What are the consequences of sea-level rise to Maine?
Shoreline erosion is driven in part by the elevation of the high tides. As sea level rises, the height of the high tide rises and the height of the coastal flood plain rises. A higher floodplain will alter the frequency and inland extent of property damage from floods. Waves and currents can erode soil, bluffs, and beaches when they wash ashore at higher and higher levels. Salt water will reach farther inland and damage roots of trees, shrubs, and grasses. Underground salt water will flow farther inland and “intrude” on freshwater aquifers, perhaps turning some coastal wells salty. As the ocean rises, all coastal environments – salt marshes, mud flats, exposed ledge, and beaches – will attempt to migrate inland. If the transgression of marine environments over terrestrial ones is prevented, then some loss of coastal wetlands can be expected. Over decades, coastal infrastructure – docks, pipelines, roads, utilities, among others – will need to be rebuilt at higher levels or farther inla
