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This definition is useful for describing the physical conditions of an
estuary but does not convey the essence within the estuary...
...the productive grasses, the
sanctuary for juvenile fish, the lush bird habitat, the inspiration for the
poets and artist, the natural harbor.
The estuaries are all these things also.
In the Pacific Northwest, estuaries usually have a salt marsh, mud flats, and water channel habitats.
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