Tisbury Waterways, Inc.Newsletter Winter 2020

TWI has long warned about the impact of high nitro-gen levels in Lake Tashmoo and Lagoon Pond. High nutri-ent levels can lead to slow eutrophication and the death of plants, !sh and shell!sh in the waterway. Now there’s an-other reason for concern - increasing blooms of blue-green algae, otherwise known as cyanobacteria, are appearing in other Vineyard ponds.

Cyanobacteria live in all water systems on the planet, and are thought to be amongst the !rst photosynthetic organ-isms on earth. "eir presence in island waters is part of a healthy ecosystem, but a dramatic increase – called an al-gal bloom – may result in water that looks like pea soup. Ingestion, or even skin contact, with a bloom may lead to gastrointestinal issues, irritation, liver issues, or neurological problems. What was once thought to be an issue with fresh water lakes and ponds may now be a concern in brackish or saltwater systems as well.

Blooms are known to increase in frequency when nutri-ent levels are high and temperature increases. "is is particu-larly a problem locally when groundwater containing nutri-ents from fertilizers and septic systems #ows into a pond, coupled with rising temperatures due to climate change. In 2020, sampling for cyanobacteria was done in 11 MV ponds

by Sheri Caseau, water resources planner for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC), after a man was sickened while crabbing in Chilmark Pond. Cyanobacteria levels suf-!cient to cause blooms were found in 6 of the samples, sent to the University of New Hampshire for analysis.

"ese bacteria are always present, and levels on the Vine-yard remain low in most ponds, but more monitoring is needed. "ings to keep in mind are: 1) not all algal blooms are cyanobacteria, 2) cyanobacterial blooms are not always harmful, and 3) MVC is monitoring all ponds to determine cyanobacteria levels. Most waterways of the Vineyard have non-hazardous levels and can still be enjoyed every summer.

TWI applauds the e$orts of Ms. Caseau to set up a pre-liminary screening lab for cyanobacteria on the Vineyard. "is concerning issue reinforces the need for nitrogen-re-ducing septic systems, such as NitROE, currently being de-veloped in Tisbury.

In October, the Great Pond Foundation hosted a webinar on cyanobacteria, featuring Dr. C. Gobler of Stony Brook University. "eir website includes a recording of the webi-nar and provides additional information on this important topic. For those interested in more detail, information is also available on the EPA website.

Cyanobacteria Bloom Chilmark Pond (Photo Courtesy of Sheri Caseau)

One More Reason to Lower Nitrogen Levels

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On two separate mornings in October, hard-working board members spent several hours cutting back and clearing out the demonstration bioswale at the end of Owen Little Way. As usual, the plant growth had thrived over the summer and unfortunately, as in the past, it was once again a battle against the “less desirables” - the extremely invasive porcelain berry vines, mugwort, and Japanese knotweed. However, many of the original plantings have continued to persevere and break through these invaders, creating a very color-ful fall display of golden rods, purple asters, Joe Pyeweed, milkweed and a variety of grasses. "e bioswale continues to function the way it was intended. During heavy rains, much of the steady #ow of water that streams down Owen Little Way is channeled into the opening of the swale and is !ltered before entering the outer harbor, hopefully much less polluted than if allowed to #ow directly into the storm drain. (Photos Courtesy of Lorraine Wells)

A note from Nelson Sigelman, the 2020 TWI-sponsored shell!sh assistant who recently spoke at TWI’s annual meeting:

As a member of the Tisbury Shell!sh Department assigned primarily to Lake Tashmoo my activities included shell!sh propagation (we raised and planted two rafts of soft shell clam seed this season) regulatory enforcement, education about how to rake and measure clams, trapping thousands of invasive green crabs, and assisting the Tisbury harbormaster.

For residents and visitors, the backdrop of natural beauty and tidal rhythms that de!ne Tashmoo helped distract from the stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of the spring and summer, I spoke to people for whom shell!shing was a safe and fun outdoor activity. CO-VID-19 restrictions on normal summer activities resulted in an in#ux of visiting boaters from Southeastern Massa-chusetts and the South Shore, particularly on !ne weather weekends. "is compounded the challenge of restricting boats from prohibited anchorages, particularly during the period when state COVID-19 regulations did not allow boaters to raft.

