BUZZARDS BAY WATERSHED – LAKE SEGMENT ASSESSMENTS A total of 173 lakes, ponds or impoundments (the term "lakes" will hereafter be used to include all) have been identified and assigned Pond And Lake Information System (PALIS) code numbers in the Buzzards Bay Watershed (Ackerman 1989 and MA DEP 2002d). One hundred forty-three (143) of the lakes are less than 50 acres in total surface area; three are 50 acres; ten are between 50 and 100 acres; ten are between 100 and 200 acres; five are between 200 and 500 acres; and two are 500- 700 acres in total surface area. The total surface area of the Buzzards Bay Watershed lakes is 7,106 acres. This report presents information on 69 of the Buzzards Bay Watershed lakes that are listed in the WBS database. The remaining 103 lakes, which total 2,740 acres, are unassessed and are not currently included as segments in the WBS database. The 69 lakes assessed in this report represent 4,366 of the 7,106 acres, or 61%, of the total lake acreage in the Buzzards Bay Watershed. The majority of the lakes assessed in the Buzzards Bay Watershed are located within the three communities in the northeastern most portion of the watershed; Plymouth (29), Wareham (13), and Carver (12). Baseline lake surveys were conducted on seven of these lakes (TMDL sampling) in the summer of 2000 (Appendix A, Tables A2 and A3). Synoptic surveys were conducted by DWM at 64 of these lakes in 1995 (Appendix A, Table A1). (Two of the lakes were sampled in both 1995 and 2000.) Public boat launches are located on three of the assessed lakes: Big Sandy (MA95011), Long (MA95096), and Snipatuit (MA95137) Ponds. The launch at Long Pond is asphalt and is maintained by the Department of Environmental Management, Division of Forest and Parks. There are 50 parking spaces available at this site. MassWildlife maintains one gravel boat launch on Big Sandy Pond with six parking spaces. MassWildlife also maintains one concrete launch at Sniaptuit Pond where there are five parking spaces available (DFWELE 2002). The Department of Environmental Management, Lakes and Ponds Program works with local groups and municipalities to protect, manage, and restore these valuable aquatic resources. MA DEM provides grant funding and technical assistance to communities and citizen groups, helps to monitor water quality at various public beaches to ensure public safety, and provides educational materials to the public about various lake issues http://www.state.ma.us/dem/programs/lakepond/lakepond.htm. Four communities have received MA DEM Lakes and Pond Grants since 1999 as summarized below. The Town of Dartmouth and the Lake Noquochoke Association were awarded a MA DEM Lakes and Pond Grant in 1999 to prepare a lake and watershed management plan for Noquochoke Lake (Segments MA95113, MA95170, and MA95171). The project examined the ecological impacts of execssive eutrophication through a limnological investigation. The resulting plan recommended appropriate long-term remediation measures to restore the pond. The Town of Carver was also awarded a MA DEM Lakes and Pond Grant in 1999 to develop a master plan for septic system management in close proximity to Vaughn Pond (Segment MA951153). The project included locating septic systems and wells, conducting water quality analysis, developing the plan, and developing recommendations for mitigation of nutrient loading to the pond from septic systems and groundwater flow. The Town of Acushnet was awarded a MA DEM Lakes and Pond Grant in 2001 to develop a lake and watershed management plan for the New Bedford Reservoir (Segment MA95110). ENSR International was contracted by the Town of Acushnet to examine land use; conduct chemical sampling; conduct phytoplankton surveys; and examine the aquatic vascular plant communities (ENSR 2002). The Town of Dartmouth was awarded a 2001 MA DEM Lake and Pond Grant to control the spread of variable milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum) for the use of herbicides on Lake Noquochoke, which is adversely affecting recreational pursuits and the ecosystem of the pond. MA DEM manages the Myles Standish State Forest, the largest publicly owned recreation area in southeastern Massachusetts. The Forest contains 16 ponds (only five ponds listed in this report). Several Buzzards Bay Watershed Water Quality Assessment Report 234 95wqar.doc DWM CN 54.0 of the ponds are “ecologically significant coastal plain kettle ponds” (MA DEM Undated c). MA DEM collected bacteria data from five of the facility’s 16 ponds that have public bathing beaches. The Six Ponds Improvement Association monitors the water quality of Long, Little Long, Halfway, Round, Gallows and Bloody ponds in South Plymouth. Little Long, Long, and Halfway ponds (Segments MA95088, MA95096, and MA95178, respectively) are located