|
2
<br /> improve and repair the marsh structure and the marsh restoration. M-1. Faker said that it was
<br /> within agreement with the recommendations of this wad the doc nentation of the estuary project
<br /> about solutions to some of the problems and the items that were important, He said that the
<br /> infinging salt-water marsh intercepts some of the nutrient laden groundwater, heading into the
<br /> water body and it either acts as a sink or as a gas. It serves as a sort of a duel control on the
<br /> nitrogen that comes in. The more infringhrg marsh, the better off you are,he said. In addition to
<br /> that, the bigger the marsh structure,the wider that you can make it, provides a filter strip that
<br /> helps to screen out the bacteria problems when it conies in the river, said Mr. Baker. The river has
<br /> a pathogen problem as well,Ire added, and there is now a state T DL that is waiting approval
<br /> that applies to Cape Cod, he said. The TMDL is going to be approved by the EPA and lir. Baker
<br /> was looking at things feeling quite happy.
<br /> However•,he went to the waterways Commission mec ng Tuesday of this week, and at
<br /> Haat meeting it was obvious to hint that the Concession was still pursuing the marsh island fix.
<br /> The marsh island fix is not a solution like side casting is,he said. The marsh island fix would help
<br /> with navigation, but in terms of water quality,he couldn't see how it could help.
<br /> He said he thought it interferes and awakes worse the hydraulic radius of the river,which
<br /> M turn, slows down the river;the speed of the river is what maintains the organic particles. From
<br /> his point of view, the marsh island fix was not as good as side casting;it did nothing to pathogens
<br /> at A.
<br /> He added that he was concerned that the Conuaission was pursuing things in the Fong
<br /> direction. He said he thought that the Committee should get involved and be a source to help.
<br /> In the Town of Mashpee web site,he looked at the new,napping. He wanted to look at
<br /> the river area tangent to Penn Lane to Godfrey Road. He said that he thought that people should
<br /> look at the neap and the marsh in that area and can see the damage that occurred, so that the marsh
<br /> was totally obliterated. That section of the fiver,he said,years ago,used to be solid marsh.
<br /> Ted Theis asked Mr.Barer where would be the best push to make it happen-through
<br /> legislation?
<br /> Mr. Baker stated"We have to do it here."He said that in side casting, everybody thought
<br /> it was a good thing to do. The dit'ector of wetlands and waterways, Ml-. Langley, indicated that
<br /> the DBP wants to look at individual cases and help wherever they can,he said.
<br /> He said that if the Town of l aslapee could go out and hire engineers to redo the permits,
<br /> which is the cufen.t activity that}s going on, along with the dredging done on Waquoit Bay, it
<br /> could do the same to the 1 ashpee Diver, which has navigation troubles as well as water quality
<br /> problems.
<br /> Tom Fudala,the Town planner, said he wanted to include one interesting fact concerning
<br /> the conversation with Mr, Langley. The waterway Cormnission started out with a water quality
<br /> project,which becmne too difficult to pernl t. It then became a navigation project. Basically, said
<br /> Mr. Fudala, what it is supposed to become, was marsh restoration, which worked both ways.
<br /> Don Meyer,the Chairman, said he was a little confused, because based on the
<br /> presentation that was done previously,he was under the impression that the saltwater Marsh
<br /> altemative was better than side casting.
<br /> fir. Miller said that it was the side casting that produced additional marsh.
<br /> The Chairman said he it was essentially the same concept. He said that he thought in side
<br /> casting,you were creating a deeper channel, but the spoils would be put alongside the giver,
<br /> Ir. Baker said it created a marsh, The marsh thea was being taken out and put it in a
<br /> different place, said the haft-man.
<br /> You push the silt to the side and plant grass in it so it becomes marsh, said Mr. Baker* It
<br /> interrupts the flow and the nutrient laden groundwater, long enough so the microbes and the root
<br /> systems to take nutrients out of the groundwater and also acts as a filter, for surface water that
<br /> carries bacteria in, so you get a double kind of fix for it, in that you have more marsh that protects
<br /> you that way, plus you improve the hydraulic radius of the river, in Haat section and when you
<br />
|