Project Final Report Decreasing Phosphorus in Cranberry Waters by Implementation of Best Management Practices Project Number 12-02/319 Dates: 2012 – 2015 Grantee Carolyn DeMoranville University of Massachusetts Amherst 508-295-2212 x25 UMass Cranberry Station, One State Bog Rd., PO Box 569, E. Wareham, MA 02538 Malcolm M. Harper, MassDEP Project Manager 8 New Bond Street, Worcester MA 01606 508-767-2795 PREPARED FOR: MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BUREAU OF RESOURCE PROTECTION AND US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION 1 MASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS Matthew A. Beaton, Secretary DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION Martin Suuberg, Commissioner BUREAU OF WATER RESOURCES Douglas Fine, Assistant Commissioner DIVISION OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES Steven J. McCurdy, Director Decreasing Phosphorus in Cranberry Waters by Implementation of Best Management Practices Project Number 12-02/319 A. Project Snapshot A1. Project start date: July 16, 2012 A2. Date closed: June 30, 2015 A3. Basin and HUC 12 subwatershed location Buzzards Bay Basin, 4 bog locations: 1) White Island Pond AD Makepeace Bogs - Buzzards Bay Basin, HUC-12 Cape Cod Canal to Stony Point 010900020303 2) White Island Pond Federal Furnace Bogs - Buzzards Bay Basin, HUC-12 Cape Cod Canal to Stony Point 010900020303 3) Eagle Holt Bogs, Wareham - Buzzards Bay Basin, HUC-12 Sippican River 010900020301 4) Pierceville Bogs, W. Wareham - Buzzards Bay Basin, HUC-12 Weweantic River 010900020302 South Coastal Basin, 1 bog location Mayflower Bog, Duxbury - South Coastal Watershed, HUC-12 Standish Shore to Cordage 010900010105 Taunton Basin, bog location with filter bed Winebrook Bog, Halifax - Taunton Watershed, HUC-12 Satucket River 010900040101 A4. Segment and/or waterbody information: White Island Pond AD Makepeace Bog - White Island Pond (East Basin) MA95166 White Island Pond Federal Furnace Bogs - White Island Pond (East Basin) MA95166 Eagle Holt Bogs, Wareham - Blackmore Pond MA95015 Pierceville Bogs, W. Wareham - Weweantic River MA95-04 (upper reach), MA95-05 (lower reach) Mayflower Bog, Duxbury - Island Creek Pond MA94073 Winebrook Bog, Halifax - West Monponsett Pond MA62119 A5. Status of waterbody: White Island Pond (East Basin) MA95166 -- Category 4A (total P) Blackmore Pond MA95015 -- Category 3 Weweantic River MA95-04 (upper reach) -- Category 2, MA95-05 (lower reach) -- Category 5 Island Creek Pond MA94073 -- Category 4C West Monponsett Pond MA62119 -- Category 5 (total P) A6. Priority Pollutant(s) targeted: Phosphorus A7. Estimated Annual Pollutant removal - Phosphorus 554 pounds for the 5 bog sites (2014 data, harvest floods only) Buzzards Bay Watershed - 451 South Coastal Watershed - 103 2 Taunton Watershed: 0.45 pounds from the test run of the filter box Method of Determination and calculations: Bog sites - Total load of TP in harvest floods in 2014 was calculated by multiplying the TP concentration in those harvest floods as determined by sampling and analysis by the flood volume as determined by flow measurement (White Island sites) or estimated based on volume data from a study of harvest floods (C. Kennedy, unpublished data). For each location, a linear regression line was calculated for TP concentration in flood vs. number of years of implementation of P fertilizer reduction - that relationship was used to estimate the pre-reduction concentration of TP (year 1). Concentration was converted to load using flood volume data and assuming that flood volume was similar for each year within a site. TP removed was calculated as the difference between load in year 1 (begin P reduction protocol) and 2014. Filter box trial - Removal rate was determined to average 84% when comparing TP concentration in incoming water to that in water leaving the filter box (5 runs). Twenty percent of a harvest flood from the adjacent 2-acre cranberry bog (TP conc. = 0.208 mg/l; 1,376,000 L/ha volume) would contain a load of 0.286 kg P/ha. Removal of 84% of that load would equal 0.25 kg/ha removed. For the 2-acre bog that is 0.45 pounds. A8. BMPs installed, number and type: Reduction in applied phosphorus - five cranberry bog sites evaluated (practice has been widely adopted) Concrete Filter Box containing coarse sand - one 3 B. Descriptive Project Summary MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SECTION 319 NPS PROJECT 12-02/319 PROJECT TITLE: Decreasing Phosphorus in Cranberry Waters by Implementation of Best Management Practices NPS CATEGORY: Agriculture INVESTIGATOR: UMass Amherst LOCATION: Coastal: Buzzards Bay, Taunton, South Coastal, Cape Cod DESCRIPTION: Many inland water bodies in Southeastern Massachusetts watersheds are impaired due to enrichment of nutrients, and specifically phosphorus (P). Many ponds in the region are in categories 4 and 5, some have TMDLs and others are scheduled. An examination of aerial photographs of Southeastern Massachusetts illustrates the apparent hydrologic connection of many cranberry bogs to inland ponds. Cranberry production