9/27/1995 COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE Minutes

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M.AS PEE COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT C0MMITTEE MINUTES SEPTEMBER 27s 1995 The Mashpee Coastal Resource Management committee met at Mashpee Town Hall at 3 : 30 p.m. on Wednesday , August 30 , 19956 Board Members Present were: Perry Ellis , Jim Hanks , Ed. Govoni , Rick York, Martine Ilei 3 er ing, Bob Sherman, Torn Fud.al a, Peter Din.izio, Bob whritenour. The meeting was called to order at 3 * 40 p.m. , and the Minutes from August 30 , 1994 were approved with a spelling correction of WBNER . Mr. Hanks gave a slide presentation on the Iia shpee River. The slides depicted algae scum that floats on the surface, geese in the area, and areas where there is crystal clear water. Tom cambareri , Ed Eichner, and Chuck Lawrence were present from the Cape cod Commission to provide information from a study done on the flushing of Popponesset Bay ( that was funded by Field ' s Point as a condition of the Commission' s approval of Forth Market Street) . Mr, Eichner noted that Mashee River can absorb 33 , 71 kg/yr of nitrogen without a negative effect He also noted that it takes 11-12 days for the water to flush out of the Mashpee River. Popponesset is nitrogen sensitive due to the shoreline shape and tidal range* The source of the nitrogen is Title V (septic) systems * Mr. Lawrence who did some of the calculations stated that 33 , 712 kg/yr is the actual loading, but that 1 , 020 kg/yr is what the River can stand before reaching a. critical level . Mash-pee River is now 30 times the critical load. Mr. Baker expressed concern with the severity of the problem and the critical ratio of 30 to 1 . Mr. Baker asked i f the Town should try to get the Mashpee liver designated as a District of Critical. Planning Concern, Mr. Hanks was not in favor of this option since this would lead to a one-year moratorium on building in the watershed. Mr. Hanks suggested that each resident pump their septic system once a year. Dr, Joseph costa from the Buzzard' s Bay Project stated that Title V systems are designed to romove fecal, coliform but not nitrogen. Br. costa noted that eel grass has disappeared over the years due to the accumulation of algae (caused by high levels of nutrients ) which shades the eel grass beds * The result is increasing shallowness with the decomposing and settling particles. Dr. costa noted that coliform does not ]gill fish, rather the nitrogen caused by the decomposition of eel grass causes the oxygen to get used up resulting in fish kill * lick York stated that the scallop crop diminished due to habitat degradation* when the eel grass disappeared, muck remained leaving no place for the shellfish to settle. Dr. Costa noted it is a political issue for the town to determine how it values