"As sea levels rise, some of Virginia’s most valuable coastal wetlands, from the Chesapeake Bay marshes to the Great Dismal Swamp, are at risk of either being lost or migrating farther inland.

New research published this month in Environmental Research Communications examines how wetlands are migrating across the U.S.

Virginia’s immediate waterfront communities are not the only ones to think about. Areas as far westward as Richmond and Fredericksburg are also at risk, as they border the tidal James, York and Rappahannock rivers.

In addition to providing habitats for wildlife, wetlands protect areas farther inland by easing the impacts of coastal flooding, whether the flooding comes from a large storm sending water onshore, or during quieter weather when onshore winds simply push bay and ocean water inland."

Sean Sublette reports for the Richmond Times-Dispatch June 12, 2022. [2]