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Water:
In the News Oak Bluff is now a pilot community for (CZM)Storm Smart Coasts Project Members of Martha’s Vineyard Water Alliance present concerns about nitrogen in island ponds at All-Island Selectmen’s meeting Melinda Loberg (Tisbury Waterways), Bruce Rosinoff (Mass Estuaries Project), and Bill Wilcox (MV Commission), all charter members of the Water Alliance, made presentations that focused on the work of the Water Alliance in attempting to define the scope of the nitrogen problem, the likely impacts to the Island’s environment and economy if the problem is not adequately addressed, the current status of the Estuaries Project on the Vineyard, and the necessary steps that need to be taken now to begin remediation and protection efforts. Ms. Loberg informed the audience that most of the troublesome nitrogen comes from septic systems, that contain pathogenic contamination, but were not designed to treat nitrogen. And while individual systems do not cause a problem, it is the cumulative effect of hundreds or even thousands of these systems that cause our ponds to deteriorate. She also pointed out that this obviously impacts our ability to enjoy the recreational benefits of the ponds, but also impacts our commercial shell fishing industry. In addition, lurking in the background, is the concern that because the ponds are one of the leading attributes of our vital tourism appeal, this could be severely reduced in the future. The other economic concern is that the significant revenue that towns receive from waterfront property could be slashed if water quality is not maintained. Mr. Rosinoff apologized for the slowness of completion of the scientific studies of Vineyard ponds by the Estuaries Project. He stated that the heart of these studies is to identify the critical nitrogen load that each pond can tolerate, which provides environmental managers a restoration target. However, he encouraged Selectmen that their towns can still move ahead with the loading targets developed by the MV Commission. While these are not as scientifically- based as those of the Estuaries Project, they do provide excellent planning numbers. Edgartown used this approach and is well on its way to solving the nitrogen problem plaguing the Edgartown Great Pond. In addition, Mr. Rosinoff gave the bad news that turning around the health of our ponds will require a multi-million dollar expense. However, legislation drafted by Senator O’Leary will help expedite the funding of environmental infra-structure to treat nitrogen. In addition the flexible approach demonstrated by the MA Department of Environmental Protection, that administers these funds, will allow us to move forward more quickly. Mr. Rosinoff also called upon Selectmen to work with the Water Alliance and provide the leadership that will be necessary to accomplish the mission. Mr. Wilcox handed out a table (included here) that summarizes all the Island ponds that are being studied by the Estuaries Project. It includes the town or towns that discharge to each pond, their status relative to the Estuaries Project, and whether they are over or under their Nitrogen loading limit. He went on to emphasize that because so many ponds share watershed areas, cooperation between towns will be essential. This is exemplified by Edgartown and Oak Bluffs through the inter-town committee working to solve the problems of Sengekontacket Pond. Senator O’Leary wrapped up the discussion by giving details of his legislation. It provides $100 million a year for ten years in zero interest loans to fund wastewater treatment focused on nitrogen. He encouraged the Selectmen to move ahead with Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plans that will enable their towns to access this money through the state DEP. He also suggested that the Island may wish to copy Cape Cod’s Wastewater Collaborative that has given the Cape a leg up in securing wastewater funding. House bill reintroduced to focus on acidification of oceans Our oceans are becoming more acidic by the day, threatening the survival of everything from plankton, to shellfish, to coral reefs and countless other aquatic species. Yesterday Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA-03) took decisive action to reverse that by reintroducing the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act (FOARAM). The bill overwhelmingly passed the House in 2008. When signed into law FOARAM will charge the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology with overseeing the planning, establishment, and coordination of a plan to improve the understanding of ocean acidification and its impact on marine ecosystems. 'From the people who work in the seafood and shellfish industry, to those who enjoy our maritime resources, the consequences of an increasingly acidic ocean to the people of Washington could be nothing short of catastrophic,' said Congressman Baird. 'I refuse to pass this problem off to future generations; we must work to solve it today.' The world's oceans help mitigate the effects of global warming by absorbing atmospheric carbon dioxide; however, as CO2 levels increase, the oceans are becoming overwhelmed and more acidic. With more than two thirds of the Earth's surface covered by water the effects of these changes can be catastrophic. 'Millions, if not billions, of people all across the world depend on our oceans to put food on their tables, and money in their pockets,' added Congressman Baird. 'Ocean acidification is slowly choking this vital worldwide economic engine. Waiting for someone else to fix the problem simply wasn't an option.' A recent study funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), showed the scope of the problem facing North America's West Coast is far greater than scientists ever imagined. Alarmingly high levels of acidified water have been found within 20 miles of the shore, which could spell disaster for ecosystems from Mexico to Canada, and everywhere in between. 'Scientists say they didn't expect to see ocean acidification levels this high until the middle, or even late part of this century,' added Congressman Baird. 'This study should serve as an eye opener for everyone, and illustrates why we must solve this problem right now.' When signed into law, FOARAM will develop and coordinate a comprehensive interagency plan to monitor and conduct research on the processes and consequences of ocean acidification on marine organisms and ecosystems. It will also establish ocean acidification programs within NOAA, the National Science Foundation, and NASA. 'This legislation takes an important step toward fully identifying the scope of the problem we're facing. Only then will we be able to begin the search for solutions,' concluded Congressman Baird. 'Water is life; we can't afford to sit on the sidelines while our oceans slowly die.' Posted: Thursday, January 08, 2009 Scientists link nutrient pollution with red tide outbreaks SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [UPI via COMTEX] - January 8, 2009 - CAMBRIDGE, Md., U.S. and other scientists have linked nutrient pollution to an increase in the number of harmful algal blooms, sometimes called 'red tide,' in coastal seas. When harmful algal blooms occur, they taint seafood with toxins, cause human respiratory and skin irritations and cause fish or mammal kills in coastal waters. The link to nutrient pollution, presented in 21 articles in the journal Harmful Algae, could elevate harmful algal blooms 'to the forefront of coastal management issues needing immediate attention,' said journal editor and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science researcher Patricia Glibert. The articles suggest degraded water quality from increased nutrient pollution promotes the development and persistence of many harmful algal blooms, which are a dense aggregation of phytoplankton, algae or cyanobacteria. Understanding the complex relationships between nutrients and the outbreak of harmful algae is key to reducing future blooms, the researchers say. They also say new tools for monitoring and predicting these events can help scientists better understand harmful algal blooms. An international symposium on algal blooms and nutrient pollution will be held in Beijing in October. Michael J. Oesterling Final Edgartown Great Pond Study, Just the Beginning The final report on the health of the Edgartown Great Pond has been finalized and approved by the Massachusetts Estuaries Project. It is the first coastal pond on the Vineyard to receive such a study, but a dozen more are in various stages and will be rolled out in draft form over the next two years. As I listened to Dr. Brian Howes, senior scientist at the School of Marine Science and Technology (UMass Dartmouth), present the project’s findings last week, I was struck by the extent of scientific research that supported those findings. In my 30 years of work in the environmental field, I have not seen this level of detail utilized for a small, localized embayment. The monitoring, laboratory analysis, and modeling is unparalleled. The extensive science that was applied is impressive in its own right, but will prove even more important when Edgartown begins its discussion of how to implement the actions necessary to improve the health of the pond. We are talking about large-scale funding and new regulatory programs. While Dr. Howes described the great pond as relatively healthy, he suggested that there still will be a necessity to remove a significant amount of nitrogen from reaching the pond if it is to attain its optimum health. Edgartown already has a leg up on the problem as the town’s wastewater treatment plant is in the great pond watershed. Through sewering some 300 homes presently on septic systems, the plant can remove the 30% of nitrogen called for by the study. Town leaders have exhibited the willpower to make this happen. However, the town’s voters will still need to appropriate a large sun of money to pay for the sewering. The argument can be made that the town cannot afford to spend the money, but because of the extensive science that has been conducted, there will be no question as to the pond’s decreasing health. In other words, it will be money well spent. Beyond expanding the sewer, Edgartown may also be required to ensure that the homes that are accommodated, actually tie-in to the system. This is a cost that may be as much as $10,000. Either using financial incentives or regulatory authority (most likely through the Board of Health), homeowners may have to be convinced to have their homes connected to the sewer system. All Vineyard towns, when they receive their estuary studies, will also have to consider future growth. Additional homes will produce additional wastewater that contains nitrogen. This will need to be addressed by the towns in a comprehensive fashion. One possibility will be through zoning pond watersheds as Nitrogen Overlay Districts with strict rules regulating the amount of nitrogen that can be generated within the watershed. This volume will be closely tied to how much nitrogen the pond. can tolerate. It will demand that all regulatory boards expand their authority. All of this will require comprehensive planning and additional infrastructure. Much of the cost can be funded through the State Revolving Fund that loans money at either a 0% or 2% rate. Representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), that administers the fund, recently told the Martha’s Vineyard Water Alliance that it will be very flexible in helping Island towns acquire the money necessary to implement the estuary studies. The DEP, as a partner in the Estuaries Project with UMass, has the motivation to assist as much as possible in helping to accommodate the necessary planning and construction to keep our ponds healthy. Island Grove sewer Another controversial article asked voters to spend $85,000 for design, permitting, and bidding on an extension of the sewer system to the 148-home Island Grove subdivision. The article was amended to a lower amount, $70,000. According to wastewater plant manager Joseph Alosso, the estimated cost of the sewer construction will be $840,000, an amount voters will likely be asked to spend in a separate article at the annual town meeting next spring. Taxpayers will be asked to split the cost equally with residents of the subdivision. Mr. Alosso estimated residents will pay $200 to $300 dollars per year for 20 years to fund construction, and $5,000 to $10,000 to connect to the sewer. "It's a private subdivision," said Jim Athearn. "Why is the town paying for the sewer?" Mr. Alosso noted that the subdivision lies within the watershed of Edgartown Great Pond, and sewering would remove nitrogen that is threatening the pond. "For all of Edgartown, there is a benefit," said Mr. Alosso. "This is a move toward keeping the watershed clean." Water department superintendent Fred Domont spoke in opposition, echoing the concerns of other voters about optional hook-up to the sewer system. "As a taxpayer, I'm a little confused," said Mr. Domont. "If you're not forced to hook in, it seems to me a better solution is to dredge the Great Pond, and look at the Great Pond to see how we can lower nitrates. We're in a recession. I don't think the town should be taking on major infrastructure projects in this economy." Paul Bagnall, the town's shellfish constable rebutted that argument. "We have dredged Edgartown Great Pond, and we saw some improvement," he said. "Edgartown Great Pond is at the breaking point. We had sporadic oyster and clam seasons out there. If we don't start to reduce nitrogen, it will go downhill from here." A majority of Island Grove residents support the project, and 88 percent of them intend to connect to the sewer, according to one resident who spoke in favor of the article. "Now is the time," the resident said. "These things are costly, but so too do they add value to our pond. Great Pond is worth saving." The article carried by a large margin on a voice vote. Clean Water Initiative Martha’s Vineyard is blessed with a wondrous group of coastal ponds that rim the entire Island. From Squibnocket Pond on the western shore to Pocha Pond in the east, these special natural resources offer fishing, shellfishing, water sports and natural beauty. As a group, they represent the Vineyard’s greatest environmental asset. The tourism and shellfishing industries, as well as property values, also depend on healthy ponds. Safeguarding that fragile environmental resource sustains a valuable economic resource. Unfortunately, most of our coastal ponds are already experiencing degraded water quality and habitat stress. This is due mostly to an increase in the amount of nitrogen that is discharged within each pond’s watershed. Nitrogen is carried by groundwater and eventually drains to the ponds. While a certain amount of nitrogen is necessary to support the life of the pond, too much is problematic. This overloading of nitrogen causes a disappearance of important sea grasses and an increase in nuisance