As in many older coastal communities, Portsmouth, for a period during the 1800 and early 1900’s, considered and used the marsh areas and creek beds as convenient dumping grounds for waste and debris.
Through this filling of the marsh lands additional “dry” land was created and developed. However, this new land was always in areas that were prone to flooding and thus began a vicious cycle of flooding events after flooding events.
City of Portsmouth, VA
Chesapeake Bay Ordinance
Sec. 9.1-1. Findings of fact.
(b) The Chesapeake Bay waters have been degraded significantly by many sources of pollution, including nonpoint source pollution from land uses and development.
Existing high quality waters are worthy of protection from degradation to guard against further pollution. Certain lands that are proximate to shorelines have intrinsic water quality value due to the ecological and biological processes they perform.
Other lands have severe development constraints from flooding, erosion, and soil limitations. With proper management, they offer significant ecological benefits by providing water quality maintenance and pollution control, as well as flood and shoreline erosion control.
These lands together, designated by the city council as Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas (hereinafter "CBPAs"), need to be protected from destruction and damage in order to protect the quality of water in the Bay and consequently the quality of life in the City of Portsmouth and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
(Code 1988, § 9.1-1; Ord. No. 2004-02, § 1, 1-13-2004)