Getting to Know Your Watershed:Getting to Know Your Watershed:Bass RiverBass River

Watershed Forums Fall 2010Watershed Forums Fall 2010

October 21, 2010October 21, 2010

Where you call home: Your address

Your Villages and Your Villages and TownsTowns

Where you call home: Your Watershed

Where you call home: Your Watershed

• 10,331 acres10,331 acres

• 11,800 parcels11,800 parcels

• The most populous of 46 sensitive watershedsThe most populous of 46 sensitive watersheds

Getting to know your Getting to know your watershed: Bass River watershed: Bass River WatershedWatershed

1971 to 19991971 to 1999Developed Land (acres) – Percent Developed Land (acres) – Percent

Change Change

Dennis Dennis 58.7%58.7% Yarmouth Yarmouth 56.3%56.3%

Bass River Bass River

Watershed 101:Watershed 101:How Does a Watershed Work?How Does a Watershed Work?

Cape Cod watersheds are the contributing areas to surface water bodies, and groundwater wells. They are defined by the movement of groundwater, and do not follow town boundaries.

How long does it take water to How long does it take water to move through the watershed?move through the watershed?

• 10-100 years10-100 years• Each drop of water takes a Each drop of water takes a

different path through the different path through the watershedwatershed

• Some travel in streams and Some travel in streams and travel fastertravel faster

• Some are caught in ponds and Some are caught in ponds and take yearstake years

Septic Systems and our Septic Systems and our WatershedWatershed

• The septic system of an average three-bedroom home loads 8.5 pounds of nitrogen into the groundwater each year.

• Approximately 85% of

the over 156,000 homes on Cape Cod presently use individual Title 5 septic systems.

Other Watershed FeaturesOther Watershed FeaturesLong Pond, YarmouthLong Pond, Yarmouth

Photo by T. Cambareri

Looking East

Route 28 in Foreground

The Problem

NITROGEN FROM

LAND USES(Septic Systems, Fertilizers, Road and Roof Runoff)

Streams

Groundwater

Increase inbottom algae

Low oxygenconditions

FISH AND SHELLFISH KILLS

Shading ofeelgrass beds

Algae Growth/Blooms

The Impact of Nitrogen on Coastal Embayments

Decay

Cape Cod Commission

NITROGEN FROM ATMOSPHERE

Fish Kills

Algae Blooms

The Threats from Nitrogen

Decreased Property Values

Shellfish Kills

Diminished Ecosystem Services

Economic Impacts

Clean Water Act Requirements

Sources of Nitrogen

*Including atmospheric water*Including atmospheric water

**

Our Sole Source AquiferOur Sole Source Aquifer

•Replenished by Precipitation

•Six Separate Lenses

•Sole Source of Drinking Water

•Watersheds follow groundwater flow

Bass River Watershed and Bass River Watershed and Water Table ContoursWater Table Contours

Watershed spans 2 Lenses and three towns

Average Groundwater flow rate is 1-2 feet per day

Groundwater flow times range up to 100 years, but average up to 10 years to arrive in the embayment

Wellhead Protection Areas to Wellhead Protection Areas to Public Water Supply WellsPublic Water Supply Wells

Zone IIs – Groundwater Capture Areas

Yarmouth Water Dept Dennis Water District

Water Water Quality Quality Assessment Assessment

Watershed and Subwatersheds

Other FeaturesOther FeaturesExisting Package and Septage Existing Package and Septage TreatmentTreatment

Cape Cod CommissionCape Cod Commission

1998 Coastal Embayment Project1998 Coastal Embayment Project

Upper Bass River Surface waters are classified SA – Excellent quality

Nitrogen loading within subwatersheds exceed the SA limits for Dinah’s and Mill Pond

Nitrogen reduction appears to be necessary

Additional water quality study and assessment are recommended

Water Quality Water Quality

Dissolved Oxygen, Chlorophyll, Macroalgae, Eelgrass, Infaunal Animals

PoorModerate

High

Healthy

Impaired

Degraded

Eel G

rass

Eel Grass – Mouth of Bass Eel Grass – Mouth of Bass RiverRiver

Loss of Eelgrassover Time

------- 1995------- 1995 + 2001 ------- 2001

Relative Nitrogen Thresholds< Total Maximum Daily Load < Total Maximum Daily Load Kg/dayKg/day

0.38 mg/l0.38 mg/l

10

5

0.38

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

DrinkingWater

Planning MarineWater

GW-flowGW-flow

WatershedWatershed

PP

MP

PM

Meets TMDLMeets TMDL

Relative Nitrogen Thresholds

0.38 mg/l0.38 mg/l

10

5

0.38

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

DrinkingWater

Planning MarineWater

PP

MP

PM

>Total Maximum Daily Load >Total Maximum Daily Load Kg/dayKg/day

GW-flowGW-flow

WatershedWatershed

Over TMDLOver TMDL

The Solutions

Cape Cod Regional Wastewater Cape Cod Regional Wastewater Management Plan (RWMP)Management Plan (RWMP)

Objective Restore degraded water bodies through regional nutrient management policy promoting appropriate infrastructure and growth management mechanisms while protecting taxpayers from unnecessary costs.