is a significant agricultural land use and economic driver in Southeastern Massachusetts; and when cranberry growing is associated with these ponds, BMPs that reduce P export become even more critical. The focus of this project will be the reduction of P output from cranberry lands in order to meet current and anticipated TMDLs and generally improve water quality. This project will have both implementation and demonstration tasks. Implementation activities with structural BMPs (filter beds with sand and sand plus amendments such as aluminum or iron) will be evaluated. P levels will be evaluated in White Island Pond during each summer of the project to determine effects of these implementations on the Pond. Implementation of non-structural BMPs will be evaluated at 10-12 cranberry bog sites (fertilizer reduction evaluation and evaluation of changes in flood management including characterization of volumes). The utility of several other experimental approaches will be investigated/evaluated in the lab and demonstrated in the field. Outreach activities will educate growers about their utility and show them how to implement BMPs on their farms, thus multiplying the impact of the work. PROJECT COST: $602,322 FUNDING: $327,121 by the US EPA $275,201 by the University of Massachusetts DURATION: 2012 – 2015 4 C. Project Finances Attachment B Budget Decreasing Phosphorus in Cranberry Waters by Implementation of Best Management Practices Project # 12-02/319 Expense Items s.319 Amount Non-Federal Match and Total Amount Source Figures in red are actual expenditures Salary Project Technician UMass, grade 11 step 7, $34,311/yr $118,499 $51,448 Salary (Annual increase at 3.5% included in salary, 36 mo., Fringe rate 35.39%) $44,417 $18,944 Project PI UMass, Assoc. Prof., $108,840/yr, 15% time Salary (Annual increase at 3.5% included in salary, 36 mo., Fringe rate 35.39%) TOTAL $162,916 $70,392 $233,308 $161,725 $69,718 $231,443 Subcontractual Services Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Assoc. [see itemized below] $29,700 UMASS Dartmouth Match UMass Dartmouth SMAST $84,806 $35,464 TOTAL $114,506 $35,464 $149,970 Materials and Supplies Half-pipe Filter $12,000 Zero valent iron for sand bed/filter berm 6 tons @$1,000/ton $6,000 Aluminum Oxide Block $2,000 Pipe fittings, connectors, perforated pipe $1,500 Geofabric for sand filter bed 300 ft roll, 15" wide, delivered $1,400 Iron oxide for pipe filter and other demonstration BMPs 5 tons $7,000 @$1000 Half pipe, pvc, geofabric, fittings for pipe/channel iron oxide filter $3,995 Sample collection materials, bottles $1,000 TOTAL $34,895 $34,895 $19,452 $19,452 Travel (for auto mileage only @ $.40 /mile) UMass Cranberry Station vehicles, approx. 200 miles/ month to $2,880 $2,880 visit sites and collect samples ($0.4 x 36 mo. x 200 miles) $1700 $1700 Other Indirect costs - limited to 10% $31,519 $62,360 (IC on salary NOTE: UMAmherst IC rate for federal projects is 58.5% MTDC in and subcontract first 7 mo. of year 1 and 59% for the remainder of the grant match) period, the difference between that and 10% is provided as $153,835 ($107,659) match; those rates are also applied to salary match and applied (waived indirect costs) as non-federal cost share. Report costs (printing, etc.) $216,195 included in indirect costs. $247,714 $170,019 TOTAL $29,738 $199,757 Totals $346,716 $322,051 $668,767 $327,121 $275,201 $602,322 51.8% (54.3%) 48.2% (45.7%) 100% The Department will retain 10% of the total maximum obligation of the 319 grant funds or the final invoice submitted by the Grantee, whichever is greater, until all contract provisions are satisfied and final reports and other products are delivered 5 and accepted. This 10% retainage shall be reflected on each invoice submitted by the Grantee and will be cumulative in the amount of $34,672 (10% of the contract amount). The Fair Share goals for the project are 4.65% MBE and 16.03%WBE on the total project dollars.* To comply with M/WBE participation goals it is anticipated that $31,097.67 for MBE and $107,203.35 for WBE will be expended. Itemized budget – Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association Subcontract: 319 funds non-federal Total project Salary/fringe B. Wick, Regulatory Director @$50/hr Liaison work/communication $10,750 Site selection $2,000 GIS mapping $4,000 Data collection and collating $4,500 Site visits $3,000 Workshops, plan/conduct $2,150 TOTAL salary/fringe $26,400 $26,400 Travel 1500 miles @ $0.40 $600 $600 Other Administrative costs @10% $2,700 $2,700 Grand total $29,700 $29,700 Itemized budget UMass Dartmouth subcontract 319 funds non-federal Total project Salary/fringe (partial FTEs over 3.5 years) B. Howes, PI $14,593 project oversight, reporting D. White $24,049 laboratory management, field collections advice D.Schlezinger $3,865 laboratory and field technical assistance 2 Technical assistants $29,589 Laboratory analyses TOTAL salary/fringe $72,096 $72,096 Supplies field collections and laboratory analyses $5,000 $5,000 Other Administrative costs @10% $7,710 Administrative costs, difference to 56% std.