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What is the Problem? [new page] <br /> The problem is too many nutrients—nitrogen in our coastal waters and phosphorus in our fresh <br /> waters. Algae slicks, fish kills, and offensive odors are a few of the symptoms of degraded water <br /> quality caused by too many nutrients. These conditions make it unpleasant for Mashpee <br /> residents and visitors to use our local waters for swimming,boating, fishing and shellfishing. <br /> The Mashpee River has been one of the primary focal points of this issue, dating back to <br /> concerns raised in the early 1980s that resulted in the Town purchasing conservation land in an <br /> effort to slow down the pollution. <br /> Popponesset Bay and Waquoit Bay have been the focus of several studies, including those most <br /> recently done as part of the Massachusetts Estuaries Project,that show signs in these areas of <br /> low dissolved oxygen,loss of benthic (bottom dweller) communities and habitats, loss of eel <br /> grass (home and nursery to fish and other important species) and overall eutrophication (over <br /> fertilization/overgrowth of algal and other plant life)that blocks out light and consumes oxygen <br /> that native species need to survive. <br /> What causes the problem? Nutrient pollution—or too much nitrogen(in salt water) and too <br /> much phosphorus (in fresh water)—hurts our natural environment and the industries that rely on <br /> it by negatively impacting water quality. It affects our quality of life and the enjoyment we get <br /> from spending time near our precious coastal resources. <br /> Many of us have chosen to live in Mashpee because of its natural resources, but our <br /> community's popularity is our estuaries' downfall and these estuaries and the problem of <br /> reducing the nitrogen pollution to them is the primary focus of this Project. <br /> More homes and businesses mean more nitrogen from human sources is being released into the <br /> environment. While nitrogen is present in the environment naturally, in excess it is considered a <br /> pollutant. It acts as a fertilizer, causing excess plant and algae growth in the water. This excess <br /> growth consumes oxygen and smothers other forms of life. When the plants die they also <br /> consume oxygen as they decompose. There is no longer enough oxygen in the water for aquatic <br /> life, causing fish kills and harming plants such as eelgrass that serve as a nursery for many <br /> important species of fin fish and shell fish. The decomposition of organic matter creates odors <br /> and is unsightly, leaving increasingly thick layers of muck on the bottom of our estuaries, <br /> impacting recreational uses such as swimming and boating, as well as the economic backbone of <br /> the Cape economy—tourism and fishing. <br /> Wlio's responsible? We all are. If you use a septic system or are connected to a sewer, fertilize <br /> your lawn, or don't pick up after your dog—you are part of the problem. Conventional Title 5 <br /> septic systems do not remove enough nitrogen, so it is carried to our rivers and estuaries by the <br /> groundwater. Even if your household sanitary waste is treated at a wastewater treatment plant, <br /> you are part of the problem because nitrogen is present in treatment plant effluent. Treatment <br /> plants discharge nitrogen, but at much lower levels than conventional septic systems which serve <br /> most of the properties in Town. <br /> 2 <br />