Joint Committee on Sengekontacket

Identify sources of bacterial contamination and develop a plan to reduce the contaminants in order to improve Pond water quality to a satisfactory shell-fishing standard
Develop compatible management plan components for the Pond in regard to circulation improvement, sediment removal, shellfish enhancement and restoration of eelgrass habitat
Receive Massachusetts Estuaries Project Report, evaluate it and make recommendations to appropriate Town boards on actions that could be taken in the watershed to address the identified sources of excess nutrients

Save Senge

Be the first in your neighborhood to visibly support restoration of Sengekontacket Pond to high quality water. Support the Joint Committee’s effort to remind everyone that this is a community issue. Testing for bacteria and nutrient (nitrogen) contamination may identify the sources, but the residents of Edgartown and Oak Bluffs will need to take action to prevent and correct the continued pollution. Contact Duncan Ross for Oak Bluffs at dross157@verizon.net or Susan Shea at SRLS_SMS@yahoo.com for Edgartown.

So what can each of us do to improve the health of Sengekontacket Pond?

Simple Things You Can Do

To improve groundwater recharge:

Reduce the size of your lawn.
Replace with trees or native shrubs and ground covers.
Install a gravel or porous pavement driveway.

To reduce storm-water runoff from your property:

Create rain gardens and other infiltration features to process runoff from roofs and driveways.
Reduce non-point source pollution of surface waters.
Maintain and enhance vegetated buffers on shorelines and stream banks.

To reduce use of public water supply resources:

Water lawns and gardens only when needed.
Install smart irrigation systems.
Install flow restrictions on showers and faucets.
Find and fix leaky faucets.

To reduce volume of wastewater:

Install low flow toilets, shower heads, and faucet flow restrictors.
Separate roof drains from the sewer system.

Sengekontacket Shoreline Survey

T 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:

Waste disposal systems
Waterfowl
Pipes
Drainage
Stormwater runoff

Teams will walk or boat the perimeter of the entire pond. The survey will be conducted during June, July and August. With the help of Felix Neck’s Fern and Feather campers, June and July will focus on public and conservation lands such as Felix Neck, Wildlife Trust, State Beach and Caroline Tuthill properties. The public will be provided notice and asked for cooperation during an August survey of riparian properties.

Teams will be provided with detailed checklist(s) with pictures or descriptions of conditions to be identified.

Volunteers are needed from the public. Training for volunteers will provide identification techniques and recording instruction. Contact anyone on the Joint Committee to volunteer.

For more details, please follow this link

Water Quality Testing Summer 2008

Testing of water quality in Sengekontacket Pond was conducted in the summer of 2008 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. Total coliform as well as entercoccus tests are 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.

In addition nutrient testing was 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. Nutrient testing results 2008:

Total Pigment:

This parameter includes chlorophyll, the pigment found in a large portion of the phytoplankton that make up the food for filter feeders like shellfish. The growth of these microscopic plants is stimulated by the availability of nitrogen. Increasing levels intercept the light stressing eelgrass growing at the bottom. The goal is 6 parts per billion and, at concentrations above 10 parts per billion, eelgrass is impacted. During 2008, station 4 at the inner end of Major’s Cove and station 8 off the mooring field at the Boulevard were higher than the recommended upper limit .

Total Organic Nitrogen:

This parameter includes dissolved organic forms of nitrogen like urea as well as particulate forms of nitrogen. It is a measure of the biologic activity in the water column. As with many things, too much of a good thing creates problems with light penetration and with dissolved oxygen in the water. The total of the two nitrogen forms usually makes up over 90% of the total nitrogen that also includes inorganic forms like ammonium. The goal for eelgrass health is around 0.4 parts per million although eelgrass should survive at slightly higher concentrations. During 2008, the total organic nitrogen was at acceptable levels during the sampling period with the exception of station 8 off the Boulevard mooring area.

Other parameters:

Light penetration can be determined by lowering a small white disk over the side of the boat and measuring the depth at which it disappears. The depth at which the Secchi disk can still be seen is dependent on how much particulate matter is in the water column. Sengekontacket is a shallow pond and there are only a few stations that are deep enough to allow a measurement to be made. Usually the disk can be seen on the bottom of the Pond. The goal is for a depth in excess of 1.8 meters with 3.0 meters being about the best found in coastal waters during the summer. During 2008, only three measurements could be made all between 2.0 and 2.25 meters. Light penetration was good.

Dissolved oxygen in the deeper water is an important factor in determining habitat quality. Low or zero oxygen reduces the survival of desirable shellfish. The shallow depth of the pond generally allows wind driven circulation to mix the water column and keep dissolved oxygen levels at desirable levels. This was true in 2008.

