United States . Office of Office of
Environmental Research and Water
Protection Agency Development
EPA/822/F-97/004April 1997
&EPA Waquoit Bay
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The watershed consists of freshwater streams and
ponds, saltwater ponds and marshes, pine and oak
forests, barrier .beaches and open estuarine waters.
What is an eco9ogicaS risk assessment?
n ecological risk assessment evaluates the
potential.adverse effects of human activities on
tthe plants and animals that make up ecosystems.
The risk assessment ^process provides a way to develop,
organize and present scientific information so that it is
relevant to environmental decisions. When conducted
for a particular place such as a watershed, the ecologi-
cal risk assessment process can be used to identify
vulnerable and valued resources, prioritize data collec-
tion activities, and link human activities with their
potential effects. Risk assessments provide a focal
point for cooperation among local communities and
state and federal government agencies, and a basis for
comparing different management options.
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Why is Waquoit Bay special?
aquoit Bay is a shallow Cape Cod estuary fed
by grpundwater and freshwater streams.
Because the Bay is close to the mixing zone
between the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and
the colder waters of the Labrador Current, many
important fish species are found in the Bay. Alewives,
bluefish, striped bass, winter flounder, menhaden,
and tautogs all reside in the Bay for at least part of
the year. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has
designated Waquoit Bay as
an Area of Critical Environ-
mental Concern. The Bay
has also been designated as
a National Estuarine
Research Reserve. These
designations help reduce
existing and future human
disturbances to the Bay's
watershed. Federal, state
and local resource agencies, various regional and
local citizen interest groups, and academic organiza-
tions, are worMng, together to preserve and restore
the quality of the Waquoit Bay estuary and its
associated freshwater ponds and rivers.
Cape Cod,
Massachusetts
with the Waquoit
Bay area high-
lighted. The
Waquoit Bay
watershed covers
53km? (21m2)
on the south
shore of
Cape Cod.
Many Federally-protected birds, such as the Least Tern (pictured here)
nest or forage along Washbyrn Island in Waquoit Bay.
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How can this valuable resource be protected?
a he waters of Waquoit Bay and its associated rivers
and ponds show signs of degradation such as
eutrophication, habitat
loss and resource depletion.
Stressors in the Waquoit Bay
watershed result from land
use practices along the coast
and from upland areas. This
ecological risk assessment
will analyze the stressors
and resulting ecological
effects in the Waquoit Bay
watershed. The assessment
Key stressors under
evaluation are?
nutrient enrichaient.....
(nitrogen loading)*'
suspended sediments
changes in water
flow patterns
inputs of toxic
chemicals
1 physical .alterations
of habitat? •,"'"*",''
j }< -? i* t \ ? it*
-
promotes community
awareness of ecological
problems in the watershed
and will provide information
to resource managers, including government officials,
organizations and the public so they can make more
ecologically informed decisions. These activities
promote environmentally beneficial results.
IHiow is the ecological risk assessment being done?
Interested organizations collectively developed a
management goal and a scientific study approach.
Because many of the ecological effects observed
in the Waquoit Bay watershed are related to loss of
the once extensive eelgrass beds, the risk assessment
research will focus on the causes of this loss, and ways
to halt or reverse it. Relationships between nutrient
enrichment and eelgrass loss are being analyzed. This
will provide information to estimate risks associated
with la.nd-ujse decisions. A report describing the
management goals for the Waquoit Bay watershed and
the analysis plan for the assessment will be available
upon completion of the analysis described above.
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Eelgrass beds, once
extensive in Waquoit Bay
are home to numerous
fish, shellfish and other
invertebrates. Eelgrass
is highly susceptible to
water quality conditions,
requiring clear water that
allows light to penetrate
for photosynthesis.
How will the results be used?
I he Waquoit Bay Ecological Risk Assessment will
help resource managers predict how changes
in land use and human activity in the watershed
will impact eelgrass growth. This will enable resource
managers to make decisions based on more informa-
tion. This project is co-sponsored by the USEPA's
Office of Water and Office of Research and Development
as an effort to bring the science of risk assessment
into the local community decision-making process.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency thanks the following
for their participation in this case study:
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR)
Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod
Cape Cod Commission
-- Citizens for the Protection of Waquoit Bay
Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
National Marine Fisheries Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
US Fish arid Wildlife Service
Waquoit Bay Watershed Intermunicipal Committee
US Geological Survey
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Buzzards Bay Project
Town of Mashpee
Town of Falmouth
For more information, please contact
Patti Tyler
US EPA - Region I
,_,- 60 Westview Street
Lexington, MA 02173
(617) 860-4342
Maggie Geist
Waquoit Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve
EO. Box 3092
Waquoit, MA 02536
(508) 457-0495 x!03
COVER PHOTO: WBMERR
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