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Environmental Management of the Coonamessett River and Preservation of Its Legacy of Cranberry Farming

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Environmental Management of the Coonamessett River and Preservation of Its Legacy of Cranberry Farming Environmental Management of the Coonamessett River and Preservation of its Legacy of Cranberry Farming Produced for the Falmouth Bog Preservation Group Produced by Woods Hole Group 81 Technology Park Drive East Falmouth, MA 02536 (508) 540 8080 November 2003 Environmental Management of the Coonamessett River and Preservation of its Legacy of Cranberry Farming EXECUTIVE SUMMARY There are significant cultural and social reasons to retain cranberry farming in the Coonamessett River. The Coonamessett River bogs are the site of a 110-year old working landscape. They connect Falmouth to its agricultural heritage and the diversity of peoples who farmed them and built this town. The bog farming and the river have coexisted for more than a century. Cranberry harvesting brings significant income to the Town of Falmouth through leases and licenses, attracts tourists and townsfolk at harvest time, and is becoming more and more environmentally conscientious. This income generation has exceeded $1 million since 1982, far exceeding the original cost of the land to the Town of Falmouth. Modern cranberry farming is a part of the mosaic of traditional land uses that make Falmouth so attractive. The issue at hand is the evaluation of the environmental risks posed by cranberry farming in light of a plan to restore the Coonamessett River. Restoration of Falmouth’s Coonamessett River can be accomplished without eliminating the agricultural heritage of cranberry farming, but rather can go hand-in-hand with this activity. As with most environmental issues, there may be different interpretations of the impact of cranberry harvesting on the environment. This brief review lays out a scientifically supported series of arguments that demonstrate cranberry farming and river restoration can co-exist, and recommends a process for planning for such co-existence. Cranberry farmers are requesting an open, scientific discussion amongst the various stakeholders associated with this environmental issue, and development of a management paradigm that recognizes both the environmental demands of society, as well as its agricultural requirements. Specifically, this report makes the following recommendations: The Town of Falmouth should takes steps to develop a Management Plan for the Coonamessett watershed, including ongoing cranberry farming, through a process guaranteeing full stakeholder input and participation. The Town of Falmouth should implement the Coonamessett Watershed Management Plan, possibly using some of the funds from the lease/licensing of the Town bogs. This report was written as technical material to accompany Petition Articles #47 and #48 for the Fall Town of Falmouth Warrant. i Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................I 1.0 BACKGROUND................................................................................................... 1 1.1 NUTRIENTS..........................................................................................................2 1.2 PESTICIDES..........................................................................................................4 1.3 FISHERIES ............................................................................................................7 1.4 HABITAT VALUE................................................................................................9 1.5 PUBLIC ACCESS..................................................................................................9 1.6 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION...................................................................10 2.0 BENEFITS OF CONVENTIONAL CRANBERRY FARMING ON COONAMESSETT RIVER BOGS...................................................................... 11 3.0 ORGANIC CRANBERRY FARMING.............................................................. 11 4.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................................ 12 5.0 REFERENCES.................................................................................................... 14 List of Tables Table 1. Some pesticide breakdown rates ................................................................................... 6 List of Figures Figure 1. Cranberries ready for harvest....................................................................................... 1 Figure 2. Ducks Lower Bog looking north.................................................................................. 1 Figure 3. Schematic cross section of proposed berm .................................................................. 6 Figure 4. Existing berm ............................................................................................................... 7 Figure 5. Proposed berming plan................................................................................................. 7 Figure 6. Fish ladder leading to bogs ..........................................................................................8 Figure 7. Rose Pagonia (Pogonia ophioglossoides).................................................................... 9 Figure 8. Walking paths on the bogs......................................................................................... 10 Figure 9. Cranberry harvest....................................................................................................... 10 Figure 10. Artist at harvest time................................................................................................ 12 Figure 11. Harvested cranberries...............................................................................................13 ii 1.0 BACKGROUND Cranberry farming on low-lying glacial seepage features of the southern and western parts of Falmouth has long been a mainstay of the economy of this region. Cranberry culture and usage dates back thousands of years, as native Americans used cranberries extensively for various purposes: food, medicine, and decoration. Once the cranberry capital of the United States, cranberry farming remains a staple of the farming community in Falmouth. Still a significant income generator for the Town through a competitive land lease arrangement, the bogs maintain a stable work force as it has for generation upon generation. The attractive bogs are a familiar sight to the many tourists visiting Falmouth, and the colorful annual fall harvests are a tourist attraction in their own right. Figure 1. Cranberries ready for harvest Recently a decision to remove up to 114 acres of town-owned land along the Coonamessett River out of conventional cranberry cultivation was recommended by Town Meeting and adopted by the Town Selectmen. The decision was made on the basis of a issues raised about cranberry farming. Those issues are the environmental concerns associated with export of nutrients and pesticides to the Coonamessett River, and secondly the idea that public access to the bogs and educational opportunities therein are restricted. These issues have not been adequately addressed in a democratic public forum, as the public was not adequately informed prior to decisions taken at last year’s Town Meeting. In order to come to a decision on whether to extend the lease of this land to commercial cranberry growers, the Town should review these issues with a critical eye on the facts. Then the Town can decide whether and how to preserve its commitment to agriculture in general, and the cranberry industry in particular, while promoting environmental quality. Figure 2. Ducks Lower Bog looking north This report identifies key issues associated with cranberry farming that the Town should consider when deciding how best to proceed with use of the Town bogs. These are issues that have been raised to support cessation of leasing land for cranberry cultivation. However, this report presents a balanced perspective, including methods for keeping the bogs active while protecting the environment, promoting public education, and allowing public access to town-owned land. The key issues discussed in this report include: 1 • Nutrients • Pesticides • Fisheries • Habitat Value • Public Access • Environmental Education The benefits associated with conventional cranberry farming are presented with additional information about organic farming techniques. This information could be of great value as the basis for future responsible management decisions by the Town. 1.1 NUTRIENTS The use of fertilizers on the town-owned cranberry bogs has been cited as a source of nutrients to the Coonamessett River and Great Pond. Nutrient loading, when excessive, can cause eutrophication, symptoms of which can include reduction in oxygen levels in the water column, excessive growth of algae, reduction in species composition, and maybe a loss of eelgrass and other beneficial fish habitat. Many of the coastal ponds and enclosed embayments in Falmouth are undergoing eutrophication. The major cause of eutrophication in the Coonamessett River and Great Pond is not cranberry cultivation. A thorough study of the Great Pond watershed (Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee, 2001) shows that the bogs contribute less than 2% of the total nitrogen load to the pond. Rather, loadings to the watershed at buildout will be 50% from septic, 16% from home lawns, 28% from atmospheric deposition, 3% from golf courses, 2% from the Ashumet plume and just 1% from the cranberry bogs (Water Quality Assessment, Conclusions, and Program Options, Report of the Ashumet Plume Citizens Committee Oct. 27,2000). Cranberries are fertilized only
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