Belle View in Alexandria in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Anatomy of a Tidal Marsh
George Washington Memorial Parkway
Photographed by Samuel Paik, September 18, 2017
1. Anotomy of a Tidal Marsh Marker
Circulate
Purple and blue on this map show the winding channels of the marsh, called guts, and the Potomac River. Tides pump Chesapeake Bay saltwater up the Potomac River and into the marsh. There it mixes with fresh water, nutrients and sediments.
Filter
Green plants act like kidneys, filtering pollution from the water. Marsh plants also slow down the movement of sediments, produce oxygen, and capture nitrogen.
Protect
Wetland forests, shown here as the mixed mosaic of green, yellow, and blue at the left, act like a protective skin. They anchor the shoreline and reduce erosion, sheltering Dyke Marsh and the people who live nearly.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment.
Location. 38° 46.218′ N, 77° 2.989′ W. Marker is in Alexandria, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is in Belle View. It can be reached
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A Fine Improvable Marsh (approx. 0.2 miles away); A Place to Restor Nest (approx. Ό mile away); Wasteland or Wetland? (approx. half a mile away); Colonial Fort (approx. 0.6 miles away); Journey to Mount Vernon (approx. 0.7 miles away); These Trees (approx. 0.8 miles away); Capital View (approx. 1.1 miles away in Maryland); Load. Ready. Fire! (approx. 1.1 miles away in Maryland). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alexandria.
Other markers no longer nearby. Historic Jones Point (was approx. 0.7 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Defenses of Washington (was approx. 1.1 miles away in Maryland but has been permanently removed).
More about this marker. Text in Braille is on the right side of the marker, presumably the same as the main text.
Also see . . . George Washington Memorial Parkway - Dyke Marsh Wildlife Preserve. National Park Service (Submitted on September 19, 2017, by Samuel Paik of Gainesville, Virginia.)
Photographed by Samuel Paik, September 18, 2017
2. Anatomy of a Tidal Marsh Marker
Photographed by Samuel Paik, September 18, 2017
3. Dyke Marsh seen from near the Anatomy of a Tidal Marsh Marker
Photographed by Samuel Paik, September 18, 2017
4. Dyke Marsh seen from near the Anatomy of a Tidal Marsh Marker
Woodrow Wilson Bridge visible in the distance
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2017, by Samuel Paik of Gainesville, Virginia. This page has been viewed 458 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 19, 2017, by Samuel Paik of Gainesville, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
