This week marks the beginning of APCC’s cyano bacteria sampling season. APCC will again be sampling ponds in all 15 towns and posting results on our website map and notifying people who have signed up for our email alerts about blooms of concern. The cyano program is part of APCC’s larger initiative to draw attention to the preservation of pond health.
The second year of our board water quality testing program under contract to the Cape Cod Commission is well underway. Through these two complementary sampling programs, we are expanding our understanding of baseline conditions and the threats to pond water quality.
While most towns are making great progress toward management of the nutrient loading that is degrading estuaries, ponds are lagging in both priority and management approaches. The APCC sampling programs are helping to address the knowledge base gaps and increasing the awareness needed to create the local political support for freshwater remediation. While those things take time, there are things individuals can do to change yard care practices to those that work with, instead of against, nature. APCC has lots of great information that empower homeowners to take actions that support better water quality.
As always, local political engagement is critical. Make clean water an issue that gets talked about in elections and at municipal board meetings. Our town governments remain small enough to be responsive to the will of the people who are willing to step forward and identify priority issues. Make pond water quality a priority in your town.
