Natural & Beneficial Functions

Floodplain

The Floodplain in Gloucester County contains valuable natural resources along its rich shorelines such as the Jenkins Neck, Robins Neck and Guinea areas in the form of:

  • Beaches
  • Forests
  • Marshes
  • Rivers
  • Streams
Gloucester shoreline

Natural Resources

These natural resources are unique to the Chesapeake Bay Region and are important to Gloucester County’s environment and economic welfare. These environments offer a variety of values and functions; improved water quality through sediment trapping and filtering and flood buffering by absorbing flood waters and slowly releasing them.

Programs

Through a volunteer FEMA grant program Gloucester County has acquired some 89 plus acres of property that will remain undeveloped in perpetuity. Such undeveloped property will provide additional benefit to the County floodplain.

To help preserve and protect these valuable resource areas Gloucester County has adopted the following programs which are administered locally: 

  • Chesapeake Bay Preservation
  • Erosion and Sediment Control
  • Floodplain Management Plan
  • Hazard Mitigation Open Space Plan
  • Wetlands Protection

These programs and their administration, have a direct effect on water quality (WQ) in the community.