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lowered malting the program sustainable over the long-term. The stream-lined program builds <br /> upon the more intensive efforts conducted previously. <br /> The Mashpee Waterways Commission(Steve Pinard 2009-2013; Don McDonald 2014-present) <br /> has been responsible for overall program organization with assistance from Rick York(Natural <br /> Resources), including the recruiting of volunteers. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Natural <br /> Resources Staff(Chuckie Green) have been full partners in this effort and participated in each of <br /> the sampling events. The structure of the program relies on volunteers, with each estuary having a <br /> "Bay Captain"who oversees the sampling teams for each sampling event and ensures proper <br /> sample transfers and submittal of chain of custody forms. The technical aspects of the project are <br /> under the direction of Dr. Brian L. Howes,Director of the Coastal Systems Program at SMAST- <br /> UMD and Sara Sampicri Horvet, the Coastal Systems Analytical Facility Manager <br /> (ssampieri@umassd.edu). Volunteers came from each of the 3 Towns bordering the 2 estuaries: <br /> Falmouth, Mashpee and Barnstable. All field team members are volunteers,regardless of their <br /> other affiliations,as all members are dedicated to the restoration and protection of Mashpee's <br /> culturally and economically valuable estuarine resources. <br /> Volunteer sampling teams were supplied with the necessary sampling equipment to conduct field <br /> measurements of physical parameters as well as to collect water samples for subsequent nutrient <br /> analysis by the SMAST Analytical Facility. The physical parameters included: total depth, <br /> Secchi depth(light penetration), temperature, estuary state, weather,wind speed and direction, <br /> and oxygen content. Laboratory analyses include: salinity,nitrate+nitrite,ammonium, <br /> dissolved organic nitrogen,particulate organic nitrogen,total nitrogen, chlorophyll a pigments <br /> and orthophosphate (Table 1). All analytical methodologies have been previously approved for <br /> use in the SMAST Analytical.Facility by EPA, Mass. CZM,.NOAA and NSF and the <br /> Massachusetts Estuaries Project. <br /> Table 1. Summary of estuarine sampling and parameters analyzed. <br /> Dissolved Particulate Chlorophyll Field <br /> Location Nutrients Nutrients /Pheophytin Parameters <br /> Waquoit Bay <br /> All CR,ER and WB X X X X <br /> Popponesset Bay <br /> All PB and SR X X X X <br /> As was the case with the prior year's (2015) monitoring effort,the 2016 Mashpee.Water Quality <br /> ,Monitoring Program was very successful from the organizational aspect (and% sample <br /> capture). The success of the program relative to meeting the sampling goals showed once again <br /> that properly implemented volunteer-sampling efforts can provide cost effective, high quality <br /> data for tracking the status of water quality in both Waquoit and Popponesset Bay Systems; and <br /> can support compliance monitoring with the USEPA/MassDEP TMDLS for these systems. In <br /> addition,under the recently upgraded program structure, it should be possible to track short-term <br /> changes in nutrient related water quality with greater certainty than in previous years. <br /> Each volunteer water sampling team was trained/re-trained and outfitted with sampling <br /> equipment for collection of water samples at assigned sampling stations. Staff fiom the Coastal <br /> 10 <br />