algae, which, depending on the severity of the problem, can lead to anything from aesthetic issues to a significantly diminished shellfish crop. Most of the nitrogen that is generated comes from wastewater, typically septic systems. Lawn fertilizer is usually the second largest contributor, with agriculture and stormwater runoff providing additional nitrogen loads. (While a significant amount of nitrogen also comes from acid rain carried mostly from coal-burning plants in the Midwest, this is an issue that must be dealt with at state and national levels.) De-nitrifying septic systems, reduced fertilizer use or the use of organic fertilizer, sewering and the remediation of storm water runoff are some of the standard solutions. In addition, there are physical remedies that can also improve a coastal pond’s ability to utilize nitrogen without going beyond its loading capacity. This is accomplished by adjusting the flushing and circulation patterns of the pond. These options include dredging, and also the breaching of totally enclosed ponds such as Edgartown and Tisbury Great Ponds. However, these measures can often be difficult to manage and sustain. Given the importance of these special resources to the quality of Island life, we cannot allow this downward trend in water quality to continue. Any changes for the future will involve an Island-wide awareness of the problems and an understanding of the solutions. The Vineyard Conservation Society is working alongside the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, local watershed associations, shellfish officers, and other conservation organizations to try and stay ahead of the curve. Within the next year, the Massachusetts Estuaries Project will complete the robust science that will determine the nitrogen assimilative capacity of all the Island ponds. Then, the hardest part will begin, funding and managing the necessary actions to preserve our ponds. The Vineyard Conservation Society understands the risk we take by not acting decisively. For this reason, we have launched the “Clean Water Initiative” intended to educate Vineyarders about the problem, the reasons for it, and what can be done on both an individual level at home, and on a community level to support water quality programs. We are convinced that if the general public is properly advised, the declining health of our ponds can be turned around. The Clean Water Initiative is funded in part by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, as well as by VCS and the Edey Foundation. The program started this past summer with informational radio advertisements on WMVY as well as print ads in the Island newspapers. Currently, we are placing weekly articles in the VCS on-line Conservation Almanac on topics such as septic systems, lawn care, and proper landscaping to reduce nitrogen. In addition, we have sent copies of “The Island Blue Pages,” the highly informative guide to protecting Island waters, to our entire membership, as well as to all homes within 300 feet of Edgartown Great Pond, where pervasive algae contaminated the entire pond last summer. Another thrust of the Clean Water Initiative currently being developed will involve coordination with local realtors and septic system installers. We plan to offer realtors valuable educational material about landscaping, the use of harmful chemicals on lawns, and other water quality considerations that can be passed on to new homeowners. Septic installers will be fully briefed on an effective and inexpensive technology that can be utilized to spare the clear-cutting that is required for most standard installations. VCS also is partnering with the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, the Wampanoag Tribe, and officials from all six towns on a wastewater study of the Island with protection of our ponds at its core. As mentioned earlier, wastewater is by far the greatest source of nitrogen contaminating the ponds and it must be addressed, first through education, and then through funding and regulation. We are planning an Island-wide forum for the summer of 2009 that will reflect many of the findings from the study in addition to other related water quality issues. VCS will then move on to advocate at the town level for implementation of the necessary programs and funding that will lead to healthy ponds. Any changes in the gloomy blueprint for the future will involve an Island-wide awareness of the problems and an understanding of the solutions, and the Vineyard Conservation Society will be at the center of this effort. The first Island Great Pond now has a completed MEP Study Plan Click here to read full article in Microsoft Word format. Getting Out on the Water - Good Boating Practices Maintaining Your Boat Bilge Wastes Is the best solution to take the oil/water mixture to the oil recycling container at the local marina? Unfortunately, no: the signs indicate “Oil only — no bilge wastes.” What can a conscientious boater do? First, fix any leaks that might contribute oil to the bilges. Next, before pumping the bilgewater overboard, capture the floating surface oil with oil-absorbent pads, paper towels, or old nylon stockings. A product called a “bilge sock” can be used to sop up oily bilgewater. Bilge socks are available at local marinas and through the various harbormasters. Fuel Sewage Be responsible with your waste. It is illegal to dump untreated sewage into the water, and violators are subject to a $2,000 fine. If you have a toilet on your boat, it must be equipped with a Marine Sanitation Device (MSD). Acquaint yourself with the use and maintenance of the type of MSD on your boat. If your boat does not have an installed toilet, consider using a portable toilet. Many marinas have dump stations to empty portable toilets. Regardless of what type of MSD your boat has, sewage pump-out stations or portable pump-out units should be used when moored or docked in marinas and harbors and to empty holding tanks. This service is FREE in many harbors, including those of Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and Menemsha. Always pump out! Trash Six Simple Actions Spare that Shrub! Help for Island Towns coming from the MA Clean Water Act
Click here for the summary Nathaniel C. Mayo ARE YOU FLUID IN WATER TERMINOLOGY? Aquifer: Underground sediments saturated with water. Watershed: Area of land in which all water, whether above or below the ground, is constantly moving downhill towards the same body of water. A watershed may include thousands of acres and water may travel many miles from the highest elevation point to the body of water at or near sea level. Runoff: Downhill movement of rainfall, over impervious surfaces or slowly permeable soils, to a discharge point: a wetland, a fresh or coastal pond, or the ocean. Groundwater: Water stored in or moving through the aquifer. Recharge: Process where precipitation moves through the soil and reaches the groundwater, replenishing the aquifer. Vineyard Aquifers In 1987, the Environmental Protection Agency designated the Vineyard’s water supply as a “Sole Source Aquifer.” This designation recognizes that the Island’s groundwater is our only source of drinking water. About 40% of the annual rainfall seeps into the ground to replenish our aquifer. Our main aquifer contains about 150 billion gallons of water. Each year this aquifer receives nearly 18 billion gallons of recharge and loses a similar amount to the ocean. We use about 2 billion gallons of water each year and return over 1 billion to the ground through our wastewater disposal systems. Martha’s Vineyard has over sixteen major watersheds. Each coastal pond is the primary destination for all the ground and surface freshwater flowing downhill through its watershed. In the smaller watersheds, water may travel underground only a mile or so to reach its destination. In the largest ones, the distance traveled may be ten miles or more. The Vineyard includes 27 salt and brackish ponds that cover 8800 acres, 60 fresh water ponds that total 615 acres in area and 13 substantial streams that together are 20 miles long. Add to this the extensive salt and fresh marshes and wetlands, as well as the Vineyard and Nantucket Sounds, and the role that water plays in our lives becomes clear. The largest watershed on our Island, over 11,000 acres in area, is shared by Chilmark and West Tisbury. All the water falling on this watershed eventually ends up in Tisbury Great Pond. Eel Pond in Edgartown is the destination for water in the smallest Island watersheds, which comprises less than 150 acres. The starting point for water, is near the intersection of Indian Hill Road and State Road in West Tisbury’s business district. From that point, all water percolating into the aquifer flows downhill toward the coastline, to discharge into Tisbury Great Pond, Lake Tashmoo, Sengekontacket Pond, Katama Bay, Lagoon Pond and Edgartown Great Pond. The soil is so sandy in most of these areas that rainfall quickly seeps into the ground without forming streams or runoff. Groundwater moves slowly — maybe one to two feet a day. Water entering the groundwater in West Tisbury may take 30 years to arrive at Lagoon Pond, but arrive it will. With it will come pollutants applied to lawns or flushed down toilets and sinks. Even though it takes years, contaminated groundwater will eventually reach our coastal waters. In the hilliest parts of West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah, clay deposits make the soil less permeable. Rain and melting snow flow over the surface as runoff, forming numerous small streams. The watersheds for Menemsha, Squibnocket, and Chilmark Ponds are determined by the topography of the surrounding land which directs streams to the ponds, Vineyard Sound, or the Atlantic Ocean. The following is part of the VCS “Clean Water Initiative” intended to educate Vineyarders on ways to protect our Island’s water resources. This article is excerpted from the Island Blue Pages, A Guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters. Recovery from Lawn Obsession Are you or someone you love addicted to a dream lawn? You are not alone……The perfect suburban lawn has become an American obsession, turning us into lawn-chemical junkies who require increasing amounts of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to satisfy our cravings for immaculate turf. Billions of dollars are spent on television advertising to convince us to buy the latest lawn care products and to look with alarm at stray dandelions or clover. But there’s a catch. Dream lawns are not safe for people, pets, or the countless wild things that normally inhabit our yards. Lawn chemicals poison our drinking water and contribute to the deteriorating health of our Island’s ponds and bays, artificially green lawns produce green water. Right here on our Island there is an easy an easy and inexpensive remedy for the American lawn habit: the traditional Vineyard yard, a natural habitat that includes a variety of indigenous grasses, mosses, lichens, and wildflowers. These native ground covers survive summer heat and drought without pampering, poisoning or polluting. They also feed birds, bees, butterflies, and are safe for children and pets. 12 Step Program for Dream Lawn Addicts Step 1: Just Say No to Pesticides and Herbicides Step 2: Be Patient, Poisoned Soil Needs Time to Heal Past use of lawn chemicals may have destroyed the microbiotic life that exists in healthy soil; it may take a couple of years for your soil to recover its natural defenses. Step 3: Reduce the Size of Your Lawn Create a meadow for native grasses and wildflowers that will sustain butterflies, bees, and lightning bugs. Mow your meadow once a year in early May to eliminate encroaching woody plants. Replace other lawn areas with native bushes and trees and fern and moss beds. If the above steps seem to extreme, reduce your lawn gradually; simply mow a few less rows each year. Step 4: Let the Clippings Fall Where They May Mow to a height of 3 inches so that no more than 1/3 of the grass height is removed with each cutting. If left, grass clippings provide more than a 1/3 of the nutrients your lawn needs. Clippings also conserve water by shading soil from moisture loss. Step 5: Fertilize with Compost Only If you must, go organic. Apply slow release organic fertilizer in spring and fall. Step 6: Leave Watering to the Clouds Summer dormancy is a natural rest period for your lawn. Don’t fret, your lawn will recover with autumn rains. Save summer watering for your favorite places in the yard and water early in the morning to cut down on evaporation. Step 7: Mix Those Seeds Use fescue, rye and clover. These are hardier and more drought resistant than bluegrasses. Clover sets nitrogen in the soil that will naturally help fertilize. Step 8: Forget the Lime Vineyard soils are naturally acidic allowing a variety of mosses to thrive. Step: 9: Leave Thatch and Aerating Woes to the Microbes Organically managed lawns are alive with earthworms and microbes that naturally recycle thatch and aerate your lawn. If you must, break up and aerate compacted areas by hand and apply compost before reseeding. Step 10: Celebrate Diversity Appreciate variety in your lawn. As your dream lawn addiction subsides, you will begin to appreciate additions of color and texture to your lawn. When weeding mania hits, do it by hand. This is mindless work that we all need from time to time. Step 11: Take a Walk on the Wild Side Feeling seduced by the perfect turf on TV? Suffering from lawn envy? Take a walk in any of the Vineyard’s nature preserves and appreciate the beauty of diverse grasses, wildflowers, lichens and mosses that support bees, butterflies and wildlife of all kinds. Find a field full of fireflies and you know you’re in the right place. Try replicating that environment in your own yard. Step 12: Become an Advocate for the Vineyard Lawn How will you know when you and your lawn have completely recovered? You will be spreading the word and not the poison. Share the good news with dream lawn addicts, landscapers who use lawn chemicals, or the stores that sell them. Help monitor what goes into the lawns of local parks, businesses, schools, and municipal greens. You may not be universally loved, but you are doing the righteous thing. You are now reborn. The following article is part of the Vineyard Conservation Society’s Clean Water Initiative intended to educate Vineyarders on ways to protect our water resources. It has been excerpted from the “Island Blue Pages, A Guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters. The following information is part of the Vineyard Conservation Society’s Clean Water Initiative, intended to educate vineyarders about protecting our ponds and other water resources from pollution. This valuable information has been excepted from “The Island Blue Pages, A guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters”. This is the fourth in a series of articles intended to educate the citizens of Martha’s Vineyard about protecting our water resources. It is part of Vineyard Conservation’s Clean Water Initiative. The