Colonial Beach in Westmoreland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Bay Today

Photographed by Patrick G. Jordan, August 2, 2010

1. The Bay Today Marker

Inscription. The Chesapeake Bay continues to be a generous provider of food, industry, and income. Millions of people are now drawn to the Bay in pursuit of leisure and tranquility.

Recreational uses have increased since Washington's time, when the watershed was a highway for commerce. Today powerboats, jet skis, and yachts bigger than a waterman's workboat traverse Bay waters. Quiet coves ringed by marshes beckon birders and canoeists.

These centuries of use, from early settlement to modern development, took their toll on the Bay. Underwater grasses, essential to Bay life, experienced dramatic losses. Many popular fish species declined to a fraction of their earlier numbers.

The turning point came in the 1970s when the Chesapeake Bay reached its environmental low. Successful efforts to restore habitat and water quality were initiated because people cared about this precious resource.

The future of the Chesapeake depends on the choices you make today. Visitors and residents - at work and at play - affect these waters. Learn ways to minimize the impact of your activities. The Chesapeake Bay is not just a fount of natural riches; it is a source of light for the spirit of modern civilization.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Waterways & Vessels.

Location.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

38° 12.061′ N, 76° 55.901′ W. Marker is in Colonial Beach, Virginia, in Westmoreland County. It can be reached from Popes Creek Road. The marker is at George Washington Birthplace National Monument, one of our National Parks. To reach the marker, take the beach road to the left as you enter the park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1732 Popes Creek Road, Colonial Beach VA 22443, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Northern Neck.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

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 New World on the Chesapeake (here, next to this marker); Paradise Found (here, next to this marker); Link to the World (within shouting distance of this marker); John Washington House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Henry Brooks Farm (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Burial Ground (approx. 0.3 miles away); John Muse (approx. 0.8 miles away); Artery of Commerce (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Colonial Beach.

Also see . . . George Washington Birthplace National Monument. Website of the National Park Service. (Submitted on August 7, 2010, by Patrick G. Jordan of Graham, North Carolina.)

Photographed by Patrick G. Jordan, August 2, 2010

2. The Bay Today Marker

George Washington Birthplace National Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Patrick G. Jordan, August 3, 2010

3. George Washington Birthplace National Monument

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 7, 2010, by Patrick G. Jordan of Graham, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 687 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 7, 2010, by Patrick G. Jordan of Graham, North Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.