For more details, please follow this link

Water Quality Testing of Sengekontacket Pond

In the interest of keeping the public informed the Joint Committee on Sengekontacket will post results of tests taken in the pond as they are made available in electronic format. The following graphs show the results of fecal coliform tests taken by the Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries at various locations around the pond since 1994.

Select this link to view these Pond test results.

Review the UNH test results from the 2007 (link) and 2008 (link) rounds of testing to identify potential bacterial sources resulting in the seasonal closure of the pond by DMF.

Joint Committee Action Plan 2008

The Joint Committee has developed an action plan to:

1) address identification of pollution sources to Sengekontacket Pond;

2) carry out corrective measures, and to involve and inform the island community on what needs to be done and why.

The plan identifies required funding. Select this link to view the Action Plan

Present: Duncan Ross, Rick Karney, Suzan Bellincampi, Jerry McCarthy, Robert Culbert, Liz Durkee, Terry Appenzellar

Friends of Sengekontacket Inc. (FOS) has approved funds of $400 for dog poop poles to be placed at the Landing and Pecoy Point. MV Dog Club has also approved $400. The program is being implemented by the OB Animal Control Officer. FOS has asked for consideration of using biodegradable bags.

Friends of Sengekontacket Inc. has approved $5,000 for the proposed August round testing for bacterial contamination sources. FOS has specific requirements for the sampling protocol and the testing methodology.

A draft Checklist for Field Observation of Potential Bacterial Pollution Sources was reviewed with attendees to send corrections and additions to Appenzellar. Additional tasks include getting MVC maps with riparian owners listed (Appenzellar with Chris Seidel, MVC) and mapping the 1999 Sanitary Survey sites and results onto the property boundary maps. Follow-up is needed with Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) about the site numbering and coding in the Sanitary Survey (Appenzellar). There was discussion of the need for a training session for volunteers to include visuals (animal tracks, septic or pipe slime/scum identification) and a review of the survey reporting steps. The data collection would be a first step to identifying sources. Possibly science-trained volunteers could confirm site findings. Robert Culbert will follow up with the Felix Neck Wildlife Trust on the history of Sarson Island and its vegetation. More information about corrective measures for stormwater runoff (e.g. bioswales – Culbert to find TWI briefing by Hanschka). Both Towns and Health, Conservation and Shellfish Agents/Constables will be asked to communicate support for the data collection effort. Additionally, communication will be sent to homeowners asking for their help in supporting the data collection effort as well as advising them on what efforts they can undertake (buffer gardens vs. green swath of lawn to the pond shore, biodegradable soaps, limiting fertilizer, having septic systems inspected for effective operation, etc.). Timing for the survey would likely be late summer, after pond residency is increased and air and water temperatures are higher.

Further discussion of DNA and other testing included inviting the Tribe lab Director to brief on their services (possibly providing enterococcus testing or tests tracking tidal movement of geese feces). The goal would be to complete documentation of the sampling protocol and testing methodology by the end of May for agreement to undertake the first round of tests as close as possible to the next DMF round in June. Additional other tests could be taken in mid to late summer once residency on the pond is increased and the water and air temperatures have risen.

There was discussion on pursuing additional dredging at both Little Bridge and from Big Bridge back toward OB. OB permits need amendment and information on use of fine particle soil (dredged from Little Bridge) is needed.

Updates to the website were requested to include a member listing as well as a link to Lovewell’s air and water temperatures (Appenzellar).

Copies of an existing DCPC for Sengekontacket Pond were distributed. This is not enacted in any Oak Bluffs ByLaw.

Mr. Rosbeck will be invited to the next meeting to discuss financial support for dredging of the pond. Ms. Kendra Reid, Wampanoag Tribe Laboratory Director will be invited to the next meeting to discuss what kind of testing they might be able to provide.

