Discovering Buzzards Bay: Coalition promotes education and awareness

The Buzzards Bay Coalition is dedicated not only to protecting the bay and its watershed but educating the public about the bay, its challenges and ways to protect it.

The organization is a community based nonprofit with headquarters in New Bedford, in addition to a Cape Cod office located in Woods Hole.

Sarah Murphy

The Buzzards Bay Coalition is dedicated not only to protecting the bay and its watershed but educating the public about the bay, its challenges and ways to protect it.

The organization is a community based nonprofit with headquarters in New Bedford, in addition to a Cape Cod office located in Woods Hole.

“We're focused on the protection, restoration and sustainable use of Buzzards Bay but we also work to protect the lands around the bay, which are critical to bay health, especially those along river corridors,” said Rob Hancock, vice president for education and public engagement.

Hancock said the biggest long-term threat to the bay is nitrogen pollution, a problem largely due to septic systems which remove bacteria but not nitrogen. The extreme growth in population over the years has compounded the issue. Since 1960, more land has been developed in Southeastern Massachusetts than the previous 340 years. Other threats to water quality include stormwater runoff, fertilizers and acid rain.

“Falmouth is very aware of the challenges that are faced in the waters, especially nitrogen pollution, and the town has been active in trying to find solutions,” Hancock said.

“The problems in Falmouth are very similar to the problems going on elsewhere. On a place like Cape Cod, the health of the coastal waters is so important. Many of these communities have become more aware and are hopefully moving toward action.”

Buzzards Bay encompasses 280 miles of shoreline, including 11 public beaches and 30 major harbors and coves. About 360,000 people live in the Buzzards Bay watershed, which is 432 square miles.

Hancock said the solution to the wastewater issue will likely be comprehensive and region-wide, with variations in each town.

“Every town is different. For some areas, it may involve some new wastewater infrastructure; it may also involve a small package plant like what they have at Old Silver Beach which serves a couple hundred homes, for some it may be transitioning over to alternative septic systems that can remove nitrogen. The state has provided funding to create a comprehensive plan which will look at all the different options and what works best in each area,” he said.

Falmouth, in particular, has been investigating alternative solutions, such as eco-toilets.

“That could be one part of a much more comprehensive solution but it's probably going to involve a lot of different steps,” Hancock said.

In 2011, the coalition filed a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency for not fulfilling its obligation to oversee an Areawide Water Quality Management Plan for Cape Cod.

“That type of areawide plan is something that is required under the Clean Water Act and it hasn't been updated since 1978. Our lawsuit was saying it is an important step toward finding a wastewater solution, so we're very excited to see that process get underway,” he said.

Hancock said the public can help by supporting the coalition's mission.

“One of the best things people can do is to get involved in their community to support initiatives toward clean water,” he said. “It's really about the community working together and voting for clean water.”

The coalition conducts extensive water testing on a regular basis.

“All the work we do is based on a solid foundation of science. For over 20 years we have been collecting water quality data at over 200 stations across Buzzards Bay,” Hancock said.

“We can look at different harbors and coves and tell whether they are in good or fair health or whether they are eutrophic, meaning they are barely able to support life. That information allows us to really work in a town-by-town area so we can educate decision makers and turn that education into action.”