Resources

Cape Cod’s water resources:
Cape Cod Commission website on Water Resources. Posted at: https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/topic/water-resources/
The Cape Cod Rivers Observatory, an initiative of the Woods Hole Research Center. http://www.caperivers.org/about/

Economic value of the blue economy:
Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce website on economic value of Cape Cod’s tourism industry, at: http://www.whycapecod.org/stats.html

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project, Why It Matters to Massachusetts Economy, https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_013852.pdf

Cape Cod’s economy is a blue economy based on water https://www.bluecapecod.org/

Definitions:
Embayments: https://www.yourdictionary.com/embayment

Estuaries: NOAA https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/estuary.html

The Data

(in read-only spreadsheets by source)
Embayments:

  • Ponds from Cape Cod Commission and University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and Technology (SMAST).

Watersheds:
Cape Cod Commission watershed reports. Posted at:  https://capecodcommission.org/our-work/208-plan-implementation/. Click on an individual watershed to get the report for that watershed.

Nutrient pollution:
Cape Cod Commission. 2015. Cape Cod Areawide 208 Water Quality Management Plan. Posted at: https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/208/

Massachusetts Estuaries Project. See state website at:
https://www.mass.gov/guides/the-massachusetts-estuaries-project-and-reports and

Massachusetts Estuaries Project. See University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and Technology (SMAST) website at: http://www.smast.umassd.edu/Coastal/research/estuaries/estuaries.html

Cape Cod Commission, Ponds and Lakes website at: https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/ponds-and-lakes/

Beach water quality monitoring:
Barnstable County webpage on bathing beach water quality at https://www.barnstablecountyhealth.org/health-topics/recreational-water-quality

Shellfish water quality monitoring:
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries webpage on shellfish sanitation and management, at: https://www.mass.gov/shellfish-sanitation-and-management

Cyanobacteria monitoring on Cape Cod:
Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Cyanobacteria monitoring program webpage at: https://www.apcc.org/cyano/index.html

Mercury in ponds and lakes:
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/08/pe/hgtrend.pdf

https://www.mass.gov/info-details/eating-fish-safely-in-massachusetts

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/mercury-guide

https://capecodchronicle.com/en/5428/harwich/4677/Mercury-Contamination-Found-In-Freshwater-Fish;-White-And-Mill-Ponds-In-Harwich-Impacted-Health-Environment.htm

Emerging contaminants and pharmaceutical compounds in Cape Cod’s waters:
Silent Spring Institute website at https://silentspring.org/news/contaminants-pervasive-cape-cods-drinking-water-supply/faqs-emerging-contaminants-cape-cod

Center for Coastal Studies webpage on pharmaceuticals in marine waters, at: https://coastalstudies.org/cape-cod-bay-monitoring-program/monitoring-projects/contaminants-of-emerging-concern/pharmaceuticals-in-the-waters-of-cape-cod-bay-and-nantucket-sound/

PFAS:
EPA website on PFAS, at: https://www.epa.gov/pfas

Massachusetts website on PFAS, at: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas

Buzzards Bay Eutrophic Index for evaluating coastal eutrophication:
Costa, J. E., B. L. Howes, A. Giblin, and I. Valiela. 1992. Monitoring Nitrogen and indicators of nitrogen to support management action in Buzzards Bay, p. 497-529. In McKenzie et al.(eds) Ecological Indicators, Elsevier, London.

Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program webpage on the Buzzards Bay Eutrophic Index, at http://buzzardsbay.org/technical-data/status-trends/citizen-wq-monitoring/eutroindex/

Gunn, E., D.S. Janik and J.E. Costa. 1994. Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for the Buzzards Bay Project. https://buzzardsbay.org/download/qappcitz1994.pdf

Buzzards Bay Coalition website on Bay Health Index, at: https://www.savebuzzardsbay.org/bay-health/

Center for Coastal Studies website on water quality monitoring program, at: https://coastalstudies.org/cape-cod-bay-monitoring-program/

Carlson Trophic Index for evaluating freshwater ponds and lakes:
Carlson, R.E. and J. Simpson. 1996. A Coordinator’s Guide to Volunteer Lake Monitoring Methods. North American Lake Management Society. 96 pp. Posted at:
https://www.nalms.org/secchidipin/monitoring-methods/trophic-state-equations/

Carlson, R.E. 1977. A trophic state index for lakes. Limnology and Oceanography Vol. 22, pp. 361-369. Posted at: https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.4319/lo.1977.22.2.0361

Grading drinking water:
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). 2003. What’s on Tap: Grading Drinking Water in U.S. Cities. Posted at: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/whatsontap.pdf

Pond water quality (PALS Program):
Cape Cod Commission website on the PALS program, at: https://www.capecodcommission.org/our-work/ponds-and-lakes/