Cape Cod Commission releases tools and resources to support freshwater

As work on the Cape Cod Freshwater Initiative nears completion, the Cape Cod Commission is pleased to present new tools and resources to support the region’s freshwater ponds.

For the first time, freshwater data from across Cape Cod is available in one centralized location through the Cape Cod Water Quality Data Portal. This interactive, map-based online tool allows users to explore water quality data compiled by the Commission in collaboration with regional partners. Users can view trends and access and download more than 25 years of historic data for monitored ponds across the region. The portal, developed in partnership with the Timmons Group, was designed with input from an end-user group that included Town, State, and Federal staff, as well as pond association members and other stakeholders.

Also available is the new Cape Cod Freshwater Pond Buffer Guidance, a comprehensive document designed to help homeowners and municipalities preserve and protect ponds through responsible landscape management. Individual stewardship is critical in improving water quality, as most land near freshwater ponds is privately owned. The guide, developed in collaboration with Jenick Studio and Crawford Land Management and with input from an end-user group of local conservation department representatives, pond association members, and environmental professionals, offers practical strategies for installing or enhancing native pond shore buffers, which are essential for protecting and restoring pond health. It includes best practices, planting plans, and resources to empower homeowners to make environmentally responsible choices.   

The guidance aims to educate residents, encourage sustainable landscaping choices, and support local Conservation Commissions in reviewing and approving restorative pond shore initiatives by promoting community acceptance and implementation of these practices.

These resources will support the broader strategies outlined in a soon to be released, comprehensive plan to support protection and restoration of freshwater ponds, developed through the Cape Cod Freshwater Initiative. Launched in 2021, the Freshwater Initiative is a science-based, information-driven planning process to engage stakeholders and enable action to protect and restore Cape Cod’s freshwater resources. The Freshwater Initiative has been informed by a robust stakeholder process that involved working with and engaging stakeholders to develop a framework for identifying and implementing pond management strategies.

For more information, please visit www.capecodcommission.org/freshwater