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Home My Public Portal AboutComprehensive Water Planning -- 2013-02-07 Minutes \\\\‘‘""1""1"""//// U//iii/,ii Town of Brewster Comprehensive Water .,\ - 2198 Main Street Planning Committee 3 _ > Brewster, Massachusetts """ i y z = y� 02631-1898 _ BREWSTER TOWN CLERK (508) 896-3701 x1233 i/////m nn��°`��\\\ FAX (508) 896-8089 rrr��"II` '13 APR 9 10:23 ' Date Approved: 3-25-13 Vote:9-0 TOWN OF BREWSTER MINUTES OF COMPREHENSIVE WATER PLANNING COMMITTEE (CWPC) Extra Meeting Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 4:30 pm Brewster Town Office Building Chairman Lem Skidmore convened the CWPC meeting at 4:30 pm in the Brewster Town Office Building with members, Pat Hughes, Russell Schell, Elizabeth Taylor, Dave Bennett, Dan Ryan, and Joanne Hughes present. Absent: Bruce Evans, John O'Reilly Also Present: Sue Leven, Chris Miller, Jim Gallagher, Ben DeRuyter Recording or Taping Notification The Chair read "As required by the Open Meeting Law we are informing you that the Town will be audio taping this public meeting. In addition, if anyone else intends to record this meeting they are required to inform the chair." AGENDA Supporting Documents: 1. Citizen Forum 020713_A Technical Review Memo from SMAST 2. Discuss Technical Review Memo from SMAST with Ed 020713_8 PowerPoint Presentation Eichner 3.Topics the Chair did not reasonably anticipate (1. Citizen Forum None 2. Discuss Technical Review Memo from SMAST with Ed Eichner Ed Eichner, Senior Water Scientist, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, School of Marine Science and Technology, Coastal Systems Group was present to review the technical review memo of January 16, 2013. Subject: Mill Ponds Complex Data Project. Eichner gave a summary of the technical memo via a PowerPoint presentation. *Please reference the handout. The focus of the memo was on Walker's Pond, Upper Mill Pond, and Lower Mill Pond. CWPC 2-7-13.docx Page 1 of 4 Committee Comments/Questions: Miller asked if Eichner measured both outputs at the dam. Eichner explained they measured the flow. A Woods Hole Group determined the same results from their measurements. Bennett asked about the migration of the herring affecting the phosphorus numbers. Phosphorus loss related - to mortality of fish? Eichner explained they reviewed the herring data. He did not have an answer. Schell asked about a burst of algae significantly increasing total phosphorus. Eichner confirmed it does. Topic - Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations Hughes, J asked do you blame blue green algae for problem in July at Walker's Pond. Yes, algae (dissolved oxygen concentrations.) They asked about the toxic bloom in Walkers' Pond in August. Macrophytes - Submerged aquatic vegetation. Miller asked if you would see fish kill. Eichner explained further. Fish can find refuge. Fish kill happens when the dissolved oxygen gets all the way to the top. Maybe more at Lower Mill Pond DeRuyter asked what contributes to the sub standard oxygen. Eichner stated it comes from the sediments. He explained the process. Hughes, J - phosphate feed the phytoplankton. Eichner, it is a nasty cycle. Topic - Chlorophyll Eichner explained the peaks are extremely high. (Lower Mill Pond) Skidmore stated there is a lot of variability. Eichner confirmed. Important to bring all the information together. Hughes, P asked if this is includes readings every fifteen minutes. Eichner, yes. Schell asked about triggering much larger diurnal change (green with red?) Eichner explained it is not necessarily diurnal. Might be number of days stacked together. Hughes, P asked if we looked at diurnal evaluation, would that give more information on the release of oxygen from the sediments. Is there are a value to having diurnal information? Eichner explained there are many different levels to consider. Probably not. Look at the various pools of phosphorus and how they are related. (Ponds) Topic - Storm water nutrient inputs They talked to Phase II consultant, HWG. Bennett, runoff or retention capacity? Catch basin clogged. Eichner explained there is a lot going on. (leaf cover, amount of rain, big storms, other factors) Miller agreed. Schell stated that Walker's is the input of the boat ramp. Eichner confirmed. Hughes, P asked if this is over land flow. Eichner confirmed. Outstanding - at this time, bird loads. Three ponds in the area have completed bird counts. They might be able to come up with a bird estimate by talking to people that live on the ponds. In Dennis, big population on Scargo Lake. Schell looked at phosphorus input, oxygen concentration, large source from sediments or not? Eichner has not looked at it in great detail. Taylor asked if next time you do a graph please use three different colors. Re: storm water run offs - Have the beach associations been included in discussions? There might be some easy fixes. Eichner, this is related to cost benefit. You might get more "bang" for your buck tackling other issues. CWPC 2-7-13.docx Page 2 of 4 Taylor