"e majority of boaters were well behaved and enjoyed

the sort of activities with families and friends that we all en-joy. Inept and rude boat owners contributed a small set of problems. I do think allowing such large numbers of visiting boaters is a matter the town must address. (See Photo) It may require a combination of anchorage areas that are well-de-!ned with buoys, signs, and harbor department monitoring and enforcement.

"anks to TWI for your continued support.

As we noted in the June TWI Newsletter, we are con-cerned about potential pollutants spilling into Lake Tash-moo from a system of “!rst #ush basins” along West Spring Street. "is system was installed between July 1996 and September 1997 through a collaboration between TWI, particularly Dr. James Porter, engineer and former TWI President, and the Town of Tisbury. It was designed to cap-ture pollutants from the !rst 1/4 inch of rainfall, the dirti-est portion of storm water. "e installed !rst #ush basins

remove bacteria as storm water !lters through. Further, they contain limestone to raise the pH and precipitate heavy metal contaminants, and include !lter “pillows” to absorb petroleum residues. Both the limestone and !lter pads were to be cleaned or replaced annually.

A series of water quality tests performed before and af-ter the above installation showed that the !rst #ush basin system was very e$ective in removing contaminants. TWI,

Bioswale Maintenance: Continued Challenge

COVID- 19 Underscored Summer 2020 on Tashmoo

FIRST FLUSH BASINS

Continued on Page 3

More than 90 boats anchored in Tashmoo July 25 (Photo by Will White)

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MV Shipyard Project Review Postponed for Now

"e TWI Board has expressed its concerns and voiced its opposition to the expansion of the MV Shipyard into Lagoon Pond. Recognizing, however, that mitigation of environmental concerns may develop as the project progresses, the Board pro-posed a meeting this fall with Shipyard owners. We learned, however, that MVC review of the project has been postponed while mitigation discussions with the state continue.

A cooperative venture by the Towns of Tisbury and Oak Blu$s and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC), supported by a $250,000 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant from the Southeast New England Program (SNEP), culminated in the installation of a Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) along the Tisbury shore of the Lagoon Pond. PRB’s have been used by industry to clean up hazardous materials. "e technology is being adapted to remove nitrogen from groundwater in order to prevent it from reaching our sensitive waterways.

Adam Turner, Executive Director of the MVC, spearheaded the grant and worked with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s SMAST center to identify the best location near Lagoon Pond to capture groundwater nitrogen. After extensive groundwater testing, a location was identi!ed and permission to install a PRB obtained from the private property owner.

Sheri Caseau, water resource planner for the commission, described the project. "e system involves drilling down about 30 feet and installing pipes to inject about 15,000 gallons of diluted food-grade soybean oil. "e oil binds to the surrounding soil and intercepts nitrogen in groundwater #owing toward the pond, releasing nitrogen gas into the atmosphere through a natural reactive process. “It kind of puts a curtain down, and the [nitrogen-rich] groundwater has to #ow through that curtain,” Ms. Caseau explained.

Nitrogen occurs naturally in the environment, but excess nitrogen enters the pond primarily through septic systems and fertilizers from densely populated areas. "e area chosen to test the PRB is at the foot of Ski$ Avenue, where excess nutrients

enter the West Arm of the Lagoon from as far away as Vineyard Haven-Edgartown Road.

A 2015 study by the Massachusetts Estuaries Project concluded that 13,016 pounds, or 35 per cent of the nitrogen

load entering the Lagoon Pond, would have to be removed in order to comply with the federal Clean Water Act and restore the pond as a productive habitat for marine life.

"e PRB was installed by Environmental Strategies & Management. Jessica "omas, a member of UMass Dartmouth who was part of the project, said the PRB will be studied and monitored for the next two years to determine its e$ectiveness.

TWI has supported projects like this PRB pilot as part of several strategies to solve the nitrogen problem in our estuaries. We will follow the monitoring of this project and report further in future newsletters.