GoalPolicy Integrating:

•Environment •Affordability •Infrastructure •Growth Management

Strategies and MeasuresStrategies and Measures

ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENTStrategy: Science Based Nutrient Strategy: Science Based Nutrient Management ProgramManagement Program

Measure: Complete CWMP’sMeasure: Complete CWMP’s

AFFORDABILITYAFFORDABILITYStrategy: Maximize SRF and other Strategy: Maximize SRF and other fundsfunds

Measure: Towns obtain SRF & 0% Measure: Towns obtain SRF & 0% SRF loansSRF loans

INFRASTRUCTURINFRASTRUCTUREE

Strategy: Limit infrastructure to Strategy: Limit infrastructure to limit cost & unintended growthlimit cost & unintended growth

Measure: Measure: MOA’s for shared systemsMOA’s for shared systems

GROWTHGROWTHMANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT

Strategy: Strategy: Limit development where Limit development where Title 5 would have limited or prohibited Title 5 would have limited or prohibited it.it.

Measure: Towns adopt flow neutral Measure: Towns adopt flow neutral regulations.regulations.

PO

LIC

YP

OLIC

Y

STRATEGY & STRATEGY & MEASURESMEASURES

Other Purposes of the RWMPOther Purposes of the RWMP

• Zero % State Zero % State Revolving Fund Revolving Fund (SRF) Construction (SRF) Construction Loans for identified Loans for identified ‘Flow-Neutral’ ‘Flow-Neutral’ CommunitiesCommunities

• Inform CCC DRI Inform CCC DRI review of CWMPs review of CWMPs and development of and development of Technical BulletinTechnical Bulletin

CCC

Technical

Bulletin

A Mix of Systems is A Mix of Systems is AppropriateAppropriate

TITLE 5 / IATITLE 5 / IA CLUSTERCLUSTER SATTELITESATTELITE CENTRALIZECENTRALIZEDD

CWMP Implementation Will Take 20 to 30 CWMP Implementation Will Take 20 to 30 YearsYears

This is how to Measure Progress This is how to Measure Progress

• Capital Expenditures to DateCapital Expenditures to Date

• Amount SeweredAmount Sewered

• Percent Removed from TMDL WatershedsPercent Removed from TMDL Watersheds

• Planned Capital ExpendituresPlanned Capital Expenditures

• Projected Expansion AreasProjected Expansion Areas

• Non-Structural Management ProgressNon-Structural Management Progress

TMDL Compliance MonitoringTMDL Compliance Monitoring

• Marine Water Marine Water QualityQuality

• EelgrassEelgrass

• Benthic FaunaBenthic Fauna

Facility SitingFacility Siting

• Site Screening ConsiderationsSite Screening Considerations

• Preliminary Groundwater ModelingPreliminary Groundwater Modeling

• Site CharacterizationSite Characterization– HydrogeologyHydrogeology– Loading Capacity TestsLoading Capacity Tests

• Detailed ModelingDetailed Modeling– MoundingMounding– Water Resource ImpactsWater Resource Impacts

• CostsCosts

Yarmouth General Wastewater Yarmouth General Wastewater NeedsNeeds

Need Off-Site Solution

Awaiting MEP Results

Remain On-Site

Primary Areas

Secondary Areas

Tertiary Areas

Other Areas

Dennis General Wastewater Needs- 2007Dennis General Wastewater Needs- 2007AOCsAOCs

1

2

4

5

3

Yarmouth Draft CWMPYarmouth Draft CWMP Sewer Phases Sewer Phases

Length of Road/Lot

1-100101-150

Density and Facilities Siting are Density and Facilities Siting are Significant ConsiderationsSignificant Considerations

Building Footprint Building Footprint With/Without Title 5With/Without Title 5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

CURRENT

SE

PT

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L

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D IN

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, L

B/Y

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epti

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oad

in

Wat

ersh

ed,

lb/y

r

CURRENT

Impact of Growth on N Impact of Growth on N RemovalRemoval

0

10

20

30

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50

60

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80

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100

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130

140

CURRENT

SE

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B/Y

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epti

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oad

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Wat

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lb/y

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TMDL

Remain50 lb/yr

Remove 50 lb/yr

CURRENT0

10

20

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140

CURRENT FUTURE

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B/Y

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epti

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oad

in

Wat

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e, l

b/y

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30% Growth

TMDL

Remain 50 lb/yr

Remove 50 lb/yr

Remove 80 lb/yr

Remain 50 lb/yr

CURRENT FUTURE0

10

20

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CURRENT FUTURE

SE

PT

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B/Y

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epti

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oad

in

Wat

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lb/y

r

30% growth

TMDL

new

Remain 50 lb/yr

Remove 50 lb/yr

existingRemove 50 lb/yr

Remove

100% of New Growth

Remain 50 lb/yr

CURRENT FUTURE

Cost Considerations in Cost Considerations in Watershed Based PlanningWatershed Based Planning

• Collection and Collection and TransportTransportDensityDensity

• TreatmentTreatmentAppropriate ScaleAppropriate Scale

• Disposal Disposal (effluent recharge sites)

Nitrogen Sensitive Areas, Nitrogen Sensitive Areas, Zone II’sZone II’s

Region-wide Cost Region-wide Cost Estimates for Wastewater Estimates for Wastewater TreatmentTreatment

•If we sewer the entire Cape today:

$8 billion

•Estimates of 25% sewer:

$3 billion•Buildout conditions:

$2-4 billion

GIS Demographics SlidesGIS Demographics Slides

Demographic andEconomic Data

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

• Comprised of Census Blocks• Average Population: 1,300 residents

Census Block Groups

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates and Missouri Census Data Center

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates and Missouri Census Data Center

Source: 2000 U.S. Census Bureau

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: ESRI’s Business Analyst 2009 Estimates

Source: Cape Cod Commission

Source: Cape Cod Commission

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www.capecodcommission.org/watertourwww.capecodcommission.org/watertouror email:or email: watershed@capecodcommission.org watershed@capecodcommission.org

www.yarmouthconservationtrust.org www.yarmouthconservationtrust.org

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