continued this is private property and major contributor. Taylor asked if we have done surveys of properties around the ponds regarding vegetated buffers. Eichner explained we do not about the septic systems. Lawns and buffers have not been looked at. Leven suggested Google Earth Bennett referenced the first slide with the aerial photograph. In Phase I there is very little population on Walker's Pond. Did we assume phosphorus damage to be manmade? If you do phosphorus budget there is a large amount being generated by the sediments. Eichner, Yes. No matter how strict we get with septic systems, something else is going on to create this large amount of phosphorus. (mills, farms, herring, etc.) Is this a reasonable thing to speculate on? Eichner, next steps, look at the history of development in this area. Then look at the existing development. Compare the phosphorus loads. See how this balances out compared to the measurements. Bennett, alum or aeration treatment? Eichner, possibly. No dredging. Facilitating inter connections? They discussed treatments and the herring run further. Taylor asked about aeration and solar bees. Eichner stated solar bees are being used in Mashpee. The data does not indicate much difference. Barnstable pond had aeration system put in and had some impact. Taylor, storm water charts. Phosphorus into Lower Mill. What percentage is that of the overall phosphorus? Eichner had no answer. He would have to go back and find out. Schell, earlier slide, person leaning over to take sample, location? Eichner, pipe from the bog. Schell, graph, small flows through the pipe. What about heavy rainfall with Elbow pond? Possible source of phosphorus to Walker's Pond. Eichner took monthly measurements from the pipe. This is actual measured flow. It was not measured after a large rain storm. After the beginning of July sample there was no flow. The committee discussed the graph further. Schell was concerned about high pond water after a large rain storm going through the bog and conduit into Walker's Pond. (Source of phosphorus into Walker's Pond). Eichner explained the data does not show any significant transfer. Not a significant source. Schell, DEP Engineer, Mark Mattson, authored Generic GIR. He seeks assistance in obtaining post storm samples from that pipe. Eichner stated DEP is going after cranberry bogs. Eichner and Schell continued to discuss the three ponds. Upper, Lower, and Walker's Pond. The committee discussed TMDL's. Eichner explained pond TMDL's. Targeted sediment source. How do you obtain the target? Hughes, P summarized. The committee funded data collection. Eichner has done some analysis. She feels they need more analysis and a draft management strategy to include key issues. She also suggested additional field analysis. i.e. Macrophytes in Mill ponds. Skidmore agreed but not tonight. Hughes, J asked about cranberry bogs. Cranberries are harvested in late fall. Water is washed back into the ponds depending on the bog. Hughes, J confirmed there would be an exchange of nutrients. Did this affect the results? The committee discussed cranberry bogs further. Eichner said it was possible. Schell and Eichner discussed surface water and ground water. Elbow pond is lower. Schell stated he is talking about surface water. Schell asked for best management practices feasible for phosphorus control. Eichner explained this is the next step. Look at the data and compare options. Skidmore asked the committee to stay on scope. Miller explained the 604 b State grant opportunity. The proposal is due next month. CWPC 2-7-13.docx Page 3 of 4 DeRuyter asked for clarification of the cranberry bog location. Schell stated the source is the large bog adjacent. Ryan asked if Eichner is familiar with a bog flowing into a pond. Bog identified as primary culprit. Eichner stated it is not unique. He mentioned the white island pond in Plymouth, MA. He explained the project further to the committee. There are many factors to consider. They have a lot of experience with bogs. Miller explained they have not done sampling of the bogs. Bennett asked if Eichner found elevated phosphorus in the samplings. Eichner stated a lot of cranberry bogs don't have interactions during pond seasons. Have to think about how the bog is interacting with the pond for water quality. Schell asked about White Island Pond. Was the TMDL involving control measures from adjacent bogs? Eichner explained it was an agreement between the growers. Schell and Eichner continued to discuss. White Island Pond is moving forward with alum treatment. Hughes, J asked to put technical memo on the next agenda. 2-11-13. Discuss grant. Hughes, P asked for a pdf of the presentation. The committee thanked Ed Eichner for his presentation. 7. Topics the Chair did not reasonably anticipate None. Hughes, J made a Motion to adjourn, Bennett Second, All Aye, Vote 7-0. The meeting ended at 6:00 pm Next Meeting: 2/11/13 @ 4:30 pm Respectfully submitted, Alva Dave lrett, Clerk Kelly Mo re, Senipr a artment Assistant Planning CWPC 2-7-13.docx Page 4 of 4