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share resources, including the transfer of funds from Hamblin and Jehu Ponds,Great and Little Rivers and one Town to another to pay for facilities or other Ockway Bay, and a significant expansion of current actions which may be the most cost-effective in oyster propagation and harvesting efforts in the achieving the necessary nitrogen reductions. Mashpee River,Shoestring Bay and Popponesset Bay. The oyster propagation work is also being enhanced by As noted previously, the Town sought and the Wampanoag Tribe. In conjunction with sewering received a CCC Consistency Letter allowing us to and other nitrogen reduction measures such as proceed with work on some projects envisioned in stormwater bio-retention areas, development controls Phase 2 of our Plan. More specifically, the Town has and land purchases to reduce"buildout"population and engaged in discussions with the Towns of Sandwich, other measures, shellfish seeding and commercial Falmouth and Bourne, along with representatives of harvesting on a large scale may make meeting the Mass Development and Joint Base Cape Cod, around TMDL targets for Hamblin and Jehu Ponds and Great the use of wastewater treatment and discharge facilities River possible on their own,and also ultimately reduce on the Base to accommodate some of our water quality the area of the Town that has to be sewered in other improvement requirements. Each Town has put watersheds(thus reducing resulting costs significantly). forward its request for wastewater treatment and/or Should the shellfish prove as effective as hoped,only discharge capacity at existing or expanded facilities on the first two or three phases of sewer facility the Base, and Mass Development is considering construction would be required to meet the TMDLs appropriate mechanisms by which it might take over (shellfish cannot meet the TMDLs on their own in the ownership of, and responsibility for, the wastewater Mashpee River and Shoestring Bay sub-watersheds,or and other utilities on the base,which currently belong at all in the Quashnet/Moonakis River sub-watershed, to the Air Force. Phase 2 of our Plan calls for meaning that significant sewer construction will still wastewater from most of the western part of the town be required in those sub-watersheds and is proposed in to be sent to the treatment plant on the Base, if it the first two 5-year phases). As each 5-year phase is becomes available. We have indicated that we would completed and water quality results become known,it be seeking about 200,000 gallons per day of may be necessary to construct portions or all of the later wastewater treatment and discharge capacity on the phases of the proposed sewer facilities if the shellfish Base.Having the Phase 2 Consistency Letter allows us option does not produce the hoped-for results. We to move quickly should things move more rapidly than continue to be optimistic that such will not be the case. previously anticipated regarding that opportunity. The new Department of Natural Resources has been created to help implement the shellfish portion of the The $43,500 study of Falmouth's Moonakis Plan,and steady progress is being made with shellfish estuary to see if improvements could be made which propagation and seeding. would reduce necessary sewering of the Quashnet River watershed produced fairly discouraging results, Meanwhile, both the wastewater treatment and as neither shellfish propagation nor channel widening shellfish propagation portions of the Plan are falling were found likely to achieve significant nitrogen significantly behind the Plan's anticipated schedule due reduction. As a result, the negotiations regarding the to lack of funding. There is continued discussion on Joint Base Cape Cod facilities are of increased whether or not it would make the most sense for the importance. Mashpee Water District to become a Water and Sewer District to implement the wastewater utility portions of The WNMP describes work to be done in five 5- the Plan,a concept which is still strongly supported by year phases.As each phase is completed,the condition the Commission.In any case,it is hoped that the Town of our waterways and other factors will be analyzed to will settle soon on a funding program and schedule so determine how well the plan is working toward that we can begin to address our wastewater facility achieving the TMDLs and whether or not adjustments needs. need to be made to the Plan (a process referred to as "adaptive management"). This adaptive management The Commission now finds itself three members approach is particularly important as the Plan relies short as L. Glenn Santos had to resign for health heavily on removing a significant portion of the water reasons. We thank him sincerely for his efforts while column nitrogen load through seeding and commercial on the Commission.Any volunteers to fill those three harvesting of large numbers (millions) of shellfish in positions will be much appreciated. 160