information below has been taken from the” Island Blue Pages, A Guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters”. Hazardous Waste?..........Not in My House! Never pour toxic materials down your drain. They will flow into your septic tank or your town’s sewer system where they can destroy essential bacteria and pass into the groundwater that supplies our drinking water. If buried in the ground or dumped into storm drains, the toxins may flow straight into our Island’s creeks and ponds, or into the Atlantic Ocean. To help Islanders dispose of these substances, the Edgartown Wastewater Treatment Plant holds hazardous waste collection days four times a year, in May, July, August and October. The waste is then shipped off-Island to an approved disposal site. Don’t hesitate to call the plant for scheduled collection dates. Household Cleaners Read the labels of products in your cleaning closet. Do they contain such toxic components as lye, phenols, petroleum distillates, chloride and dichlorobenzene? Also note the words danger, warning, toxic, corrosive, flammable or poison. These identify products that may contain hazardous materials. Use and store these substances carefully. Keep them in their original containers. Do not remove their labels. Never mix them with other products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode. Corroding containers require special handling, call your board of health or fire department for instructions on transporting these to a hazardous waste disposal site. Disposal Next week’s article will deal with solvents, paints, herbicides, pesticides, and car care products. This is the third in a series of articles presented by the Vineyard Conservation Society intended to educate the citizens of Martha’s Vineyard about water quality. It is part of Vineyard Conservation’s Clean Water Initiative. Coastal Ponds, Our Greatest Natural Resource are in Jeopardy Martha’s Vineyard is blessed with a wondrous group of coastal ponds that rim the entire Island. From Squibnocket Pond on the western shore to Pocha Pond in the east, these special natural resources offer fishing, shellfishing, water sports and natural beauty. As a group, they represent the Vineyard’s greatest environmental asset. The tourism and shellfishing industries, as well as property values, also depend on healthy ponds and points out the natural linkage between the economy and the environment when it comes to their protection. Unfortunately, most of our coastal ponds are already experiencing degraded water quality and habitat stress. This is due mostly to an increase in the amount of nitrogen that is discharged within each pond’s watershed. Nitrogen is carried by groundwater and eventually drains to the pond. While a certain amount of nitrogen is necessary to support the life of the pond, too much is problematic. This over loading of nitrogen causes a disappearance of important sea grasses and an increase in nuisance algae, which, depending on the severity of the problem, can lead to anything from aesthetic issues to a diminished shellfish crop. Given the importance of these special resources to the quality of Island life, we cannot allow this downward trend in water quality to continue. Most of the nitrogen that is generated comes from wastewater, typically septic systems. Lawn fertilizer is usually the second largest contributor, with agriculture and storm water also providing additional nitrogen loads. (While a significant amount of nitrogen also comes from acid rain carried mostly from coal burning plants in the Midwest, this is an l issue that must be dealt with at state and national levels.) De-nitrifying septic systems, reduced fertilizer use or the use of organic fertilizer, and the remediation of storm water runoff are some of the standard solutions. In addition, there are physical remedies that can also improve a coastal pond’s ability to utilize nitrogen without going beyond its loading capacity. This is accomplished by adjusting the flushing and circulation patterns of the pond. These options include dredging, and breaching totally enclosed ponds such as the Edgartown and Tisbury Great Ponds. These measures can often be difficult to manage and sustain. Any changes in the blueprint for the future will involve an Island-wide awareness of the problems and an understanding of the solutions. Martha’s Vineyard is trying to stay ahead of the curve through the hard work of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC), The Vineyard Conservation Society (VCS), local watershed associations, shellfish officers, conservation groups and Islanders who are environmentally aware. The Massachusetts Estuaries Project will complete the robust science that will determine the nitrogen assimilative capacity of all the ponds within the next two years. Then, the hardest part will begin, funding and managing the necessary actions to preserve our ponds. This will fall to the towns and it will require a total effort by all who care about these special natural resources. If you want to get involved call the MVC at 508-693-3453 or the Vineyard Conservation Society at 508-693-9588 and ask what you can do to help. The following is another in a series of articles by the Vineyard Conservation Society designed to educate the general public about water quality issues on Martha’s Vineyard. It is part of VCS’s Clean Water Initiative. Conventional Septic Systems do not Eliminate Nutrients Conventional septic systems effectively eliminate almost all bacteria and many viruses, collectively referred to as pathogens. The effluent leaving the septic tank contains tens of thousands of bacteria, but after percolating through four feet of soil, the bacterial count is reduced to safe levels before it can reach a drinking water source or a surface water body. However, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) may not be removed during their transit through the soil. Because nitrogen and clay both have negative electrical charges they repel each other. The soil does not trap the nitrogen to make it available for root systems of plants. So it proceeds into the groundwater and eventually into the Island’s ponds. The septic tank of a family of three releases enough nitrogen to contaminate nearly four million gallons of marine water. The only way that nitrogen being carried through groundwater can be naturally reduced is if the groundwater passes through a wetland. In this case, approximately 50% of the nitrogen will be lost to the wetland. While nitrogen typically impacts marine water, phosphorus can cause degraded water quality in fresh water ponds. However, phosphorus is more easily bound up in soil and can be less problematic than nitrogen if the septic system is sited sufficiently far from a water body. This is not the case with nitrogen. There are alternative septic systems designed to remove nitrogen (and phosphorus too) that are permitted for general use by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). These systems are more expensive than conventional systems and require significantly more maintenance. More importantly, at best they remove only 50% of the nitrogen coming from the home. This is usually inadequate to protect a salt water pond from receiving too much nitrogen. There are two types of alternative systems being tested (one on the Vineyard) that offer the possibility of reducing nitrogen by 90%. If approved by DEP, these systems could make a difference. Excess nitrogen entering a coastal or salt water pond leads to:
This week’s Almanac begins a series of educational pieces intended to inform Vineyarders on protecting our water resources. These articles are excerpted from “The Island Blue Pages, A Guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters. “The Blue Pages” was produced by individuals representing many Island organizations including VCS. Your Septic System: How Does it Work? Human wastes carry pathogens (bacteria and viruses) and must be disposed of with care to eliminate potential contamination of drinking water, as well as streams and ponds. Human beings have a long history of disposing of their wastes into the ground. This method isolates wastes and allows chemical and biological processes to break down solids and destroy pathogens. A properly designed and maintained septic system will accomplish this by removing disease-causing pathogens and dissolving the remaining solids enough so they can be absorbed in the soil without reaching groundwater. Modern septic systems contain two components: the tank and the soil absorption field. The septic tank was a step forward from the cesspool because it provided a watertight tank to store the solid wastes and release the liquid slowly into the ground. Separating the solids from the liquids is called primary treatment. It helped prolong the life of the soil absorption system by removing grease and solids that once clogged the soil around cesspools. Of the approximate 15,000 housing units on the Vineyard, more than 90% utilize septic systems. The septic system is an adequate disposal technique where housing density is low. More sophisticated wastewater treatment (wastewater facilities) may be required in more densely developed areas. (The above information pertains to the control of pathogens. Nitrogen is a separate component of wastewater that requires a different management scheme. This will be described in next week’s installment). Take Care of Your Septic System:
Sengekontacket Pond is part of a spectacular barrier beach system that includes Joseph A. Sylvia State Beach and Nantucket Sound. It is a 740 acre shallow coastal pond that includes Trapps Pond and spans the Towns of Edgartown and Oak Bluffs. In 2007 the pond was closed to summer shellfishing indefinitely due to poor water quality. Ground and surface water in the entire Sengekontacket Pond watershed flows into the pond. This runoff contains many pollutants:
The Joint Committee on Sengekontacket is made up of representatives from: Boards of Selectmen in Edgartown and Oak Bluffs; the town Shellfish Constables, Conservation Agents and Commissioners; Friends of Sengekontacket Inc.; Martha’s Vineyard Commission; Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group; Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon); and Culbert Ecological Consulting & Birding Tours. What the Joint Committee is Doing:
WATER QUALITY TESTING SUMMER 2008 – The Joint Committee will continue testing of water quality in Sengekontacket Pond this summer in an effort to identify the sources of bacterial contamination that have resulted in the Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries seasonal closure of the pond to shellfishing. In addition nutrient testing will be continued as part of a now 5 year data record of excess nitrogen that is causing loss of eelgrass, excess algae and other negative water quality effects. Total coliform as well as enterococcus tests will be used to distinguish evidence of animal versus human sources. Expensive but precise DNA or ribotyping tests will help pinpoint specific animal and/or bird species sources of bacteria. SENGEKONTACKET SHORELINE SURVEY – The Joint Committee on Sengekontacket will conduct field observation visits to the perimeter of Sengekontacket Pond in an effort to visually identify possible sources of the bacterial contamination reported in the tests of the MA Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). Observations will be documented in an effort to develop corrective measures to prevent bacterial contamination in the pond. The Committee will follow the basic survey techniques used by DMF in conducting Sanitary Surveys. The last such survey was conducted in 1999 and included visual reviews for the following potential pollution sources:
Survey teams will walk or boat the perimeter of the entire pond. Teams will be provided with detailed checklist(s) with pictures or descriptions of conditions to be identified Red Tide not a threat The warm weather of spring brings with it the promise of cookouts and clam bakes and visions of enjoying some of the best fresh local shellfish in the world. But with increasing frequency, it seems, spring also brings warnings of red tides. Invariably the media breathlessly reports each occurrence of these annoying plankton blooms as if our shores were being invaded by terrorists. The public reacts by shunning shellfish, and the market for seafood evaporates. The fact is that all of the shellfish in the marketplace is safe. No one is getting sick. The reports of these blooms are proof that our monitoring systems and safeguards are working. Each state regularly samples its harvest areas to ensure that our shellfish are wholesome and free of contaminants. So the next time you read a report about a spreading bloom of noxious algae causing closures of harvest areas, don’t shy away from shellfish, but rather take it as confirmation that our monitoring systems are working. Shellfish are delicious and nutritious, low in fat and high in essential minerals! The shellfish you buy in a restaurant or market is guarded by an extensive network of state and federal monitoring programs. So fire up the barby, dig out the clambake pit and get ready for another season of great New England shellfish. Bob Rheault, Ph.D. Wastewater Management Study Gets Underway The highest priority “promising initiative” of the Island Plan Water Resource Work Group, and a general priority for the plan, was to undertake a wastewater management study. The MVC acted on this recommendation earlier this year by putting together funding and carrying out a request for proposals. A selection committee chose engineering firm Wright Pierce from among five proposals, and the study will begin in the next few weeks. The aim is to work with Island stakeholders in order to make a preliminary identification and evaluation of potentially viable methods to address both Title 5 requirements as well as the nitrogen-loading reductions that are expected to be necessary as a result of the Mass Estuaries Project study. The mandate includes the following. · Identify and explore possible management structures such as individual towns, inter-municipal agreements, and wastewater management districts.
The study is also intended to assist in bringing decision-makers and the broader community into the process of planning for effective wastewater management on Martha's Vineyard. This project is intended to provide an interim basis for a comprehensive wastewater management plan. This study is being carried out with financial participation of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah, the Edey Foundation, and the Edgartown and Oak Bluffs sewer commissions. Vineyard Conservation Society Receives Grant Wastewater Management Study Gets Underway The aim is to work with Island stakeholders in order to make a preliminary identification and evaluation of potentially viable methods to address both Title 5 requirements as well as the nitrogen-loading reductions that are expected to be necessary as a result of the Mass Estuaries Project study. The mandate includes the following.
