Una
l
Description and History: 1526-1972
salt water assumes a lenticular or lens-shaped cross section, the edges of
which are about at the edges of the island. These lenses serve as a
secondary source of potable though brackish water during dry periods
when rainwater reservoirs are nearing exhaustion. Figure I-19 is a chart of
mean monthly rainfall showing the potential water deficit of the dry period
of the year.!0
AVERACE VONTHLUY Aare ALL
299
138
173
136
3c
an
INCHES:
7?
722
7S
2K
3u7
345
Indicates Water Qef-cit
a
£z
‘
a
QaiNFALL
POTENTIAL WATER LOSS FAOM
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z 6
SOiL
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Seel
T
Zz
—
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wife
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Q
bow
.
Be,
.
entrees
JAN
FEB
f
t
APR
r
May
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he
MAR
,
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Ye
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6
2
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JUN
nee
—-
JUL
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AUG
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——
SEP
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+ oe
oct
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as
NOV
a
x
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oEC
FIGURE 1-19. MEAN MONTHLY RAINFALL OF ENEWETAK ATOLL.
FLORA AND FAUNA
The types and quantities of flora found on the atoll would depend very
greatly on the period in history under consideration. For example, before
their introduction by German entrepreneurs in the |9th century, there
were few coconut palms growing on the atoll. When they were planted to
become the source of copra, they became the most conspicuous, if not the
most numerous, of the plants to be found on Enewetak. Later, the
numberof ‘all trees, shrubs, and bushes would be greatly affected by
invasion, nuclear weaponstesting, and cleanup.
Since Enewetak is located in the northern and drier section of the
Marshalls, it does not have dense, lush, dampforests, and the native flora
is not largein: size or-in variety. According to St. John, the indigenous flora
totals 42 species. Of these, four are endemic, all being of the genus
pandanus. Food crops and ornamentals amount to 26 in number and
adventive weeds to 27, Altogether, the living flora totals 95 species. In