Category: Water Quality
Stormwater runoff, development, erosion, invasive species, and septic system discharge impact the health of Cape Cod's 890 ponds. Across the region, management strategies of different types and scales are being implemented to improve water quality and overall pond health.
Cape Cod Commission staff are using hydrologic response units to identify at-risk sections of pond buffers, better understand pollutant flow, and develop effective solutions.
A comprehensive pond monitoring program is now underway to gather consistent data from ponds across Cape Cod.
Cape Cod communities are making strides to reduce nitrogen flow into our coastal waters, and now local leaders are reviewing a pair of proposals designed to encourage watershed-based comprehensive planning and implementation.
The newly formed Cape Cod Ponds Network, convened for the first time in 2022 in response to growing concern over the health of Cape Cod’s ponds, is a way for those who care about ponds to learn from one another and exchange ideas on topics of regional interest.
In September, Cape Cod Commission Water Resources Analyst Tim Pasakarnis was named the SNEP Monitoring Subcommittee's first-ever Chair.
The Cape Cod Commission has begun work on the Cape Cod Freshwater Initiative, a science-based, information-driven planning process to engage stakeholders and enable action to protect and restore Cape Cod’s freshwater resources. The effort is supported by $2,493,028 in funding approved by the Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates and Board of Regional Commissioners.
The 2022 OneCape Summit offered mobile workshops that allowed attendees to get a firsthand look at some of the issues impacting our region and learn about strategies to address these vulnerable areas.
During the OneCape Summit, local, regional, and national experts and advocates highlighted efforts to protect and preserve Cape Cod's water quality.
The Cape Cod Commission and Association to Preserve Cape Cod convened the first meeting of the Cape Cod Ponds Network, held virtually on June 8, 2022.
