In turn, this will also increase the number of fish that will become impinged, entrained and killed by the power plant. Thus, there are more fish in the water, there are more fish going to be destroyed by the nuclear power plant. While productivity is not as high as a saltwater wetland, a freshwater wetland will provide an important habitat to many species like painted turtles, tadpoles, black rails, cattails, black ducks and mosquitofish. In either case, the destruction of a freshwater wetland to create a saltwater wetland does not seem like a viable solution to killing fish via the water intake system of the power plant. The removal of the freshwater buffer zone of this area could lead to saltwater intrusion into the freshwater aquifer and contaminate local wells.
Saltwater intrusion can also affect local septic systems.
The bay shore marshland has been saturated with DDT insecticide for two decades. As dikes erode, DDT-laden sediment would wash into the bay and introduce DDT insecticide into the food chain. With erosion, there will be an increase in sediment load in the bay water. This sediment load could decrease fish production, and cause major problems with the oyster industry. All these factors are important and are difficult to project.