Present: Duncan Ross, Suzan Bellencampi, Paul Bagnall, Liz Durkee, Rick Karney, Bill Wilcox, Robert Culbert, and David Grunden

Robert Culbert represented the Felix Neck Trust (owner of Sarson’s Island). He reported that the cormorants started arriving in the mid-80’s and by the 1990s had drastically increased forcing the nesting herons and terns out (the terns now nest on the beach and in the upper marshes at Haystack Point). There are approximately 250 nesting pairs of cormorants that use Sarson’s annually. The MA Audubon shore bird monitors will get a count this coming season. There are control and harassment techniques that the US F&W can sanction and a federal permit under the migratory bird act must be obtained prior to initiating any form of harassment. Also there should be some consideration of where the cormorants may nest if they were driven from Sarson’s

By consensus it was agreed to establish sampling sites, times and parameters, though the sampling is dependent on funding from both towns at Town Meetings. We will be analyzing 8 samples every two weeks for fecal coliform levels beginning in May. The sites chosen correspond to many of the sites the DMF collect samples. The sites will be:

We will sample four sites (June July and August) for the microbial source identification analysis at the following locations:

Additionally we will also be looking at wrack algae washed up on the beach to determine the bacterial levels from that source as well as trying to collect storm water as it runs off into the pond. Other actions the joint committee agreed to are – conduct a sanitary survey of the shore line to identify all possible pollution sources, review all reports and information regarding the pond and ask the Friends of Sengekontacket to host any digital information on their web site, review any current DCPCs that effect the pond and consider if that direction should or can be feasible and request animal control officer’s to better enforce “pooper scooper” laws.

It was also suggested that we collect a ground water sample from a pit dug on Sarson’s Island to be analyzed for nutrient levels. Bill Wilcox agreed to ask Brian or Roland of the MA Estuaries Project to what extent if any they are taking the contribution of birds into their study.

Edgartown is continuing to obtain permits for dredging a navigational channel to the Boulevard boat landing and beach nourishment of the Edgartown Beach.

Duncan presented an idea proposed by Mr. Harshberger to place large single direction flow valves at the two bridges and to establish a third opening to the sound from Traps Pond. This suggestion would not allow for any boat navigation and require a large and expensive maintenance commitment from the towns. The proposal was not seriously considered.

Present at meeting: Liz Durkee, Duncan Ross, Jerry McCarthy, Donald Muckerhide, Bill Wilcox, Paul Bagnal, and David Grunden

The first item discussed was the proposals from Donald Muckerhide within the two handouts he passes out. The first was a possible method of removing the find silt building up on the bottom of the pond using aeration to re-suspend the silt on out going tides with a westerly wind. The second hand out was a 1994 report written by the University of Wisconsin’s Water Resource Institute. The report pointed out that the type(s) of septic systems that they looked at brought the nitrogen effluent concentration down to <10mg/l. The report does not identify the type of septic system that was studied and we should note that the nitrogen level for safe human consumption is 10 times the healthy level for estuarine and marine waters.

BBTF/FOS has been receiving a $30K annual grant to manage State Beach. 10K has been earmarked for shore bird monitoring. The monitors will attempt to get numbers and species of birds using Sarson’s Island.

FOS has received a grant from The Farm Neck Foundation for $2,500 for water quality monitoring for 2008

Oak Bluffs Shellfish is asking for $10K in the FY09 proposed budget. If approved at Town Meeting this funding will be available 7/1/08. After a short discussion it was agreed that an article requesting funding for water quality monitoring should be submitted for a special town meeting vote to have funds prior to July first.

Oak Bluffs shellfish is also requesting funds to purchase 2 In situ multiple parameter meters that can be set out to collect water quality data over time

We discussed other potential funding sources – primarily from the MV Land Bank and the County (directly or though grants)

A discussion about planning water quality monitoring for the coming season took place. All agreed we need to continue the water chemistry monitoring that has been conducted annually for many years (cost currently bourn by the towns). It was also agreed we must continue to the microbial source identification efforts. At the end of the discussion it was agreed to plan on establishing 4 sample sites (north west corner near golf course, head of Major’s Cove, near big bridge/Sarson’s Island, and off the Boulevard) and three rounds (June, July, August), also at the same time to collect up to 4 fecal source samples. The estimated cost for the microbial identification analysis is $16K.

Although the bacterial contamination is the primary issue for the committee to address; other monitoring and work was discussed. These include phytoplankton and macroalgae (seaweed), identify type and volume of fertilizer Farm Neck Golf Course uses, road run off, dredging, sand mining off shore for beach nourishing, push for longer dredge windows)

The need for reviewing what DCPCs have been enacted through the MVC and possibly nomination of a DRI

The draft MA Estuaries Report is expected to be out later this year (optimally in about 2 months). This report will not be addressing bacterial contamination, but is expected to identify nutrient levels and method to reduce the levels in the pond. The circulation patterns in the pond may identify internal circulation issues that may lead to better flushing and an improvement of water quality

By consensus it was agreed the any digital information about Sengekontacket should be in one place. It was suggested that FOS web site should that site.

The next meeting will be March 14, 2008 at 1:00 PM in the Oak Bluffs Shellfish Department’s office 247 County Road.