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Water:
In the News 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. Da |
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?
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