The study is also intended to assist in bringing decision-makers and the broader community into the process of planning for effective wastewater management on Martha's Vineyard. This project is intended to provide an interim basis for a comprehensive wastewater management plan. This study is being carried out with financial participation of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah, the Edey Foundation, and the Edgartown and Oak Bluffs sewer commissions. Andrew Gottlieb, talks with the Martha’s Vineyard Water Alliance about shared wastewater issues. Wastewater and the effect it is having on the coastal ponds of Cape Cod was the subject at the April meeting of the Martha’s Vineyard Water Alliance. Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director of the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative, was the featured speaker and he described quite eloquently how Cape Cod is attacking the problem of nitrogen-enriched ponds that are rapidly choking from too much algae. An abundance of algae fed by high levels of nitrogen smothers eel grass beds, shellfish habitat and degrades the overall quality of a bay or pond. This is happening because the Cape has undergone unprecedented growth and the septic systems that accompany most of the new homes remove only 25% of the wastewater at best. After years of public discussion the Cape’s wastewater issue has coalesced into the 15-town wastewater collaborative under the auspices of Barnstable County. Comprehensive wastewater management planning is under way in nearly all Cape towns with information-sharing, education and advocacy provided by the collaborative. Mr. Gottlieb emphasized that a large part of this movement is being driven by the business community. Business understands that if Cape Cod develops a reputation for degraded waters, the continuing waves of vacationers, second-home owners and retirees driving Cape Cod’s economy may go elsewhere. If not resolved, the problem has enormous financial consequences for business owners, property owners and towns. If property assessments shrink, towns will be forced to raise taxes in order to continue funding town services. Mr. Gottlieb emphasizes that Cape Cod has determined that sewered systems is the answer. In a centralized system where wastewater is gathered, treated at a central plant and discharged into the groundwater, as much as 93% of nitrogen is removed. In a cluster system serving a more local area, collection, treatment and groundwater discharge components can remove up to 75% of nitrogen. Mr. Gottlieb also remarked that there are advanced septic systems that can remove as much as 50% of nitrogen, provided the system is installed in a year-round residence and monitored and maintained properly. However, he believes that this approach is not nearly enough to solve the Cape’s wastewater problem. The take home message from this presentation for Martha’s Vineyard (where coastal ponds are also starting to give way to excess nitrogen) seemed to be: we have the science to fully understand the situation through the work of the Mass Estuaries Project, we have the technology, we have the management techniques, but we need the will to turn the tide. Water Quality Management Plan’ brochure now available for distribution
Nitrogen is a nutrient produced by septic systems, runoff, and other sources that consumes oxygen in our water bodies by causing excessive algae growth. Edgartown Great Pond is the first of our Great Ponds to have the results from the three-year study conducted as part of the Massachusetts Estuary Project (MEP) to determine sources, impacts and limits of nitrogen loading in its waters. The MEP findings will become a powerful tool for citizens, town leaders, planners, and boards of health to chart a course for remediating troubled waters. A summary of the Edgartown MEP findings can be seen at the Martha’s Vineyard Commission website. Clean and healthy water for marine life, recreational activities, drinking water supplies, and the commercial shellfishing economy is priceless. The watersheds feeding nitrogen into our coastal ponds cross town boundaries, so the response to pollution threats will need to be coordinated and regional. MEP findings are a tool that can provide a crucial first step in shaping an island-wide water quality management plan. This brochure is designed to inform citizens and other stakeholders so that the can better understand and participate in the process as it unfolds. Click here to download the brochure. Edgartown Water Pipe Speculation
Jeff Chapman, who worked for the town water department for over twenty years, is a font of knowledge about the town’s water system. He told me the town waterworks began as a private company in 1906 in the slate roofed brick building at Wintucket. Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven already had town water systems because they’d had big fires. (Edgartown’s Dock Street, called Front Street on the old water company maps, had burned in about 1886, which explains the lack of old buildings in that short stretch.) Pipes ran from Wintucket into town on routes under fields and dirt roads, many of which are presently overgrown with trees. Maps mark turns and gates in the pipe with notations such as: an oak tree with a nail in it, or a certain number of feet from a rock, or the name of a house that once belonged to a whaling captain. Jeff mentioned a water pipe, installed in the 1980s when the majority of improvements were made to the system, that runs down Pease’s Point Way and ends on North Water Street. It’s capped and waiting to be continued across the harbor to Chappy! The water company figured the island would need town water by 2025, because of salt water intrusion due to increased water use as more houses were built. When I asked Joan Adibi, who is a long time member of the Chappy water committee, if she knew about the water pipe that the town had installed, she said she’d have thought that Edgartown would have its eye on Chappy's aquifer – and maybe that was what the pipe was for! Alton Stone, who worked on a water study for the CIA (as in, the Chappaquiddick Island Association), found that the island has a large quantity of water in its aquifer. Joan says, “Our aquifer is very deep and plentiful as long as we don't pollute it or draw down too much fresh water in the coastal areas.” As she points out: it’s the quality that we have to be concerned and vigilant about. The water table is drawn down when too much water is pumped from the aquifer, decreasing the hydrostatic pressure resulting in salt water intrusion. At Menaca hill and North Neck there are already seasonal fluctuations in the water tables, which become cleaner during the winter months. Other potential sources of pollution include the chemicals used on lawns and gardens, and our septic systems. The Testing of Sengekontacket Pond by the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) In June 2007 DMF designated Sengekontacket Pond as conditionally approved on the basis of tests that indicated the presence of bacteria in the pond. David Whitaker, Biologist, and Mike Syslo, Director, State Lobster Hatchery and Research Station, Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) met with the Martha’s Vineyard (MV) Water Alliance (MVWA to explain the State DMF program for classification of shellfish resource areas. MVWA is interested in the test process because it has resulted in the reclassification of Sengekontacket Pond as conditionally approved (which the newspaper report as “closed”) for shellfishing. Whitaker provided some overall shellfish program statistics:
Mike Syslo is the sole State resource available to conduct the water sampling in all 35 resource areas on the island. When the State conducts a sanitary survey of each growing area, it samples those waters five (5) times annually looking for evidence of fecal coliform in the water. Samples are tested in the only State laboratory certified for shellfish, currently operated by the City of New Bedford. The labs at Newburyport and Gloucester are not certified for shellfish. A new State lab should be brought online hopefully early in 2008. This will relieve the current backlog for sample testing. Local biologists must do the classification sample collection but trained volunteers could assist with the pollution sampling. Whitaker defined the four possible ratings for a pond based on the outcome of the sanitary survey samples and testing results (fc=fecal coliform): Approved – geometric mean: 14 fc/100 ml; 10 percentile cannot go over 28 fc (FDA standard) The classification protocol is based on the results of 15 samples over a 3 year period. If 10% of the test results (1.5 tests) exceed the maximum level of fecal coliform, the pond is then designated according to the above categories. This affects public access to the pond until enough new test results bring the percent exceeding the standard below the 10%. The DMF in its discretion may add in an additional prior years test results to raise the total to 20, bringing the 10% threshold to 2 tests. DMF has reported that they expect the pond will be closed every summer (predictable seasonal conditions is a requirement of the conditionally approved classification). As a result many Oak Bluffs and Edgartown residents and seasonal visitors who purchased shellfishing licenses for the summer were frustrated to learn that shellfishing was prohibited for the entire summer season. The public response has been strong with a variety of suggestions about how to fix the "problem" - ranging from fixing failed septic systems to addling bird eggs. Friends of Sengekontacket Inc. has initiated an effort to convene both Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, along with other significant stakeholders to discuss the development of a management plan for the pond that would include both preventive and corrective measures based on actual data. The forthcoming Mass Estuaries Project Report, although focused on excessive nitrogen levels, will contribute to the scientific data and the need for both towns to collaborate on solutions to ensure that Sengekontacket Pond is resilient and healthy. Nantucket Soundkeeper - Martha’s Vineyard is pulling it's oar! By Marnie Stanton, Vineyard Conservation Almanac For the last six years the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound has worked diligently, energetically and at great expense to defeat Cape Wind’s 130 off shore wind turbine proposal. No matter what you think of their efforts, the Alliance’s creation of Nantucket Soundkeeper - Martha’s Vineyard, has initiated an environmentally diverse agenda that deals with more than just wind. Dean Bragonier, Program Director of Nantucket Soundkeeper - Martha’s Vineyard, has been in his current position since August of 2006. When Dean and I first met last spring he was in the process of designing a series of initiatives. Before explaining the various programs he was quick to point out that the Alliance is very much pro wind power as a viable renewable energy source. Global warming is a great concern for him and he pointed to the huge success of wind power in many European countries. “We can do that here as well with land based turbines that are cooperatively owned by municipalities,” he said. Since our initial conversation last spring, Dean explained that Nantucket Soundkeeper’s four island initiatives had evolved. The “Green With MV” initiative, for example, is a community oriented conservation effort to reduce the Island’s CO2 emissions. The program’s summary reads as follows:
The less electricity we use in our homes the less CO2 we emit. Each month, participants in this program will enter their previous month’s electricity bill with NSMV. When the next month’s bill arrives, contestants will enter their new bill and whichever households have reduced their electricity bills the most will win a ‘candle light’ dinner for two at local restaurant! CUPPS Program ‘Can’t Use Paper, Plastic or Styrofoam’ When you use two disposable coffee cups per day, you emit 148 lbs. of CO2 a year! The CUPPS program allows you to purchase a reusable 17 oz ‘Corn-plastic’ mug that can be refilled for a $1 island-wide! Need a cup of Joe? Just go to any one of the Island’s participating coffee shops printed on your mug and help save the environment! Dean told me that over the summer they were able to sell 480 mugs, and continued to have a demand for them this fall. The corn-based mugs have had an economic benefit to the various shop owners. They have received free advertising from the mugs and are also savings money since they have cut back on their paper and Styrofoam cup expenses. Earth Lung Program The Earth Lung tree sale has been a big success particularly in third world countries where the purchase of one tree here creates the planting of 40 saplings there. Dean said that Cape Light Compact had donated 500 CFLs. Nantucket Soundkeeper has an ongoing offer to the islanders to buy two bulbs and get one free. Green Thumb Ride Share Program “There is a real willingness on the part of Vineyarders to make small behavior changes,” Dean points out. “We had four days this summer where we showcased this program,” Dean continued “And my estimates show that it reduced approximately 5.3 million pounds of CO2 emissions!” In addition to the ‘Green with MV’ program Dean is working with Melinda Loberg of Tisbury Waterways Inc., Dave Grunden the Oak Bluffs Shellfish Constable, and Bret Sterns, Director of Natural Resources for the Wampanoag Tribe, to incorporate Ab Tech ‘Smart Sponge’ in-line filtration (which removes oil, gasoline, heavy metals and hydrocarbons from storm water run off) into two on-island locations. One installation will be designed to resuscitate the cranberry bogs belonging to the Tribe, and the other at New York Ave. in Oak Bluffs to purify the water entering the harbor. Both installations blend this contemporary technology with the more traditional catch basins. Nantucket Soundkeeper is conducting a Sound-wide non-point source pollution water testing program. The organization works with SMAST to collect water samples from 16 sites in the Sound. Their results, the first ever documented, indicate a vitality that surpasses those of the island inland waterways. Nantucket Soundkeeper, in accordance with the mandates of international Waterkeeper Alliance, also conducts Sound Patrols. Purchased through donated funds, the Nantucket Soundkeeper patrol boat is used to raise awareness amongst mariners about pollution and encourage environmentally friendly boating practices. Last but not lease, Nantucket Soundkeeper has conducted detailed surveys of Vineyard and Cape harbors and is in the process of filing an application with the Coastal Zone Management to designate Vineyard and Southern Cape waters ‘No Discharge Zones.’ This designation would prevent commercial and recreational vessels from empting their septic tanks within three miles of the coast. Eventually, Nantucket Soundkeeper would like to have all of Nantucket Sound designated ‘No Discharge Zone’. By engaging the Martha’s Vineyard Water Alliance, Nantucket Soundkeeper has worked cooperatively with many active members in an ongoing push to preserve the Islands environmental health and character. The Island is better off for this team effort! Vineyard Haven Harbor contamination update CEA, Inc., an environmental consulting firm, has submitted an IRA report on behalf of the owners of the Xtramart gas station on Beach Rd. in Vineyard Haven. The owner of the station is the Drake Petroleum Company. This report, also referred to as an “Immediate Response Action” report, is required due to the historical releases of petroleum contaminants which have occurred at the gas station site and represents a continuing assessment of both the description of the plume of contamination and the various contaminants that have been identified. A unique purpose served by this particular report is an analysis of other sources of contamination and an identification of other potentially responsible parties. It also presents a better depiction of plume concentrations and contaminant constituents. Last year, CEA proposed the workplan which this report represents and also presented some findings from a preliminary assessment. As discussed in that report, there is no evidence which suggests an imminent threat to public health or drinking water and further, no threats to shellfish in Lagoon Pond. This does not mean that there is not a problem here. The amount of petroleum contamination present in this area of Beach Rd. Is significant and clean-up options need to be pursued. The liquid contaminants are just beneath the surface and are routinely influenced by tidal action. If not already occurring, significant releases into the harbor are inevitable and subsequent environmental degradation will result. Also, this latest report is still focusing on defining the scope of the problem and it would appear that other parties are now also being called on to begin their own separate assessments of their own historical releases. Courtesy Motors has obtained a “Release number” (used by the state DEP to track activities related to the actual release of contaminants). CEA has also asked that the owners of 8 Beach Rd. (The Anderson Irrevocable Trust; “Anderson”) be required to obtain a release number and perform their own unique assessment. Al-Len Realty Trust, a previous owner of 19 Beach Rd. has also obtained a release number. Over the past year, CEA eventually, although in some cases reluctantly, acquired access to various properties to perform sampling. Combined with sampling on their property they have created a blueprint of likely sources of contamination based on sample results. It's important to keep in mind that their sampling was based on a) looking at what they may have caused and b) reporting on the more obvious releases from others. They do this by looking at their property as ground zero. A slightly different workplan would emerge if they performed this assessment for a different client--the emphasis would simply lean in a different direction as they followed the plume of contamination downgradient. Kind of like if we were doing a survey of our property. It would include our property boundaries and probably look at the neighbors who abut us but we wouldn't be looking at who abuts them. As a result of the sampling, Courtesy Motors and 8 Beach Rd. owners are being asked to do the same type of assessment and their reports could potential implicate others, including previous property owners. The sampling reports and analysis of well sampling comprise the major parts of this report as CEA completes the ongoing assessment responsibilities for their client. A further twist to this project is represented by the allegation filed by the owners of 8 Beach Rd. that the Xtramart contamination was moving in the direction of their property. The report just filed claims that groundwater flows along Beach Rd to the east and south more than directly across it and therefore Xtramart cannot be responsible for contamination at 8 Beach Rd. The report also makes claims that , due to the nature of the contaminants detected, that other parties such as 8 Beach Rd. and Courtesy Motors, may be responsible for specific releases. For example, sampling confirmed that gasoline contamination is subsurface but some samples contain lead and These additional properties owners may be required to conduct their own IRA (Immediate Response Action) assessment) looking at known releases of petroleum materials, hydrology of the area, downgradient and upgradient property assessments; essentially similar in nature to the report just prepared by CEA. The need for remaining site evaluation, to determine all responsible parties, will likely delay significant remediation work. A copy of this report is in the Vineyard Haven library. SURFACTANT NOTES Lessons Learned in Adopting Local Onsite Wastewater Management Programs Lessons Learned in Adopting Local
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This is the question that MA DEP’s Lealdon Langley, Director of the Wetlands Program, has asked scientists from Woods Hole to address in an effort to examine the full range of strategies that communities might employ in the future to control watershed nitrogen loading and reduce the consequences of nutrient enrichment to our coastal waters. In an April 24, 2007 public forum at the Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford, Mr. Langley invited Lee Weishar, Senior Scientist and Coastal Engineer for the Woods Hole Group, and John Teal and Susan Peterson, Principles of Teal Partners, to summarize the current state of knowledge on the potential for cleaning up our coastal watershed environment using the natural ecosystem services built-in to our existing wetland landscapes. With this critical review of how wetlands can convert nitrates in nutrient-contaminated groundwater and stormwater into harmless nitrogen gas found in the air we breathe, MA DEP hopes to go forward in developing policy for the use and alteration of wetland systems to serve a key nutrient clean-up function in our landscape. The idea goes like this: why spend precious taxpayer monies to build state-of-the-art tertiary wastewater treatment facilities to denitrify our wastewater effluent, if natural wetlands can perform a similar function in our own back yards? Rather than a homeowner viewing a wetland on their property as a liability, envision a scenario where they would be compensated by their town or the state for the valuable nutrient-removal services it provides! Well, the jury is still out on this utopia . . . Dr. Weishar described their review of the scientific literature to document if wetlands can be used for natural nitrogen attenuation, and how effective this is in the different types of wetlands found locally, including streams, ponds, riparian zones, freshwater wetlands, and saltmarsh and tidal creeks. The Woods Hole Group and Teal Partners created a database and annotated bibliography on the subject, which will become available in the future on the DEP website. Dr. Teal described all the pathways nitrogen takes in the coastal land-water margin. A slide showed ammonia (NH4) from residential and agricultural wastes not moving readily, as it bonds to soil particles and remains close to its discharge point. In contrast, ammonia that has been oxidized to nitrate (NO3) in a septic tank is soluble in water and is highly mobile in surface waters and in groundwater, dissolving and moving in these waters towards the sea. Denitrification by anaerobic bacteria then converts this nitrate into nitrogen oxide (N2) and oxygen (O2), harmless components of the air we breathe. Looking at rates of denitrification in an Ontario brook, a Pennsylvania lake, Delaware Bay, and Narragansett Bay show that natural systems can enhance nitrogen attenuation from 100 to 1000 times normal background rates. According to Dr. Teal, a certain “recipe”, or set of optimal conditions, is required for this enhanced denitrification service to occur. Just as a batch of biscuits needs flour, water, baking soda and salt to work, a wetland needs an anoxic environment to host anaerobic bacteria, water or soil temperature > 10o C (50o F), water detention times of hours to days, enough organic matter (or carbon source) to support denitrifying bacteria, nitrate (NO3) concentrations > 3mg/liter (or ppm) to provide a stimulus to bacteria, and must fall within a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5. In the Cape Cod region, anoxic places where this process can occur include saturated soils of riparian buffers, freshwater wetland sediments/mucks, pond and stream bottom sediments, and saltmarsh creek sediments, while marsh plant decomposition, buried woody debris, leaves and twigs, and algae provide the organic matter. Conditions necessary for denitrification in a stream include shallow depth (< 1 meter), a pervious, muddy bottom with water flow through sediment, a ready carbon source such as algae, leaves or woody debris, and a slow current or overbank flooding. Conditions necessary for denitrification in a pond include a muddy bottom, a residence time of 2-3 days, shallow water that intercepts the groundwater, and little wind-mixing so the bottom can maintain anoxia. Conditions necessary for denitrification in a streamside riparian buffer include a minimum of 30 meters or 100 feet on either bank, groundwater within 2-3 meters (10 feet) of the surface, and readily available organic matter in soil (twigs, leaves, etc). Conditions necessary for denitrification in a freshwater wetland include alternating submerged and emergent vegetation condition, a minimum detention time of 12 hours (a few days is preferred), no channelization of flow, and an upstream pond is desirable. Conditions necessary for denitrification in a saltmarsh and tidal creek include groundwater flow <2-3 meters (10 feet) under peat, surface or groundwater flows via meandering marsh creeks, and a marsh that is mature enough to have peat and sufficient bacteria in the sediments. According to Dr. Teal, groundwater traveling deeper than 10 feet escapes the denitrifying soil and sediment bacteria and emerges with its full nitrogen load. And in some saltmarsh restoration projects, an increased tidal prism acts to flush out accumulated sediments and organic matter, and temporarily oxidizes the peats – a condition that is no longer favorable to denitrification. However, once the ecosystem function is reestablished, the denitrification process within the saltmarsh will be restored. The key question is: can we harness these natural systems to decrease our local nitrogen loads? To answer this one needs to evaluate whether groundwater can be diverted into a system, whether this groundwater is rich in nitrate, and whether the natural system can attenuate nitrate. Dr. Teal stressed that every system is truly unique and must be examined individually. When natural systems are adapted for this service, the function takes time to develop fully, as the system needs time to adapt. One potential detriment is that a system may change after being adapted for this use. For example, a pond may fill in more rapidly or become a less attractive wildlife habitat, or the composition of a wetland flora could change. So, nutrient enrichment is not advised in areas where rare species populations are being protected. The benefits of this technique need to be assessed in light of all watershed goals. The best feature of adapting a natural wetland for nutrient attenuation is that natural wetlands are ideally self-controlling and need minimal human management. Dr. Peterson reported that abandoned cranberry bogs and constructed wetlands in the region are the best candidates to demonstrate through testing how well these types of wetlands can remove excess nitrogen from groundwater. Other structures that provide the potential for adapting for nitrogen-attenuation include stormwater detention basins and primary sewage treatment/settling lagoons that are lined. By looking at maps of known stormwater, groundwater, or nitrogen point sources, nitrogen concentrations in stormwater and groundwater, water flow maps, and rare & endangered species at a site or downstream of a site, one can begin to see where opportunities exist in the landscape for the use of natural wetlands in nutrient attenuation. To evaluate any wetland site for its nitrogen attenuation services, you would need to ask:
In many cases, small site alterations can be made to increase denitrification in an existing wetland. For streams and rivers, this would include slowing flows with natural obstructions such as logs or meanders, allowing overbank flooding, and increasing the availability of organic matter with natural vegetated buffers along the banks. For lakes and ponds, this would include creating new shallow ponds (<3 m), deepening the upgradient end of an existing pond to intercept groundwater, maintaining an organic bottom layer, and ensuring an adequate retention time. For riparian forests, this would include maintaining or restoring a natural vegetated buffer to 30 meter/100 feet width, and leaving the system in a natural condition. For salt marshes, this would include maintaining any freshwater springs, adding any new flow to the heads of tidal creeks, and restoring tidal action if the marsh is isolated by culverts or roadways. In a final caveat, Dr. Teal suggested that in areas where groundwater nitrogen is deep and not accessible near the surface, strategic sewering is likely a better plan for reducing watershed nitrogen loading. I hope this gives you a new view of the importance of protecting existing wetlands to preserve their essential nutrient-filtering services, and will enable you to look anew at your neighborhood wetlands with an eye to how they might help us to clean-up our coastal waters.
