WEST BARNSTABLE – The Cape Cod Commission recently presented a plan for improving pond water quality at a meeting of the Barnstable County Commissioners.
The proposal was outlined in three distinct phases, all designed to better the environmental health of the 996 freshwater ponds and lakes in the region.
In addition to improving water quality, the plan is also designed to assist in the update of the Ponds and Lakes Atlas.
“Really what that’s doing is helping us to set the baseline of data and information about pond water quality in the region, which would really help us to initiate the larger freshwater study that needs to happen,” explained Executive Director Kristy Senatori.
Phase 1 of the plan includes remote sensing for current pond water quality, data management and analysis to get a read on trends, the identification of potential causes of water quality degradation, and the update to the atlas.
Phase 2 focuses on the development of strategies to combat the hazards to the environmental health of these bodies of water, such as community engagement and legal review of laws related to the water.
Finally, Phase 3 focuses on the management and monitoring of water problems going forward.
About Maura MacDonald
