Improving the Vineyard’s water quality is one of VCS' top priorities.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, depend on healthy ponds. This demonstrates 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 ponds. 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. Most of the nitrogen that is generated locally comes from wastewater, typically septic systems. Lawn fertilizer is usually the second largest contributor, with agriculture and stormwater runoff providing additional nitrogen loads. (Unfortunately, a significant amount of nitrogen also comes from acid rain originating largely 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 -- flushing and adjusting the circulation patterns of the pond -- that can also improve a coastal pond’s ability to utilize nitrogen without going beyond its loading capacity. Options here include dredging and breaching totally enclosed ponds such as the Edgartown and Tisbury Great Ponds. However, these measures can often be difficult and expensive 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. The Vineyard Conservation Society is working alongside the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, local watershed associations, shellfish officers, and other conservation organizations to try to build an Island-wide awareness of the problems and an understanding of the solutions. The Massachusetts Estuaries Project is working to understand and apply the relevant science to help planners create practical management plans for the ponds. Then, the hardest part will begin, funding and managing the necessary actions to preserve our ponds. VCS 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. Water ResourcesVisit the MV Shellfish Group website and view the Island Blue Pages: a Guide to Protecting Martha’s Vineyard Waters. A watershed map of the Island, prepared by the M.V. Land Bank (click to enlarge) Some important water definitions 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. Necessary Steps to Save our Ponds |
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