The Island’s ponds are in trouble. Excessive nitrogen from residential septic systems is a major culprit. “Over-fertilizing” of ponds leads to suffocating algae plumes, die-off of beneficial eel grass and shellfish, and even contamination of homeowners’ drinking water wells. Dave Grunden, the Shellfish Constable of Oak Bluffs, is keenly aware of the problem, and is determined to do something about it. One promising approach is to find a source of financial assistance for Oak Bluffs homeowners to replace offending cesspools and septic systems with modern, nitrogen removing septic systems. This approach is consistent with the direction emerging from the Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP), a collaboration among towns, state agencies and the University of Massachusetts aimed at protecting water quality on the Island. The project entails collecting and analyzing water quality data and identifying nitrogen limits for town ponds, a process currently underway at several Island locations. What will follow will be implementing concrete steps to reduce nitrogen loading in our ponds and watersheds. Dave cited the fact that the watershed of Sengekontacket Pond has a high concentration of residential development, including the neighborhoods Arbutus Park and Ocean Heights. The Edgartown Board of Health and others are currently taking a big-picture view of wastewater solutions for that area. In targeting areas for innovative alternative denitrifying septic system, they are examining factors like number of bedrooms, location of potential new development, and proximity to existing wells. Their work is groundbreaking, and will provide a model for water quality remediation measures in other areas of the Island. But solutions will be need to tailored to the needs of individual areas. The tools will generally include a mix of carefully monitored onsite nitrogen removal systems, small nitrogen removing “package treatment” facilities servicing whole neighborhoods, and expanded hookup access to central sewage treatment plants. In addition to grant monies expected from the Coastal Zoning Non-point Source Program, Dave’s idea is to look to Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to help homeowners on a tight budget pay for the necessary on-site denitrifying systems. Oak Bluffs and other Island towns have voted to implement this important preservation tool, which gives cities and towns the ability to raise revenue and establish a dedicated fund for open space protection, historic preservation, and affordable housing. Dave is approaching the local CPA committee to outline a plan for awarding money for this resource protection purpose. He has also been talking with the Martha’s Vineyard Cooperative Bank to see if they will create a low interest loan incentive program. The bank is interested – clean surface and drinking water maintains real estate values and is good for people and the community. What the bank needs now is an expression of interest from at least 40 or 50 individual homeowners in order to make the program fly. So consider your own situation and communicate with Dave! Critical to the success of any alternative/innovative septic installation program is individual monitoring and maintenance of these complex systems. Dave and his department have committed to playing a lead role in such oversight. We applaud Dave Grunden for his initiative and proactive thinking when it comes to tackling this crucial water quality issue on the Island.
Greatly reducing the amount of nitrogen flowing into the Sengekontacket and Lagoon Pond watersheds is the goal of Article 3 on April’s Oak Bluffs Special Town Meeting warrant. It asks the Oak Bluffs voters to front $350,000 in bond money for design and engineering costs for a small, enhanced wastewater treatment plant located on MV Regional High School property. This is a key step in proactive wastewater planning, and it involves cost-sharing by multiple public and private institutional users. The Article is good for the town and the Island and should be unanimously supported by all voters. The immediate benefit, however, is financial. A shared facility is much less expensive than pursuing upgraded wastewater treatment for each of the partners. Cost-sharing is based on future wastewater flow projections for various benefited projects. 58% of the cost would be reimbursed by three partners according to their share of wastewater flow. 42% of the cost would be paid by the Town of Oak Bluffs based on wastewater flow projections for a planned affordable housing project. The possibility of future tie-ins would further reduce operational costs to each user. The partners in the project are the initial users of the plant, including the MV Regional High School, a planned Oak Bluffs Resident Homesite affordable housing project, MV Community Services, Island Elderly Housing’s Woodside Village, and the planned YMCA facility. All have a need for enhanced wastewater treatment benefit provided by this “package” treatment plant, which removes 90% of the nitrogen from the treated effluent. This kind of enhanced treatment would allow the affordable housing project to meet MVC nitrogen loading limits, allow IEH to build an additional unit for the elderly, and save more than 1200 pounds of nitrogen from entering the Lagoon and Sengekontacket Pond watersheds every year. That nitrogen would otherwise reach these ponds via groundwater flow and degrade fish and shellfish habitat. Nitrogen pollutes by over-fertilizing and fouling our coastal waters. To view a cost analysis showing this, go to the MV Commission’s website www.mvcommission.org and search “wastewater options” for the feasibilty study entitled “Wastewater Treatment Options for the High School/Oak Bluffs Resident Homesite Area in Oak Bluffs”. Included in this 18-page document is a discussion of the benefits to local waters through reduction in watershed nitrogen loading, a review of the need for the plant, costs of three possible future wastewater treatment techniques in this area, and a review of the benefits to Oak Bluffs residents of including regional institutions who will share in the costs of protecting Lagoon and Sengekontacket Ponds. Web address for the specific document: How is Orleans Implementing the MEP Report By Wendy Culbert and Gail Tipton
Sandra Macfarlane is a native of Orleans and presented a talk and slide show on this town’s experience with implementation of MEP findings on limiting nutrient loading into our coastal waters. Her talk focused on why there is a need for wastewater management, the importance of good water quality to recreation and the local economy, and the importance of managing nutrient loading to our coastal estuaries to prevent detrimental habitat changes due to the effects of eutrophication. The Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP) findings have provided Orleans with the information they need to begin planning for remediation of the excess nitrogen loading: specifically, it has determined the total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) of nitrogen allowed in each estuary’s watershed. The MEP has delineated Orlean’s watersheds, modeled the nitrogen loading from the watershed, created hydrodynamic models of water movement, and examined actual nitrogen loading rates in the field. It has also brought important tools to the town, including thermal mapping, remote sensing, and GIS mapping, to illustrate and help communicate the issue to the town. She showed a powerful slide from the Cape Cod National Seashore of thermal imagery of fresh, cold groundwater emerging into the Nauset estuary in a surface layer over the saltier ocean water. It really showed very graphically how groundwater contributes to the system, and the importance of what's IN this water. Orleans has had difficulties coming to grip with this issue politically, as it has 10 watersheds in its town, alone, and its largest estuary – Pleasant Bay – is shared by 4 towns. She spoke about the important role past and ongoing citizen-monitoring efforts have played in identifying and mapping the nature and extent of water quality problems in Orleans. The MEP findings have quantified present-day sources of bioactive nitrogen and identified problem areas such as poorly-circulating coves, looked at worst-case scenarios such as build-out within the town, looked at total nitrogen in the estuaries with NO human sources to find where problem areas might arise regardless of human sources, mapped changes in eelgrass in the estuaries over last 50 years, and created a model of threshold levels of nitrogen for the bay. These all help establish the % of controllable nitrogen loading in the watershed and the nitrogen load reduction from current onsite wastewater disposal systems (septics) needed to meet the nitrogen TMDL threshold. In other words, how much nitrogen needs to be removed and where?, to improve the water quality in the bay. This assessment process has highlighted the need to solve this problem, as well as how to begin to solve it. To meet this nitrogen loading threshold, the town is looking at options for controlling the entry of wastewater nitrogen in the watershed. Solutions include centralized sewers, a decentralized approach to wastewater treatment such as package plants with denitrifying technology, or a combination of these. Sandra showed slides of a bus tour that Town Hall Boards took recently of clustered/package on-site denitrifying systems on the upper Cape. They were larger than residential – on a more commercial scale - at restaurants, hotels, health clubs, etc. Results were encouraging, as they were in small buildings sited to match landscape and had no odor! The final wastewater plan for Orleans is presently unknown – they are targeting spring 08 for a proposed wastewater management plan to be presented to town meeting. Today’s challenge is to communicate this issue to town citizens. With 200 home sales per year, she says it's hard to reach new residents whose baseline knowledge of water conditions is TODAY, versus longtime residents whose baseline is 30 yrs ago, when conditions were more pristine. There is a disconnect between people and the waters – the local shellfishing economy has being lost, and less people fish or want to learn, especially newcomers. Slowly, the value of traditional ways of life are being lost. Sandra reviewed why sewers were voted down 20 yrs ago - mostly problems with communication – and stressed the importance of educating the local community to be aware of their impacts on the water. She said that today’s existing private property rights act as an impediment to solving this widespread problem. Sandra is the author of the 2002 book “Rowing Forward, Looking Back: Shellfish and the Tides of Change on Cape Cod” and continues to work on watershed and estuarine initiatives to promote economic and ecological sustainability in her community. Future Mandate: Protect Coastal Habitats By Elizabeth Durkee This country's coastlines are in trouble. On the Vineyard excess nitrogen is degrading water in the coastal ponds. Eel grass is disappearing, invasive species suffocate the native shoreline plants, and storm water flushes pollutants and toxins into the ponds, streams and harbors. Furthermore, and this is where the Berra quote comes to mind, the coast is the frontline when it comes to climate change, or global warming. If climate change is not addressed coastal restoration efforts are not going to work. This is the critical message I brought home from the National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration, hosted by Restore America's Estuaries. As an Island dweller it was a difficult message to ignore. But first, the encouraging news: Oak Bluffs shellfish constable Dave Grunden and I were privileged to give a presentation at the conference on lessons learned in coastal restoration. It was entitled Restoration without Borders, Cooperative Restoration on Martha's Vineyard Island. Our goal was to show how a spirit of cooperation - even on an Island made up of six very independent towns (and a county and a tribe) - can help achieve both large and small wetlands and water quality protection successes. Efforts to combat nitrogen loading, invasive species and stormwater runoff, for example, are already under way here. There is much, much more work to come, but after attending the conference Dave and I agreed that today the Vineyard is ahead of the coastal restoration curve. The lessons we shared are simple: collaborate and educate. Involve all stakeholders as soon as possible and be willing to share credit with all parties. One example of local collaboration we discussed is the Martha's Vineyard Water Alliance, a loose, budget-free alliance of conservation groups, pond advocacy groups, some town conservation, shellfish, health and wastewater departments, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), the Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group, the Martha's Vineyard Commission, the Massachusetts Estuaries Project and others. Together these groups support grant project applications, share resources, advocate for use of alternative septic systems that reduce nitrogen, educate the public through local access television programs, and have even shared money for restoration projects. State and federal agencies also play a big role in supporting Island projects that include water quality monitoring, salt pond restoration, beach planting to control erosion, eel grass restoration, improved wetlands protection regulations, treatment of road runoff, promotion of native plants for landscaping, bay scallop restoration and public education. The Blue Pages: A Guide to Protecting Martha's Vineyard Waters, is a successful example of environmental education that we highlighted in the presentation. In 2005 all Island residents were offered a copy of the 50-page color booklet that is rich in advice for healing the Island environment. One conference attendee told Dave and me that The Blue Pages was the best thing he discovered at the conference. Blue Pages mastermind Rick Karney, director of the Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group, has gotten calls from groups all over the country who want to develop their own versions. The conference itself was inspiring. Still, coastal restoration is not enough. If we as a community and a nation do not address climate change the damage to our coasts could be irreparable. Sea level rise and warmer waters cause accelerated beach erosion, loss of coastal access and shoreline property, increased hurricane intensity and activity, increased rainfall, flooding and storm events, seawater intrusion into fresh water sources, and health impacts such as the spread of infectious and mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Salt marshes - the nurseries of the sea - could disappear along with eel grass, fish, shellfish, and our way of life. All aspects of Island life - history, culture and diversity, recreation, spiritual traditions, the economy, and public health and well-being - are tied to the coastline. The Island economy is at stake: what is the Island's economic base if not the water and the land? Climate change is a stark reality, thanks in large part to human activity in the last 150 years since the industrial revolution, particularly deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. The future, indeed, is not what it used to be. Climate change can be stopped. How? Not easily. Conference speaker Mike Tidwell, wetlands protection activist and author of the book Bayou Farewell, said it best: "Build the biggest possible coalition and never give up." We all need to use energy efficient light bulbs, reduce waste and choose cars with good gas mileage, but that is not enough. "The way to stop global warming," Mr. Tidwell added, is to "get off fossil fuels ASAP." It should be illegal, said another speaker, for Detroit to build cars that get less than 50 miles to the gallon. Get involved, we were told, be the stone in the pond, cause the ripple - Congress reacts to the people. Climate change should be headline news every day. Mr. Tidwell advocates a grass roots clean energy revolution. We were reminded to live consciously, consider what we buy and put down the sink, think about the kind of stocks we buy and accept that it will cost money, including higher taxes, to wrestle with global warming. Back in New Orleans, outside the conference hall, the food was fantastic and the French Quarter entertaining, but the city itself is still in dire condition. We were reminded that everything is connected, that New Orleans flooded after Hurricane Katrina not because of levee failure or a poor evacuation plan but because the wetlands in southern Louisiana are disappearing. We were encouraged to tell our story, fight global warming, and never give up. There's a New Year's resolution for us all. Elizabeth Durkee is the administrator for the Oak Bluffs
conservation commission. She attended the National Conference on
Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration in New Orleans, La., in Edgartown Board of Health Has issued a two month moratorium on Disposal System Construction Permits and Well Construction permits, in Ocean Heights and Arbutus Park neighborhoods, to protect the public health and the environmental health of Sengekontacket Pond. The current, complex mix of properties served by on-site wells and town water may set up a conflict in regulating on-site wastewater disposal that could compromise public health, and currently there is a lack of substantial planning to address these conflicts. Click here to view pdf file with the full details of the moratorium and site map. Thilo Bode August 15/06 Dear Sirs, dear Madams: I recently had the privilege of spending my summer vacation on Chappaquiddick Island. As many others before, I was struck by the beauty and uniqueness of this wonderful place. I, however, would like to share a concern with you. This concern relates to the existing fresh water supply and wastewater disposal situation on the island. All residents rely on private wells and septic systems. This translates into a situation where the freshwater drinking supply, coming from a shallow underlying sand and gravel aquifer, could potentially be compromised by overuse and by contamination. An information leaflet published by the Education Committee of Chappaquiddick Island Association in 2001 warns that “saltwater intrusion into water supply wells due to overuse of the aquifer, degradation of groundwater quality by septic system effluent, and eutrophication/algae blooms on salt ponds and bays due to nutrient loading are possible on the Island” From reading the studies that have been performed on Chappaquiddick both of ground and surface water by Alton Stone and Jonathon Phinney respectively and from my own limited observation, what is described as a possibility seems to be already a fact. No groundwater samples have been analyzed since 2003. At that time comparisons from 1997 to 2003 showed increases in sodium content especially in coastal areas where the aquifer is thin. I heard a resident in one of these areas complain of having to drink bottled water. Even more severe is the progressing eutrophication( green bearded algae) in the saltwaterponds and on stoney beaches. And I read that there are occasional examples in homeowner wells of high coliform bacteria counts. I do not want to be alarmist, but in view of increasing development and longer stays by more residents, these trends are not going to be reversed. At the end of the day it could be that the fragile eco-system of the island might be destroyed. Beaches might lose their beauty and become unfit for swimming. Degradation of the ponds is already causing shellfish to be less plentiful. Last but not least, the economic value of the real estate could go down. The causes for this development are obvious. The fresh water supply is overused and excess nitrogen leads to eutrophication of ponds and coastal waters.. Both causes are man made. Whereas the overuse of water is due to excess consumption of fresh water in certain areas, approximately two thirds of the nitrogen load stem from human waste water which leaves the leaching field. The conclusions are obvious too. Water has to be used much more efficiently and nitrogen has to be recovered. Since you are in the process of brainstorming for what might be done in order to solve these problems I urge you to start with the planning of measures to stop the negative trend. It is safe to say that already existing intelligent techniques of water conservation and wastewater recycling could be economically applied here to improve the situation. As very first steps, water efficient toilets (e.g. vacuum toilets) and grey water treatment/recycling would already make a huge difference and conserve the fresh water supplies without limiting the benefits of drinking from a well. I hope very much that this problem will be addressed sooner rather than later so that the mistakes we have made in Europe and other places can be avoided here. I urge you not to get sidetracked by additional studies and data collection. It might become too late while you are in the process. The balance is very delicate when it comes to maintaining the health of the ponds. I have been working over two decades in analyzing water supplies and waste water systems all over the world and have gained one important experience: If too much time goes by the situation cannot be reversed. Kind regards, Thilo Bode In the Flow with Steve Hanschka
So, many aspects of Hanschka's work were of particular local interest. "Part of my job," he told the gathering "is to evaluate, describe, and obtain information from our storm water engineers and then to set conditions - in the process of land development such as subdivisions - regarding the design and installation of the proposed storm water management system that will serve a development." Wearing his planning consultant hat and working on behalf of a client who is applying for a subdivision or partition (a subdivision of three or less parcels), he also presents the plans for the proposed storm water management system to the relevant cities or counties. Clackamas County's three surface water management agencies each have storm water management plans. Whereas Clackamas County runoff eventually flows into creeks and rivers; the final destination for the runoff in Tisbury is the harbor, Lake Tashmoo and Lagoon Pond. Storm water management, Hanschka explained, is basically a two-step process: detention (usually) first, water quality second. These objectives certainly echo the desired result of any proposed local storm water management plan. The Martha's Vineyard Commission's Jo Ann Taylor who was present at the talk referred to the current efforts of the MVA to update the 20-year-old Island Plan. A public forum to kick off the planning process takes place June 24. For more information: www.islandplan.org There are a variety of systems for storm water detention. They include detention ponds, retention ponds, infiltration trenches, underground injection systems (drywells) and sometimes swales. Detention standards for Clackamas County are 1. Detain the two-year storm down to one-half of the pre-developed rate of runoff and 2) In areas with known downstream conveyance problems, also detain the 25-year storm down to the 2-year storm pre-developed rate of runoff. Each situation requires very specific calculations (which include a downstream and upstream analysis) to determine how much runoff will flow onto the site and how much will leave the site. Degrees of cleanliness, he added, vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and water body to water body. They are set through a somewhat inconsistent process that relies on local, state and federal standards that are usually specific to a particular stream, river, watershed or drainage basin. In many cases, it's simply enough to use some sort of cleaning mechanism (swales, which perform some detention, pollution-controlling manholes which cleanse through a swirling motion and StormTech chambers which provide both detention and cleansing). All require maintenance which is key. Maintenance agreements are reached between the city and the developer and must be adhered to. Swales which are bio-engineered can be created in a variety of situations including parking lots, wetlands or grassy areas. These have drainage at the lowest point, then gravel, topsoil and planting. The roots from native plantings used in swales help trap pollutants. Swales can be adapted to different soil types. Certain applications for swales, Hanschka warned, such as those installed within a limited available area in a street right-of-way, could be overwhelmed in substantial events (major flooding). They often require a lot of space, but are less expensive than chambers and manholes which can range in price from approximately $8,000 to $50,000. Vactor trucks can be used to clean out chambers and manholes and operate by vacuuming stormwater, wastewater and associated solids into a tank. Fred LaPiana, Tisbury's DPW director, noted that Tisbury has a vactor truck. If any system was used on the Vineyard, Hanschka advised, it should be sited at the lowest point of the area, but not be vulnerable to storm surge. As for citizen involvement, Hanschka said citizen groups such as watershed councils provide comment and seek to influence policy at the local and state levels. Each group is specific to one watershed. The City of Portland, he added, provides discounts on surface water management bills for residences and businesses that utilize methods of minimizing runoff such as green roofs, rain drains to a garden or on-site swale or pervious pavements. He also provided two educational websites: www.portlandonline.com (the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services) and www.co.clackamas.or.us/wes/ (Water Environment Services of Clackamas County). The Customer Services link at portlandonline provides "Things Citizens, Developers and Businesses Can Do To Help Salmon," or in our case, shellfish! A wealth of useful information, from garden care (sign the Healthy Lawn Pledge) to Watershed Stewardship Programs, can be found at the Community Outreach and Education link at the WES site. Massachusetts Oceans Act OPINION EDITORIAL What is the largest single piece of largely undeveloped publicly owned land in the Commonwealth? Most might answer that it is the watershed lands around Quabbin Reservoir- and they would be wrong. Many citizens of Massachusetts may be surprised to learn that they have an ownership interest in approximately 1.5 million acres of public property-land under the ocean from the low water mark out to the extend of state jurisdiction (usually three miles offshore). The Island Blue Pages—A Guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters August 18, 2005 To the Editor:
It’s impossible to think of the Vineyard and not think of water; we are an island and water is our lifeblood. And we, Vineyard residents and visitors alike, are the stewards of the Vineyard’s phenomenal water resources; its lakes, ponds, streams, tidal estuaries, wetlands, harbors, and great ponds—and of course, the groundwater we drink. The health of our Island water depends on the choices that each of us make. The Blue Pages is being distributed this week and you’ll find it in the mail and in the Gazette at newsstands on August 26. 2005. The Blue Pages belongs in every island home; keep it near your phone book as a handy reference. Share it with members of your household, or lend it to a neighbor or friend. If you are a landlord, provide your tenants with a copy. The well-being of the island and all its inhabitants is intimately linked to the health of our water. In the Blue Pages you’ll learn about the basics, from the water cycle to your watershed address, as well as the practical, like water conservation, the proper use of cleaning agents, the effects of polluted road runoff, careful waste disposal, good boating practices and tips on native landscaping and how to recover from lawn obsession. The Blue Pages was put together by a group of residents committed to water quality protection; the project was spearheaded by the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group and the bulk of the financial support came from the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We are never far from our ponds and beaches. Many of us fish local waters for sustenance and support. Seasonal residents and tourists flock to the Island to bask and hike on the beaches, swim in the waters, catch and eat local fish and shellfish, and go boating on the sparkling ponds. All these activities require clean water and a healthy marine ecosystem and with a little guidance from The Blue Pages you can help make it happen. Sincerely, Real Estate Professionals – Please help distribute the Blue Pages
An important goal of the Blue Pages committee is to educate new property owners about how they can contribute to the protection of our water quality and as such, the committee is offering to deliver copies of the Blue Pages to your office so that it can be distributed at real estate closings. The Blue Pages was put together by a group of island residents, including members of pond associations, conservation groups, shellfish wardens, and local water quality specialists. The project was spearheaded by the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group and funded primarily by the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) through a grant form the Environmental Protection Agency. For free delivery of the Blue Pages please contact one of the committee members listed below: Liz Durkee, Oak Bluffs Conservation Commission, 508-696-0758, edurkee@ci.oak-bluffs.ma.us We appreciate your support! State report sounds alarm over high levels of nitrogen in Falmouth ponds February 28, 2006
Study: EPA not enforcing Clean Water Act WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- A band of 27 environmental groups is accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of failing to track Clean Water Act violations. Herring Runs Closed in Commonwealth to Protect Fishery December 9, 2005
Read more at mvgazette.com
Marnie Stanton, Vineyard Conservation Almanac Climbing the steps to the Environmental Lab of the Wampanoag Tribe in Aquinnah, one wonders at the mounds of blue netting piled high just outside the entrance. Its purpose becomes clear when we learn that the space is shared with the Tribe’s shellfish hatchery. Inside, we follow Hillary Crook, the director of the lab, into a small clean room at the far end of the building. There she takes us on a tour of the multiple humming machines that collect data on air and water quality. She explains that the lab is an official ozone data collection site participating in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Air Assessment Group, which supports the web site “Air Now Program,” which tracks the transportation of ozone down the East Coast corridor. Moving on to the water testing instruments and other impressive machines, she shows us bacterial data that has been collected on several well water samples, and how a laboratory would interpret the associated results. We see from several previous samples the differences in determining bacterial levels between Total Coliform and E.Coli bacteria. Hillary explains that the lab not only is used to test potable water sources in public buildings and private homes island wide, but also the marine/freshwater sources as well. Microbiology is just one of many tests that the lab can perform to assist in monitoring the ever-growing concerns associated with water quality problems. Lastly, she shows us two gleaming pieces of equipment, first the Atomic absorption spectrometer which she loves. This machine is wonderful in its multi-functional abilities, she says, it analyzes the levels of heavy metals, such as Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium etc. that may be present in fish tissue, rain water, drinking water and road run-off. Additionally, the second piece of equipment that is available is a Total Mercury Analyzer; this will take a sample- water, soil, tissue, botanical etc, and without a whole lot of sample prep or time, analyze it for the Mercury content. Further more, all of the data collected is done based on approved EPA methodology. Next, we moved out into the main part of the building. “I have one other site to show you,” she beckons as we weave our way past the large white holding tanks on the main floor of the hatchery. Gathering on the dirt road between Menemsha Pond and the Herring Creek, we head down towards a small shed close to waters’ edge. Menemsha and Squibnocket Ponds and the connecting creek are extremely important water sources to the tribe, she tells us. The health of those waters assures the continuation of the Tribes aquaculture program for the production of the oysters, bay scallops, and of course the breeding grounds for the herring. Monitoring the cleanliness of the water resource is therefore tremendously important to the Tribe, she says. We then visit the much discussed shed, no larger than a small tool shed. It is currently the center of a zoning controversy involving the scope of Tribal sovereignty. Inside, she shows us an IMPROVED PM 2.5 Air Quality Monitor, which collects air deposition samples, this unit is part of a national EPA air quality programs. The PM 2.5 collects air quality data. The samples from the PM 2.5 which are located all over the United States are all changed on a weekly schedule, and these samples are sent directly to UC Davis for analysis, she tells us, the updates are then posted on the EPA 2.5 website. This PM 2.5 air station and the real-time Ozone monitoring station are the only ones on the island, she explains. When we step out of the shed and view the pristine waters of Menemsha Pond, we are struck by the confluence of intact natural beauty on the one hand, and the machines intended to ensure the preservation of that beauty on the other. We are impressed not just with the sophistication of the Lab’s equipment, but also with the dedication and expertise of staffers like Hillary. We are truly fortunate to have this resource and to have the Tribe willing to share this valuable service with the rest of the island. What an amazing resource to find just down the road!
