WELLFLEET – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested $42.5 million dollars to help improve and preserve water quality on Cape Cod.
USDA public affairs officer Diane Petit said 21 different projects restoring or protecting water quality will benefit from the funds provided through the Watershed
“Water resources are so important to the area. Salt marshes that everybody enjoys the view of, shellfish that people enjoy eating when they visit the Cape or live on the Cape, and then of course the anadromous fish runs,” said Petit.
She added that the chosen projects are based on needs expressed by the local community.
“It’s really the local priorities that have been communicated to us. This is not just the USDA determining what needs to be done, but the people on the ground that live and work on Cape Cod that have identified the need for these projects.”
The Cape Cod Conservation District, Barnstable County Commissioners, and Cape towns helped identify sites in need of funding.
One of the projects benefiting from the funds is the herring river salt marsh restoration, which is eligible for up to $29 million dollars.
The project will restore a tidal flow area of over 800 acres of salt marsh by replacing existing culverts with a bridge, as well as installing other required infrastructure.
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