in the Buzzards Bay Watershed. Surveys were conducted over the past six years using state certified laboratory analyses of 21 chemical parameters plus other objective observations and measurements. A temporally and spatially intensive survey program was begun in 2002 to document existing baseline conditions of these six ponds and to identify possible contaminant sources. Six Ponds Improvement Association is currently developing a Quality Assurance Project Plan. Moreover, the Six Ponds Improvement Association together with other community organizations is soliciting and organizing volunteers from other Plymouth ponds to assist in building a database of pond conditions throughout the town. As this information is gathered it will become available on the web site of the Plymouth Water Quality Task Force (www.plymouthwaterquality.org) (Russell 2003). The Nature Conservancy is beginning a program to monitor 12 coastal plain ponds in Plymouth, Carver, and Kingston under the Plymouth PondWatchers Program. Five of the 12 ponds, Darby, Halfway, Little Widgeon, Micajah, and Widgeon are in the Buzzards Bay Watershed. However, only Micajah Pond (MA95102) and Halfway Pond (MA95178) are currently designated as segments in the Water Body System. Sampling in 2002 occurred during the months of August, September, October, and November. Parameters measured included turbidity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, fecal coliform bacteria, total phosphorus, and nitrate-nitrogen. The Nature Conservancy applied to the Massachusetts Environmental Trust for an FY03 grant to continue their program. LAKE USE ASSESSMENTS Lake assessments are based on information gathered during DWM surveys (recent and historic) as well as pertinent information from other reliable sources (e.g., abutters, herbicide applicators, diagnostic/feasibility studies, MDPH, etc.). The 1995 DWM synoptic surveys focused on observations of water quality and quantity (e.g., water level, sedimentation, etc.), the presence of native and non-native aquatic plants (as well as distribution and areal cover), and presence/severity of algal blooms (Appendix A, Table A1). During 2000 more intensive in-lake sampling was conducted by DWM in eight lakes in the Buzzards Bay Watershed as part of the TMDL program. This sampling included in-lake measurements of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, Secchi disk transparency, nutrients, and chlorophyll a, and detailed macrophyte mapping (Appendix A, Tables A2 and A3). While these surveys provided additional information to assess the status of the designated uses, bacteria (fecal coliform, E. coli, or Enterococcus) data were not collected by DWM and, therefore, the Primary Contact Recreational Use was usually not assessed. Under the beaches bill public and semi-public beaches are required to conduct bacteria monitoring and report closure information to MDPH. Beach closure information provide by MDPH was used to assess the Primary and Secondary Contact Recreational Uses where applicable (MDPH 2002b). To determine the status of the Fish Consumption Use fish consumption advisory information was obtained from MDPH (MDPH 2002c). Although the Drinking Water Use was not assessed in this water quality assessment report, the Class A waters were identified. Information on drinking water source protection and finish water quality is available at http://www.state.ma.us/dep/brp/dws/dwshome.htm and from the Buzzards Bay Watershed’s public water suppliers. The use assessments and supporting information were entered into the EPA Water Body System database. Data on the presence of non-native plants from the 1995 DWM synoptic surveys, the 2000 DWM TMDL surveys, and other reliable sources were entered into the MA DEP DWM informal non-native plant-tracking database. Buzzards Bay Watershed Water Quality Assessment Report 235 95wqar.doc DWM CN 54.0 AQUATIC LIFE As part of the104 (b)(3) grant project (99-06/104) Lake Surveys for TMDL Development, DFWELE conducted fish population surveys in two of the eight TMDL lakes in the Buzzards Bay Watershed in 2000: Federal Pond, Carver (MA95055) and Parker Mills Pond, Wareham (MA95115). The objective of the project was to determine if a relationship existed between fish population parameters and macrophyte levels. Fish populations were surveyed using night boat-electroshocking, gill nettings, and beach seining. Aquatic vegetation sampling to estimate extent, density, and biovolume was also conducted. Statistical analysis showed no significant relationships between aquatic vegetation density/biovolume and fisheries parameters. However, given the small sample set, it is predicted that with additional data statistically significant relationships will become apparent. Additional sampling is recommended (Hartley 2003). Fish