2/20/2013 COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT COMMITTEE Minutes

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Community Preservation Committee Minutes February 20,20 1 3 Public Comment—Review of Solar Bees: i Richard York, I1ashpee's Shellfish Constable was in attendance to give an update on the Solar Bees, a CPA project approved at the May 2012 Special Town Meeting for the remediation and restoration of Santuit Pond by using artificial aeration and circulation. The goal of the project is to restore Santuit Pond through n improvement in water quality and t ' e algae blooms. Six Solar Bees, solar powered circulation units were-purchased and installed at the 170-acre Great Pond with CPA funding. Mr. York indicated the Solar Bees have been a great success. The benefits of circulation at the pond are readily apparent. Prior to their installation,the pond had very little clarity, it was odorous and there was an abundance of noxious aquatic plants. Now,the entire ecology of the pond has changed. There is no appearance of floating algae growth and the visibility of the pond is at least 3' t the bottom. Mr. York noted that grater sampling is conducted weekly by Town with the involvement of the Friends of Santuit fond and the l ashpee Environmental Coalition. In addition the Mate Department of Public Health also. conducts monitoring and sannplmg. `there is a lot of more than any other Solar Bee installation, and the sane successful results are expected next year. The DPW is responsible for the oversight and monitoring of-the units,and to date there has not been any complaints or maintenance issues with the circulators in the pond. CPA A lication—Shellfish PEppAgationffigpga Restoration lro'ect: The Shellfish Constable. vas before the CPC Committee to request funding for the Shellfish Propagation/Estuary Restoration Project proposal. Applicants fot the project include the Town of Mash,the Mashie Police Department and the M sh ee Shellfish Constable. The total funding request is $95,140. Mr. York indicated thegoal goal of the project is to restore shellfish populations, and reduce eutrophication in the estuaries. Specific to this application,2,000 rernote set oyster seed would be stocked in the Mashpee River and 6 million quahog seed would be stocked in Great River, .After the recreational.harvest.of 70 tons-o oysters and 275.tons of quahogs, 0.2 tons of nitrogen would be removed from the Mashpee River and 1 ton of nitrogen would be removed from Great River. This equates to restoring 10%of the nitrogen reduction rewired to restore water quality in the Mashpee River and 100%of the nitrogen reduction required to restore water duality in Great River, Little River,Hamblin,pend,Jehu Pond and clay Bay,