Finger Canals:      Finger canals are man made canals that are built to increase water front property. Often, they are shaped like a T (insert fingercanal2 or fingercanal3), but they can also be simply rectangular in shape (insert fingercanal1). The canal is cut into the mainland from the water side to increase the amount of land that is juxtaposed to water. The canal is then lined with cement to help prevent erosion of this newly formed waterfront property. Although this increases the waterfront property, there are several negative aspects of finger canals.      These finger canals can form an area that is known as a "dead head". At the head of the canal, or the area furthest from the water source, there is very limited to no input of new or oxygenated water. This is due to the lack of circulation at this, the calmer end, of the canal. With this lack of oxygen comes the "deadness" of the water where organisms are unable to survive.      Along with these dead heads, finger canals also greatly increase pollution into the system. Because the cement lining the canals, this creates an impervious surface. This means that when water hits the cement, it simply runs off of it into the nearest water source instead of being absorbed into the ground. This is very crucial because the earth acts as a filter, taking impurities out of the water before it re-enters the system. This lack of being sieved through the ground first, increases the amount of polluted water that enters the system. The pollution can greatly affect the fish and wildlife that are dependent on the water of the back barrier marsh, which is often where the finger canals were built.      Finger canals are now illegal in the state of North Carolina, and in most states in the United States.