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Coastal Resources & Estuaries
Water, Wastewater & Wetlands: Coastal Resources & Estuaries
About Estuaries
What Are Estuaries? Learn about estuaries, the problems facing them, and how you can help in the restoration process. Why Are Estuaries Important? The significance of estuaries for economic and ecological health - an educational page from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Massachusetts Regulations Relating to Estuaries 310 CMR 12, Coastal Wetlands Orders Back to Coastal Resources & Estuaries Index
Water, Wastewater & Wetlands: Coastal Resources & Estuaries
Project Reports
Estuaries and the Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP) Learn about estuaries, the problems facing them, and how you can help in the restoration process. Massachusetts Estuaries Project Report: Inter-municipal Watershed Planning and TMDL Implementation to Restore Embayment Water Quality on Cape Cod: Nitrogen TMDL Planning: Three Case Studies of Towns Sharing Coastal Watersheds This report incorporates watershed-based permitting strategies, innovative nitrogen reduction methods including nutrient trading, inter-community cooperation, and other MassDEP recommendations for reducing nutrient loads in coastal watersheds. Massachusetts Estuaries Project Interim Report on Site-Specific Nitrogen Thresholds for Southeastern Massachusetts Embayments: Critical Indicators Targeted Estuaries A reference map and chart of towns and watersheds where restoration efforts are ongoing. Follow the watershed links to draft and final TMDL Reports. Nitrogen Modeling to Support Watershed Management: Comparison of Approaches and Sensitivity Analysis Executive Summary: PDF 174 KB Cape Cod Comprehensive Regional Wastewater Management Strategy Development Project Available as a PDF from the Cape Cod Commission's Website. See under "Wastewater" on this Cape Cod Commission web page. Nitrogen Pollution and Wastewater Management for Estuary Restoration on Cape Cod Report from Three Bays Preservation group. The report, "Guidance Document for Understanding Nitrogen Pollution and Wastewater Management at Three Bays and Cape Cod," is available as a PDF from this website (see link on left-hand side): Report to Barnstable County on Planning, Administrative and Legal Tools to Improve Wastewater Management on Cape Cod Report from the Cape Cod Commission. Reports from the School for Marine Science & Technology at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (SMAST) SMAST is MassDEP's partner in the Estuaries Project. The following reports are hosted on the SMAST Web site. Natural Attenuation of Nitrogen in Wetlands and Waterbodies Study of over 200 peer-reviewed and other publications to determine the degree of nitrogen attenuation by various wetland types for reducing watershed nitrogen loads that contribute to estuarine eutrophication. Back to Coastal Resources & Estuaries Index Water, Wastewater & Wetlands: Coastal Resources & Estuaries
Restoration Guidance
Embayment Restoration and Guidance for Implementation Strategies Word version (no graphics): MS Word 687 KB MassDEP Guidelines on Multi-town Collaboration With the exception of Nantucket, every town in the MEP shares at least one estuary with one or more other towns. To restore the health of their estuaries, collaboration among all the towns in the watershed is important. Rebuilding Primary Coastal Dunes MassDEP's Guidance for Homeowners & Conservation Commissions Relative to Storm Emergency Certification, May 2007 MA Basic Building Code Revisions - May 2008 Revisions have been made to the 7th Edition of the State Basic Building Code that address the protection of coastal properties. Back to Coastal Resources & Estuaries Index Water, Wastewater & Wetlands: Coastal Resources & Estuaries
Related Links
Federal and State Agencies Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) CZM's mission is to ensure public enjoyment of coastal and marine resources while maintaining sound management of these areas. US EPA National Estuary Program page EPA's program for protecting the ecological health of estuaries nationwide. US EPA Nutrient Trading page Nutrient trading is an innovative strategy that allows facilities facing higher pollution control costs to meet their regulatory obligations by purchasing equivalent or superior pollution reductions from other sources at lower costs. US EPA Impaired Waters and Total Maximum Daily Loads page The federal Clean Water Act requires the development of priority rankings for addressing pollution levels in impaired waters so that they can meet water quality standards. A Total Maximum Daily Load is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still safely meet those standards. US EPA Watershed-Based NPDES Permitting page Watershed-based permitting can encompass a variety of activities within a drainage basin. The goal of this effort is to develop permits that better protect entire watersheds. University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, School for Marine Science and Technology The Technical Reports that present the results of analyses of nitrogen loading in MEP estuaries are written by UMass Dartmouth's School of Marine Science and Technology (SMAST). Regional Organizations Cape Cod Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) Educational and advocacy organization to promote policies and programs that foster the preservation of Cape Cod's natural resources. Barnstable County Wastewater Implementation Committee The Wastewater Implementation Committee serves as a regional forum on wastewater issues for Cape Cod towns. Cape Cod Commission Regional planning and regulatory agency for Cape Cod Cape Cod Commission documents of particular interest to the Massachusetts Estuaries Project: Cape Cod Comprehensive Regional Wastewater Management Strategy Development Project. June 2003. (Scroll down to "Wastewater".) Cape Cod Groundwater Guardian Team Support and connections for communities protecting their groundwater. Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) The Reserve protects the habitat and resources of this ecosystem, supports research, and provides information to the public and policy makers. Buzzards Bay Buzzards Bay Project Information on the Buzzards Bay watershed, water quality, pollution, and the environment. Coalition for Buzzards Bay Nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration, protection and sustainable use and enjoyment of Buzzards Bay and its watershed. Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) Regional planning agency for southeastern Massachusetts. |
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