Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund continues support for water quality monitoring

The Center for Coastal Studies will continue to monitor water quality in the waters surrounding Cape Cod. On behalf of the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund Management Board, the Cape Cod Commission has renewed the contract with the Center to once again acquire and analyze data from monitoring stations across the region.

As Cape Cod communities continue to make significant investments in new wastewater management projects to reduce the flow of nitrogen into surrounding waters, it is essential to collect the data necessary to identify the areas most impacted, target wastewater planning and project implementation, and evaluate the impact of the projects on water quality. Water quality monitoring data helps municipalities and the region track changes, analyze trends, and evaluate the overall condition of Cape Cod’s embayments and surrounding waters.

The Center for Coastal Studies will continue comprehensive water quality to provide valuable data on nitrogen, phosphorous, water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen concentrations, chlorophyll, and turbidity.

The program, funded through the Cape Cod and Islands Water Protection Fund, and led by the Center for Coastal Studies benefits from a history of collaboration with other organizations working on water quality initiatives to promote data sharing and outreach and increase public awareness of the importance of water quality.

Data collected with provide a basis for the long-term assessment of the efficacy of wastewater management efforts on Cape Cod and help guide the region toward a healthier and more sustainable future for our waters.

All data collected will be stored, analyzed, and made available through the Regional Water Quality Data Portal.