PRB Installed in Tisbury

however, is concerned that the planned system maintenance has not been kept up. "is summer, Bob Landreth, an active TWI member, stood prepared to collect samples from the system outfall and test bacterial levels at the Wampanoag Lab in Aquinnah. Alas, rain seemed to go north or south of Vineyard Haven all summer long. "is fall, however, Bob was able to sample on two occasions and found high to very high bacterial levels. Recognizing the hard work that went into constructing this storm water system, and the $50,000 grant TWI and the Town received from the EPA in 1994 to fund it, action to restore this system is needed.

TWI will be working with the Town to seek a pollution-remediation grant to pay for refurbishing the !rst #ush ba-sins. First, though, grant funders require data to demon-strate the extent of pollution #owing into Lake Tashmoo. Accordingly, TWI will develop and fund a sampling plan for the 2021 Spring-Summer seasons to collect that data.

Continued from Page 2

First Flush Basins

Waterways Committee without Environmental Representation

"e Tisbury Select Board has initiated changes in com-mittees, recently appointing a Waterways Committee. Unfortunately, they have not chosen our TWI candidate nor one from Lagoon Pond Association, omitting rep-resentation by voices for the environment. Nevertheless, a member of our Board has agreed to attend the public meetings of the committee to provide input on environ-mental concerns.

PRB installation near Lagoon Pond (Photo Courtesy of Sheri Caseau)

Visit our Website: www.tisburywaterways.org

Tisbury Waterways, Inc. Post Office Box 4375 Vineyard Haven, MA 02568www.tisburywaterways.org

Board of Directors

Lorraine Wells President

Robert Culbert Vice-President

Ray Lincoln Treasurer/Membership

Jean Lewellyn Secretary/Clerk

Gerard Hokanson Newsletter Editor

Carole AbrahamsAnn Fay Lawton

Gus LewisMelinda LobergBeverly Potsaid

Peter ScottHenry Stephenson

Tisbury Waterways, I

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Martha’s Vineyard

Tisbury Waterways,

Inc.

Martha’s Vineyard

MISSION STATEMENT Tisbury Waterways Incorporated (TWI) is a citizens’ non-pro!t organization whose mission is to provide a community presence in matters involving the quality and improvement of waterways in the Town of Tisbury. TWI acts as an advocate and catalyst to enlist the active participation of the public in support of municipal, educational and research programs designed to improve local marine water quality.

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TWI will continue advocating for the environmental health of our waterways through coordination with the MVC and the Town of Tisbury. Concerned citizens are encouraged to express their interest

in joining our Board of Directors.

TWI Membership Clari!edTo TWI supporters: You may notice that our remit-

tance envelope looks a bit di$erent. We are trying to clarify that donations as indicated constitute member-ship dues. We are of course appreciative of additional donations as well to further our environmental, edu-cational and advocacy e$orts to protect and improve water quality in our waterways. "anks for your contri-butions and your memberships! Please provide us with your current email address to ensure you receive all fu-ture TWI communications.

TWI Zooms Its 2020 Annual Meeting"e TWI Annual Meeting was held on August 27

through Zoom. Several Board members were reappointed at the expiration of their terms and current O%cers agreed to continue.

TWI 2020 initiatives were reviewed such as the MVRHS Science Fair prizes, the MVC Water Resource Intern funding and the funding of additional sta%ng for Tashmoo through the Tisbury Shell!sh Dept. "e 2020 Environmental Studies Scholarship, given in honor of former Board members June Kapell, Betty Feldman and Jo Wood was awarded to Island resident Mackenzie Luce. Our Edey Foundation grant to improve water quality in the Tashmoo Spring Pond was outlined. Unfortunately, COVID caused the cancellation of our Tisbury School water education program, our Annual Seafood Cocktail Party and in person Board meetings. Additionally, our spring newsletter went out as email only.

Following the TWI business and initiative update, we heard a report from Nelson Sigelman about his observations of Lake Tashmoo this summer. See his comments on page 2 of this newsletter. Q & A following Nelson’s talk reinforced the importance of many of the issues he raised.

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Martha’s Vineyard