CONTACT | DONATE | EVENTS

Barnstable Clean Water Coalition
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • BCWC Board of Directors
    • BCWC Staff
    • Contact Us
  • EVENTS
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Educate
    • Monitor
    • Mitigate
    • Advocate
  • NEWS
  • GET INVOLVED
  • RESOURCES
    • BCWC Video Library
    • A Guide to Clean Water Living on Cape Cod
    • Native New England Garden
    • Cape Cod Water Quality Management Plan (208 Plan)
    • Affiliated Organizations
    • APCC’s Cyanobacteria Monitoring
    • Water Quality Information
    • Town of Barnstable Resources
  • DONATE
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • BCWC Board of Directors
    • BCWC Staff
    • Contact Us
  • EVENTS
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Educate
    • Monitor
    • Mitigate
    • Advocate
  • NEWS
  • GET INVOLVED
  • RESOURCES
    • BCWC Video Library
    • A Guide to Clean Water Living on Cape Cod
    • Native New England Garden
    • Cape Cod Water Quality Management Plan (208 Plan)
    • Affiliated Organizations
    • APCC’s Cyanobacteria Monitoring
    • Water Quality Information
    • Town of Barnstable Resources
  • DONATE
Homepage > Living Laboratory Cape Cod > Newsletter > Coalition Quarterly > Summer 2020 Newsletter > Summer Water Sampling

Summer Water Sampling

December 11, 2020 In Summer 2020 Newsletter
David Carter, a marine science major at University of Maine, sampling in the Marstons Mills cranberry bogs.

An important part of BCWC’s water quality monitoring is the collection of water samples from our ponds, streams and estuary. This summer, we are lucky to have David Carter on board to conduct weekly water sampling at several sites, including four ponds, one river and cranberry bogs.

The water sampling at the ponds involves collecting two different samples at pre-determined depths (one shallow and one deep) using a sampling pole. These samples are then tested to determine the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorous at each depth. David samples at four key sites — Long Pond, Bearse Pond, and Lake Wequaquet in Centerville, along with Shubael Pond in Marstons Mills. These ponds were chosen due to the annual recurrence of cyanobacteria blooms during the summer months. This sampling program began three years ago to record and follow the changes in the nutrient levels.

David also assists with streamflow monitoring and water sampling along the Marstons Mills River. Streamflow measurements and water samples are collected at ten different locations along the river. At each location, the depth, velocity, ion conductance, and temperature of the river are measured and recorded. In addition, water samples are collected at each location and analyzed for the total amounts of nitrate and organic nitrogen (TKN). This sampling is done weekly to monitor the flow of nitrogen down the river into the Three Bays estuary and to track seasonal changes with water flow.

Our newest water sampling program this summer is at the recently installed bioreactor in the Marstons Mills cranberry bog system. David is collecting weekly water samples at various points throughout the bioreactor. Sampling will continue over the next year to determine how the bioreactor works in varying seasonal conditions and whether levels of nitrogen are reduced in the water flowing through. Depending on the data, bioreactors can potentially be used in other ditches throughout this cranberry bog system and other bog locations on Cape Cod. Check out the Marstons Mills Cranberry Bog Restoration post for more information on the bioreactor project.

For more information about Cyanobacteria on Cape Cod, check out our video.

Coalition Quarterly Newsletter
Previous StoryA Note from the Helm
Next StoryProgress With Alternative Septic Systems

Barnstable Clean Water Coalition

  • Email
    info@BCleanWater.org
  • Phone
    508-420-0780
  • Address
    PO BOX 215
    864 Main Street
    Osterville, MA 02655

Recent Posts

  • Marstons Mills homes test nitrogen-removing septic wastewater system (6/3/22) Friday, 3, Jun
  • BCWC on the Front Page of today’s Boston Globe Wednesday, 18, May
  • Marstons Mills site of 1st national water quality study of its kind (5/18/22) Wednesday, 18, May
  • DesignWithNature-Cover
    Design with Nature on Cape Cod and the Islands Tuesday, 26, Apr
  • Podcast Urges Water Stewardship On Cape Cod (4/8/22) Friday, 8, Apr

Popular Posts

  • Coalition Quarterly – Issue 15 (Spring 2021) posted 12 months ago
  • Coalition Quarterly – Issue 17 (Fall 2021) posted 7 months ago
  • Resources for Upcoming Citizen Forums – Town of Barnstable Sewer Assessment Ordinance Presentation posted 1 year ago
  • Neighbors Take Action to Save Their Ponds posted 2 years ago
  • Welcome to the Living Laboratory: Come Learn with Us posted 2 years ago

Blog Post Tags

Algae BCWC Projects Books CAI Cape & Plymouth Business Media Cape Cod Groundwater Guardians Cape Cod Online Cape Cod Times Cape Cod Today Cape Media News Cape News Clean Water Mondays Clean Water Wednesdays Coalition Quarterly Cranberry Bogs Design With Nature DNSI EPA Harmful Algal Blooms I/A Septic System Technology MA Oyster Project Mashpee Enterprise Massachusetts Oyster Project MASSTC Michael Egan's Editorials News Newsletter New York Times One Drop Leads to Another PFAS Press Release Sea Level Rise South Coast Today The Barnstable Patriot The Boston Globe The Enterprise Bourne The Falmouth Enterprise The Inquirer and Mirror The Martha's Vineyard Times The Standard Times Three Bays Preservation Newsletter Watershed Action Alliance WBUR Wicked Local

Archives

  • DONATE
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAILS

Three Bays Preservation, Inc. dba Barnstable Clean Water Coalition is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. Federal Tax ID#:  04-3338308.

Copyright ©2019 Barnstable Clean Water Coalition, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy | Terms | Sitemap | Site Produced by Coastal Mountain Creative