Assateague pony stallion by Bonnie Gruenberg4

Assateague Island is a long

barrier island Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of Dune, dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything fro ...

located off the eastern coast of the

Delmarva Peninsula The Delmarva Peninsula, or simply Delmarva, is a large peninsula and proposed state on the East Coast of the United States, occupied by the vast majority of the state of Delaware and parts of the Eastern Shore regions of Maryland and Virginia ...

facing the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. The northern two-thirds of the island is in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

while the southern third is in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The Maryland section contains the majority of Assateague Island National Seashore and

Assateague State Park Assateague State Park is a public recreation area in Worcester County, Maryland, USA,, located at the north end of Assateague Island, a barrier island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Sinepuxent Bay on the west. The state park is bo ...

. The Virginia section contains Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and a one-mile stretch of land containing the lifeguarded recreational beach and

interpretive __NOTOC__ An interpretive discussion is a discussion in which participants explore and/or resolve interpretations often pertaining to text (literary theory), texts of any medium containing significant ambiguity in meaning. Education Interpretiv ...

facilities managed by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

(or NPS). It is best known for its herds of

feral horse A feral horse is a free-roaming horse of domesticated stock. As such, a feral horse is not a wild animal in the sense of an animal without domesticated ancestors. However, some populations of feral horses are managed as wildlife, and these ...

s, pristine beaches and the Assateague Lighthouse. The island also contains numerous marshes, bays, and coves, including

Toms Cove Toms Cove is an embayment on the southern end of Assateague Island in Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast ...

. Bridge access for cars is possible from both Maryland and Virginia, though no road runs the full north/south length of the island.

History

Like all

barrier islands Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a ...

, Assateague has changed in form over the years. The structure of barrier islands is determined by movement of sand in the

littoral zone The littoral zone or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely inundated), to coastal areas ...

, the portion of the ocean closest to the seaward side of the island. At one time, the island was connected to the lowest point of Fenwick Island. However, the 1933 Chesapeake–Potomac hurricane created an

inlet An inlet is a (usually long and narrow) indentation of a shoreline, such as a small arm, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In marine geogra ...

south of

Ocean City, Maryland Ocean City, officially the Town of Ocean City, is an Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, Worcester County, Maryland along the East Coast of the United States. The population was 6,844 at the 2020 United States cens ...

.Williams, Jeff. "USGS Research Contributes to Assateague Island Restoration—Mitigating 70 Years of Coastal Erosion Due to Ocean City Inlet Jetties". ''Sound Waves'' November, 2002. Accessed online December 3, 2010.
/ref> This inlet separated the two landforms. Normally, it would have silted back due to the

littoral drift Longshore drift from longshore current is a geological process that consists of the transportation of sediments (clay, silt, pebbles, sand, shingle) along a coast parallel to the shoreline, which is dependent on the angle incoming wave direction ...

that ran from north to south. However, after the storm, between 1933 and 1935 a permanent system of artificial jetties was built to preserve the inlet as a navigation channel. As a result, the island has drifted considerably westward, and the two landmasses are now over apart. While this process has benefitted Ocean City, creating wider beaches and better fishing access, it caused erosion problems on Assateague. Between 1933 and the early 1960s, federal interest in creating a

national seashore The United States has ten protected areas known as national seashores and three known as national lakeshores, which are public lands operated by the National Park Service (NPS), an agency of the Department of the Interior. National seashores an ...

on the island alternated with periodic pushes for development. In 1950, a 15-mile section of the Maryland side of Assateague was plotted for development, and a paved road, Baltimore Boulevard, was constructed to traverse the new development. The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 destroyed or covered most of Baltimore Boulevard, and many of the structures on the island were destroyed. Although some private landowners on the island supported re-development, by this time the state of Maryland generally supported a national seashore and legislation was introduced in the United States Congress. After Congressional efforts did not produce final legislation in 1964, new legislation in 1965 was successful and Assateague Island National Seashore was formed.Mackintosh, Barry. "Assateague Island administrative history" History Division, National Park Service. 1982. Accessed December 3, 2010

Parks and refuge

The entirety of Assateague Island is owned and operated by three different agencies: the NPS, Maryland State Parks, and

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

. All of the land on the island north of the Maryland-Virginia state line is the Assateague Island National Seashore, with the exception of the smaller

. The national seashore was established in 1965 to preserve the barrier island and surrounding waters, and provide recreational opportunities. All of the island south of the state border in Virginia is the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, with the exception of a one-mile stretch of land including the recreational beach and interpretive facilities managed by the NPS. The Refuge was established in 1943 to provide habitat for migratory birds, primarily

snow geese The snow goose (''Anser caerulescens'') is a species of goose native to North America. Both white and dark morphs exist, the latter often known as blue goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The species was previously placed ...

. The

U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...

has initiated studies aimed at mitigating the potential

sea-level rise Globally, sea levels are rising due to human-caused climate change. Between 1901 and 2018, the globally averaged sea level rose by , or 1–2 mm per year on average.IPCC, 2019Summary for Policymakers InIPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryo ...

on this barrier island complex.

Human use of the island

The National Park Service allows off-road vehicles with permits in certain areas. Car camping sites are available in both the National Seashore and Assateague State Park by reservation. Backcountry sites are also available from the National Seashore. There is no camping available from the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Pets are prohibited in all areas except certain parts of the National Seashore and parts of the state park. Kayak touring is a popular way to see the wildlife, especially on the calmer bay side. Summer months are known for heavy mosquito populations, particularly on the bay side. Assateague State Park comprises almost and lies in Maryland within the National Seashore. The state park is the most developed area on the island with 350 campsites. Most of the water around the island is within the boundaries of the national seashore. The island has a land area of and has no resident population in either Maryland or Virginia, though a few retained property rights until 2006. These were mainly hunting camps.