The peculiar, hollow, iron-based rock made its way around the circle of people while they folded it over and over in their gloved hands.“ The original source material formed in place in the glacial outwash by a process that dissolved the iron from a mineral called siderite and precipitated it as a shell around the silty material in which the siderite was found.” Bill Wilcox told us. “It was left here when the glaciers retreated during the last ice age. These kinds of geological deposits determine the structure of our watersheds today.” Bill Wilcox, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission water resource planner, and the Vineyard Conservation Society had teamed up as part of the VCS winter walks program to explore the public watershed lands at the head of Lagoon Pond. The walk included a guided tour of the old drinking water pumping station, one of the oldest in the country. “During the glacial period some 21 to 25000 years ago, the sea level here was 300 feet lower than it is today . Lagoon Pond was actually a valley and there were mammals ranging as far east as Georges Bank. We know this because mammoth tusks and bones of other extinct land animals have been brought up in fishermen’s nets out there,” he said. Using a large Watershed map from the back of his truck, he pointed to a site close to Up-Island Cronigs in West Tisbury. “This is where the Lagoon Pond Watershed originates. Within this 4000 acre watershed there are 1700 residences and businesses, 112 acres of farm land, 370 acres of buildable undeveloped lots, and 655 acres of protected open space.” He explained that, every one of those houses, businesses and farms is contributing nitrogen and other pollutants which make their way into the groundwater, and flow “downhill” at a rate of one to two feet per day towards the Lagoon Pond. It takes about 25 years for that plume of contaminants to travel the full distance to the Lagoon, just about the time when development of the watershed began in earnest. The unnerving message: its about ready to arrive. As we begin our walk towards the Lagoon, a turn of the century hand tinted postcard is being circulated. It shows the Head of the Lagoon as a cleared expanse with a narrow watershed spillway supplying two impressive concrete-rimmed reservoirs, with the elegant Lagoon Pond pumping station beyond. We learn that the facility was originally built by the Cottage City Water Supply Company in the early 1900’s and continues to operate. The shape of the land which defines the watershed becomes clear as we reached the top of a steep, wooded bluff overlooking the tall chimney of the pump house, dating from the time when coal fired steam engines drove the water pumps. Bill explained, “one-and-a-half million gallons of water seeps out of this hill and surrounding ground every day”, he said. What is still largely pristine fresh water is separated by an earthen causeway from the brackage waters of the Lagoon Pond beyond. Bill again reflected on the ticking time bomb posed by land development if it is allowed to proceed without addressing the associated nitrogen pollution. “The Lagoon Pond has already reached its saturation point for nitrogen loading, largely from the “Title V” septic systems from homes built around the pond. By the time build-out on the island occurs in another 20 years or so, there will be between 2300 and 3000 additional residences in this watershed.” Where there is limited capability to circulate or “flush” harmful nutrients like nitrogen in a waterbody like the Lagoon, the result can be disasterous for all the life forms there. The Lagoon is already experiencing signs of stress. Without extraordinary intervention, like requiring new “zero nitrogen” septic system technologies, the problem will worsen. Oak Bluffs water superintendent Deacon Perrotta offered the group a rare opportunity to tour the inner workings of the historic pumping station. Deacon explained that the well field pumps an impressive 800 to 1000 gallons per minute and that the wells never run dry. The water is constantly tested for impurities, and fluoride is added for its dental benefits. Deacon added that the Lagoon herring run was recently reestablished. A fish ladder structure through the causeway allows herring to spawn in the upper fresh water pond. The annual herring return has been a great success. As we gathered at the causeway to view the fish ladder and expansive Lagoon Pond beyond, Bill Wilcox encouraged us to attend the up coming town meetings in both Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs. He explained that both towns have warrants on their agendas to accept the Mass. Estuary Project three year study of the their waterways. The Lagoon Pond qualifies to be studied as does Vineyard Haven’s Lake Tashmoo, he told us. The study will determine the health of both bodies of water, and is absolutely essential if the Island is to build a strategy to protect these precious resources. He mentioned that the cost to the towns is $40,000 for each study, but that Tisbury Waterways Inc (TWI) has already defrayed some of the cost by raising 10,000 dollars. When all the data is collected and processed, we will be prepared to take action. Though the day was blustery and cold, all participants came away feeling somehow invigorated. By educating ourselves about the challenges faced by our fragile surface waters and groundwaters and the connection to human activity in the watersheds, we are empowered. We can now begin to push for the necessary community discussion about what we as individuals, elected leadership, planners and regulators intend to do to ensure the sustainability of these shared public resources. On the Tisbury Waterfront 
Need concrete evidence of team cooperation, problem solving, perseverance, and common sense in solving environmental problems on the Vineyard? Melinda Loberg, Harriet Barrow, and the board of Tisbury Waterways, Inc. (TWI) point with pride to the concrete catch basins capturing toxic road runoff around the town’s sensitive water bodies. TWI routinely works with town and state entities to take on Tisbury water related problems and fix them. When Vineyard Haven harbor and Tashmoo were threatened by pollution from road runoff, they rallied to the cause and took action. Working closely with several town boards and the DPW, they concluded that strategically located concrete vaults (called catch basins) were the answer. “We raised the money from small donations provided by membership to buy each catch basin, costing $800 apiece,” Melinda said. “Then DPW took over and installed them, and now maintains them. The town has been very cooperative, and the selectmen couldn’t be nicer.” Catch basins are now installed at the bottom of Skiff Avenue, on State Road, Lake Street, and along Spring Street at the head of Lake Tashmoo. Other locations are under consideration. The catch basins effectively reduce the count of coliform bacteria entering the marine environment by capturing the polluted runoff. Before installation, bacterial counts measured in the hundreds of parts per million. Now coliform counts are negligible. On the Vineyard Haven harborfront, TWI worked with town and state officials to navigate the complex and time-consuming permitting process to bring about the dredging of the inner harbor. The visible result is a newly reestablished navigable channel at the foot of the jetty. The less visible effect is improved water circulation and enhanced safety for small boats. Another water pollution issue plaguing the harbor for some time was the absence of a septic pump-out facility to service boats moored in the harbor. TWI identified the need, raised the funds, and purchased a pump-out boat to address the problem. An often overlooked but significant contributor to bacterial pollution of our public water bodies is pet waste. Tisbury’s steeply sloping Owen Park was a prime culprit. TWI installed a beautiful native species harbor side garden with an educational message complete with baggie dispenser for dog owners visiting the park. Reintroducing herring to Tashmoo is also a TWI priority. A recently constructed fish ladder (similar in design to the herring run at the head of the Lagoon in Oak Bluffs) allows this salt-water fish species, which spends most of its life-cycle out on the Georges Bank, to again return to spawn in the fresh water at the head of Tashmoo. Fish stock from Aquinnah is used to reestablish the Tashmoo population, and the reintroduction is going very well. Because the herring provide an ideal bait source, Melinda noted, “the fishermen love this project.” Current TWI projects include monitoring the complex issues surrounding the proposal to replace the Lagoon Pond drawbridge. “We’re trying to decide whether to go with a temporary bridge, or wait six years for a permanent replacement while we patch what we have. It’s complicated. We’re in the process of doing studies on the Lagoon and harbor to determine whether we need to widen the opening and what kind of an impact that would have. Nothing can be determined until the studies are completed. When we have those results we can move ahead.” On behalf of all the colleague organizations working on Vineyard environmental issues, thanks to TWI for covering these critical waterfront protection issues! |
The Martha’s Vineyard Water Alliance has produced a brochure entitled “Water Quality Management Plan, One Island-Shared Watersheds”. Its purpose is to provide information about how groundwater works, what is causing water quality problems in our ponds, and how the Island can do something about it with comprehensive watershed management planning. 
Last week, the crew working on burying the electric lines in Edgartown dug up some old wooden water pipe about four feet down on Daggett Street. Peter Wells has a short section of it – a piece of tree trunk about a foot in diameter with a four-inch hole bored out. He said it was probably someone’s private water line, maybe coming down from a cistern farther up the hill, that might have brought water to a boat. Although it was probably well over a hundred years old, the wood was completely intact because of salt water pickling from the tidal intrusion at that depth.
Can natural wetlands be used to help clean-up groundwater nitrogen sources and mitigate the effects of coastal nutrient enrichment that we see in our waters today?
New Fund to Support Menemsha Fisheries
Dave Grunden Leads in the Hunt for Homeowner’s Financial Relief
Key Wastewater Planning Vote at Oak Bluffs Special Town Meeting, April 10th, 2007
Recently, Tisbury Waterways hosted an informative talk by Steve Hanschka, a city planner and certified Floodplain Manager for Clackamas County, Oregon, the northwest portion of which lies within the Portland Metropolitan Area. Hanschka also works as a planning consultant for a civil engineering firm in the Portland area which is made up of 25 incorporated cities, several of which are within Clackamas County. Hanschka pointed out that although the Vineyard and Oregon land-use systems of urban and rural designations aren't necessarily comparable; Tisbury is developed, more or less, on what would constitute an urban level of development in the Portland area. It is interesting to note that Portland has one of the most progressive and reputable land-use programs in the country. The Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.com), an internationally-recognized, authoritative source for news and information about environmental living, named Portland the third top Green City in America; one of the criterions was a city's storm water program.
Concerned about a precipitous decline in herring, the state has banned their harvest in Massachusetts for the next three years. Also known as alewives, herring is the most valued bait fish in Vineyard waters. The closure, which affects at least 100 herring runs along the Massachusetts coast, ironically comes at a time when Vineyard towns are taking steps to revive and improve their runs.
The Environmental Lab of the Wampanoag Tribe in Aquinnah
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