Commission Proposes Regional Approach To Protecting Ponds

When it comes to protecting the health of the Cape’s 890 ponds and lakes, there are lots of organizations and entities with a toe in the water. The Cape Cod Commission is hoping to make a splash with a plan for a coordinated approach to freshwater protection efforts, with consistent rules and resources available across town lines.

 Last month, the regional land use planning agency released its final Freshwater Strategy, leveraging years of research, data analysis and stakeholder engagement to fight the factors that threaten Cape Cod ponds. And experts say those threats are many.

 Nutrient pollution is at the top of the list, with nitrogen and phosphorus coming to ponds through the groundwater, caused by residential septic systems and stormwater runoff. But there are other pollutants, like pesticides, toxic metals and chemicals like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that harm water quality and can impact marine life. Algae blooms can cause toxins that harm people, pets and wildlife, and erosion can cause a buildup of sediment that can reduce water quality. Ponds are also threatened by invasive and nuisance species, and many of these threats are also worsened by climate change, which has led to increased air and water temperatures, more intense rainstorms and prolonged droughts.

 Protecting ponds has an ecological benefit as well as an economic one, with studies showing that clean ponds attract visitors and residents. An analysis of the local and regional economic impacts of ponds showed that homeowners and visitors are willing to pay a premium to live or rent near clean, healthy ponds, the study found.

 “Cape Cod’s ponds and lakes are a fundamental element of the region’s identity,” Cape Cod Commission Executive Director Kristy Senatori said. “The Freshwater Strategy defines key regional and impactful recommendations to ensure these water resources are prioritized and protected for future generations.”

 The document was drafted following a series of stakeholder meetings that helped identify major concerns and potential actions that could address them, based on sub-regional parts of the Cape’s aquifer. On the Lower Cape, the meeting for the Monomoy groundwater lens last June included representatives of the towns of Brewster, Harwich, Orleans and Chatham, as well as the Harwich Conservation Trust, Orleans Pond Coalition, Great Sand Lakes Association, Hinckleys Pond Association, Pleasant Bay Alliance, Brewster Ponds Coalition and Watershed Association of South Harwich, along with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. The Friends of Chatham Waterways has also participated in the process.

 The report includes 13 key recommendations, starting with the need to maintain and expand funding for a regional pond monitoring program, looking for gaps in the data while also expanding regional laboratory capacity to handle the influx of water samples. The Freshwater Strategy also calls for development of a regional funding program to help pay for towns’ pond and lake management projects, acknowledging that towns have limited staff to lead those projects. The plan recommends a regional approach to improve access to state and federal grant funds, which often aren’t pursued by towns because of staff time limitations.

 While prioritizing certain ponds for action, the strategy calls for the development of model wetland bylaws and orders of conditions to help town conservation commissions uniformly enforce protections around their ponds. In addition to working to limit harmful development around ponds, the strategy recommends streamlining wetlands permitting for helpful pond restoration projects, which are often mired in confusing regulations and overlapping jurisdictions. Under the commission’s plan, towns would also be encouraged to include freshwater ponds in their town water resource planning efforts, just as they do to protect saltwater embayments and estuaries.

 Finally, the Freshwater Strategy recommends improving consistent communication and outreach to pond users, fostering an appreciation and respect for Cape Cod’s ponds.

 Available to view online at www.capecodcommission.org/freshwater, the Freshwater Strategy includes a wealth of data the public can use to learn about ponds in their own neighborhoods, including The Cape Cod Water Quality Data Portal, a map-based viewer that allows users to explore freshwater and marine water quality data and trends; and the Pond Restoration Projects Viewer, an online tool showing pond-specific challenges, strategies, results and lessons learned to inform further action across Cape Cod ponds.

 “Cape Cod’s ponds and lakes are in jeopardy,” the study’s executive summary reads. “The Freshwater Initiative provided the opportunity for a dedicated planning process to better understand the challenges ponds face and identify impactful solutions. The Freshwater Strategy equips local and regional stakeholders with the data, information and resources necessary to take action to protect and restore these essential water resources.”