W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1986 THE SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES AND GEOMORPHIC HISTORY OF WRECK SHOAL, AN OYSTER REEF OF THE JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA Joseph T. DeAlteris College of William and Mary - Virginia Institute of Marine Science Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation DeAlteris, Joseph T., "THE SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES AND GEOMORPHIC HISTORY OF WRECK SHOAL, AN OYSTER REEF OF THE JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA" (1986). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1539616626. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25773/v5-af3n-wf26 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Other __________________________________________________________________________ University Microfiims International THE SEDIMENTARY PROCESSES AND GEOMORPHIC HISTORY OF WRECK SHOAL, AN OYSTER REEF OF THE JAMES RIVER, VIRGINIA A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO The Faculty of the School of Marine Science The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Joseph T. DeAlteris 1986 APPROVAL SHEET This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy I \y Joseph T. DeAlteris Approved, December 198 6 Robert Byr/ie Committee Chairman/Advisor Dexter Haven n Ziegler AlUMd. Donald Wright <7'“ ' /t/VUU- in s o n Departing of Geology College of William and Mary TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................... v LIST OF TABLES .................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ...... vii LIST OF PLATES ...................................... x ABSTRACT ............................................. xi INTRODUCTION ......................................... 2 General Statements ............................ 2 Hypothesis ..................................... 7 Goal and Specific Objectives ................. 8 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................... 10 Oyster Biology and Reef Geomorphology ....... 10 Estuarine Circulation and Sedimentation Processes ...................................... 17 James River .................................... 2 6 CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DROWNED RIVER VALLEY ESTUARY AND SUBTIDAL OYSTER REEFS ............................... 33 FORMULATION AND APPROACH ........................... 4 0 Delineation of Study Area Scales ............ 4 0 Task Investigations ........................... 42 iii Page FIELD AND LABORATORY METHODS ...................... 48 Acoustic Surveys .............................. 4 8 Subenvironment Sampling ...................... 53 Bottom Current Studies ....................... 56 Investigations of Sedimentary Processes ...... 58 RESULTS, ANALYSES, AND DISCUSSIONS... .............. 63 Surficial Geomorphic Description of the Wreck Shoal Oyster Reef ...................... 63 Contemporary Circulation and Sedimentation Processes ...................... 85 Recent Geomorphic History: Comparative Bathymetry 1850-Present ...................... 132 Holocene Evolution of the Wreck Shoal Oyster Reef and the Adjacent Areas of the James River ............................ 155 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ............................ 164 MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS OF THIS STUDY ............ 171 Reef Damage by Vessel Traffic .............. 171 Present Status of the Wreck Shoal Oyster Population ............................. 171 Effectiveness of the Cull Law .............. 172 Cultch Condition and Spatfall .............. 173 LITERATURE CITED .................................... 176 APPENDIX A - ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSE OF THE BOTTOM SCARS ON THE WRECK SHOAL OYSTER REEF ..... 186 APPENDIX B - DISCRETE SAMPLE DATA STATION LOCATIONS, SEDIMENT AND REEF CHARACTERISTICS .... 191 VITA ................................................. 205 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author expresses his appreciation to the members of his committee, especially Dr. Robert Byrne and Professor Dexter Haven, for their guidance and support in this project. The financial support of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science through the James River Seed Oyster Bed Project is recognized, as is the assistance of the University of Rhode Island through the Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. The author also appreciates the support of his family and the assistance the Vessel Operations and Technical Illustration Departments of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and Ms. Mary Sue Jablonsky, a fellow graduate student, in the School of Marine Science. v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Subenvironment Sediment Sample Means and Standard Deviations .................... 7 9 2. Subenvironment Comparisons Student's T-Test ......................................... 80 3. Current Meter Data Analysis, Station Hard-rock. ...... 99 4. Current Meter Data Analysis, Station Sand-shell .................................... 100 5. Current Meter Data Analysis, Station Mud-shell ............................ 101 6. Velocity Profile Data and Analyses Station Hard-rock ............................ 113 7. Velocity Profile Data and Analyses Station Mud-shell ............................ 114 8. Historical Hydrographic Charts from U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey ............. 133 9. U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers, Boring Logs, Wreck Shoal-White Shoal ....... 161 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of the James River Estuary, Showing the Wreck Shoal Oyster Reef ................. 5 2. Development of a Drowned River Valley Estuary in Response to a Rising Sea Level, Part I - Lowered Sea Level....... 35 3. Development of a Drowned River Valley Estuary in Respones to a Rising Sea Level, Part II - Elevated Sea Level ................ 36 4. Development of Oyster Reefs in an Evolving Estuary, Responding to a Rising Sea Level .. 38 5. Delineation of the Study Area Scales ....... 41 6. Acoustic Survey Track Lines ................. 51 7. Bottom Sample Locations ...................... 54 8. Bottom Current Data Station Locations ...... 57 9. Bathymetry of Wreck Shoal Study Area, 1984, Showing the Subareas and Subenvironments ... 64 10. Wreck Shoal Study Area, Side Scan Sonar Photo Mosaic, 7 July 1984 ................... 66 11. Wreck Shoal Study Area, Side Scan Sonar Photo Mosaic, 13 March 1985 ..... 67 12. Wreck Shoal Study Area, Subarea A, Klien Side Scan Sonar and Raytheon Fathometer .... 69 vii Figure Page 13. Wreck Shoal Study Area, Subarea A, E.G. and G. Side Scan Sonar ................. 7 0 14. Wreck Shoal Study Area, Subarea B, Klein Side Scan Sonar and Raytheon Fathometer .... 72 15. Wreck Shoal Study Area, Subarea B, E.G. and G. Side Scan Sonar ................. 73 16. Wreck Shoal Study Area, Subarea C, Klien Side Scan Sonar