Fauna

Large populations of birds inhabit the island, including

American oystercatcher The American oystercatcher (''Haematopus palliatus''), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby observed the ...

great blue heron The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos ...

, and

snowy egret The snowy egret (''Egretta thula'') is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, , which is a diminutive of , 'heron'. The species name ''thula'' is the Araucano term for the black-necked swan, app ...

. There are over 320 species that are known to inhabit the island during some portion of the year. These include gulls, terns, and other shorebirds along with raptors, waterbirds, and waterfowl. The

piping plover The piping plover (''Charadrius melodus'') is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange-red legs, a black band across the forehead from e ...

is a

threatened species Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

that nests on Assateague. The

population of Assateague Island is alternately known as the Assateague horse in Maryland and the

Chincoteague Pony The Chincoteague pony, also known as the Assateague horse, is a breed of horse that developed and lives in a feral condition on Assateague Island in the states of Virginia and Maryland as one of the many breeds of feral horses in the Unite ...

in Virginia. This distinction, made both on per-breed and per-individual basis, is sometimes a matter of disagreement. The traditional definition of a horse or a pony is based on whether the animal in question falls over or under . The equines on the island tend to be under 14.2, but have a horse

phenotype In genetics, the phenotype () is the set of observable characteristics or traits of an organism. The term covers the organism's morphology or physical form and structure, its developmental processes, its biochemical and physiological proper ...

. It is argued that their relatively small size is primarily due to environmental, rather than genetic conditions. The National Park Service provides information about these animals through brochures and the internet. The Maryland and Virginia horses are kept apart by fencing at the border between the two states. Though commonly called "wild," these horses had domesticated ancestors. Legend states their ancestors were survivors of a Spanish galleon that shipwrecked along the coast, and DNA evidence indicates the modern population includes the closest living descendants of Spanish horses brought to the Americas in the early 1500s. Previously, it was suggested the horses originated from late 17th century mainland owners who brought their horses to the barrier islands to avoid fencing laws and taxation. When excess numbers are removed from the island and they are placed into human ownership, they adapt quickly to domestication. Made famous by

Marguerite Henry Marguerite Henry (' Breithaupt; April 13, 1902 – November 26, 1997) was an American writer of children's books, writing fifty-nine books based on true stories of horses and other animals. She won the Newbery Medal for ''King of the Wind'', a 19 ...

in her children's book ''

Misty of Chincoteague ''Misty of Chincoteague'' is a children's novel written by Marguerite Henry, illustrated by Wesley Dennis, and published by Rand McNally in 1947. Set in the island town of Chincoteague, Virginia, the book was inspired by the real-life story of th ...

'', the animals are popular tourist attractions and subjects for photography. The Maryland horses are owned and managed by the NPS, who have carefully followed the population over generations. In Virginia, the Chincoteague ponies are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Once a year in July, the local "salt water cowboys" round them up and sort a number of animals to be removed from the island, which are put up for auction on

Pony Penning Pony Penning, sometimes known as Pony Penning Days or Pony Swim, is an annual event held in Chincoteague, Virginia on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. The Chincoteague Fire Department conducts the event, which consists of a p ...

Day. To keep their numbers under control on the Maryland side, a federal contraceptive program has been in place since 1994.Feral Horse Management at Assateague Island National Seashore
/ref> In Virginia, the Pony Penning Days auction keeps the horse population at levels required by agreement with the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

Climate

Assateague Island has a humid subtropical climate and is the only part of Maryland with the southern tip of the Delmarva peninsula in hardiness Zone 8a.

Gallery

File:A deer walks along the Snow Goose Pool in the Assateague Island National Seashore.jpg, A deer walks along the Snow Goose Pool in the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Chincoteague, Virginia, 2006-07-27 File:Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge 1.jpg, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge with lighthouse in distance File:Assateague Island ASIS2576.jpg, Assateague Island waterways File:Assateague Island horses August 2009 4.jpg, Humans and horses are often brought into proximity on the island. File:Egrets-assateague.jpg, Egrets in Assateague's marshes File:Assateagueponies.jpg, Feral horses on Assateague Island File:Assateague Island ASIS4010.jpg, Deer on Assateague File:Chincoteague ponies by Bonnie Gruenberg5.jpg, Saltwater cowboys round up ponies on Assateague and herd them down the beach at sunrise. File:Chincoteague Pony swim by Bonnie Gruenberg.jpg, Swimming from Assateague for Pony Penning Day on Chincoteague File:Snow on the Dunes.jpg, Winter 2022 on Assateague Island File:Winter scene on Assateague Island.jpg, Snow blankets Assateague Island in January 2022 File:Winter landscape on Assateague.jpg, A winter scene on Assateague Island in January 2022

References

External links

* *
Assateague Island National SeashoreAssateague State ParkAssateague photos
* Philip E. Hartman papers at the University of Maryland library contain letters, reports, and publications, which document environmental activities relating to Assateague Island. {{authority control Barrier islands of Maryland Barrier islands of Virginia Islands of Accomack County, Virginia Landforms of Worcester County, Maryland Beaches of Maryland

Beaches of Virginia Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commo ...

Tourist attractions in Accomack County, Virginia Tourist attractions in Worcester County, Maryland