09/13/1999 SELECT BOARD Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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current nutrient related water quality degradation within the Bay's component embayments. Sampling is year-round but concentrates upon the summer period when eutrophication impacts are generally greatest in Cape Cod embayments. Summertime records of bottom water dissolved oxygen,temperature and salinity have been obtained in the Mashpee River, Ockway Bay, Shoestring Bay, and Upper Popponesset Bay using moored instrumentation. Nutrient, particulate and phytoplankton levels are measured at high frequency (weekly-monthly) during summer and low frequency(monthly-bimonthly) during winter. Fecal coliform measurements have been performed only during the warmer months (May-October). Watercolumn sampling has been in collaboration with the Popponesset Bay Volunteer Monitoring Program and the Cotuit Waders. Periodic measurements of infaunal animals(those that live in the bottom sediment), plankton production rate, oxygen uptake rates of Bay waters and sediments, and nitrogen release rates from sediments have been conducted over the past year. Detailed hydrodynamic modeling of the System has just begun, although the bathimetry and some tidal data has already been collected and assimilated. Additional field calibration of the model and bathimetry data will be completed during 1999. To major efforts to date have been: a) 8 mooring placements for recording dissolved oxygen levels, b)more than 20 watercolumn nutrient and fecal coliform surveys (16 sites), c) 7 nutrient recycling experiments at 8 locations, d) 5 photosynthesis incubations (4 sites), e) 3 quantitative collections of benthic animals at 8 locations, The results of the study (to date) clearly indicate nutrient related water quality degradation in each of the upper sub-embayments (Mashpee River, Ockway and Shoestring Bays). The component subsystems were not homogeneous, but showed a range of nutrient related water quality impacts, from highly impacted (Mashpee River), to moderate-high impact(Ockway Bay, Shoestring Bay), to moderate impact(central Popponesset Bay). Assistance to Related Efforts: There are several correlated activities that CMAST technical staff have undertaken in support of the overall Town effort. Some of the major activities have been: (1) Preparation of a SRF Proposal for the Town, December 12, 1997. (2) Working for external support for for the Cape Cod Commission& USGS for watershed studies. (3) Technical support to the Mashpee Sewer Commission in Wastewater Facilities Planning Proposal evaluations and interviews. (4) At request of Town, environmental guidance regarding the severity of the nutrient problem within the Popponesset Bay System to the Talanian and the Mashpee Commons Projects. (5) Attendance at Watershed Committee Meetings and Scientific Sub-committee meetings by the Project Ldr.. (6) Assistance in preparation of a SRF Proposal for Facilities Planning, June 30, 1999. (7) Information transfer to the press, including article in Environment Cape Cod, 1999. (8) Support for formation of Mashpee and Cotuit-Santuit Civic Assoc. monitoring programs. (9) Grant from Massachusetts EOEA for technical support for differential GPS locations of land and water sites within the Popponesset Bay System for linkage with GIS. (10) Proposal to evaluate wetlands within the Popponesset Bay System. (11) Work with EOEA to generate State support of non-point source identification and quantification within the Popponesset Bay System. (12) Annual Review and Presentation at Willow Bend meeting room, winter 1998. (13) Field trip for MA State Regulatory Agencies to make Popponesset Bay a Case Study(5199).