Letter: Algae blooms caused by storm water runoff, are preventable

Posted 7/10/17

To the editor:

My children play around Melville pond regularly and have fished there several times. There is an elementary school just a few hundred feet up the hill. So I was concerned when I …

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Letter: Algae blooms caused by storm water runoff, are preventable

Posted

To the editor:

My children play around Melville pond regularly and have fished there several times. There is an elementary school just a few hundred feet up the hill. So I was concerned when I read (a story on eastbayri.com) last week, which said the following about the current algae bloom in the pond: “If you come into contact with the water, rinse your skin with clean water as soon as possible and, when you get home, take a shower and wash your clothes. Similarly, if your pet comes into contact with the water, immediately wash your pet with clean water.”

It is important for Portsmouth residents to understand that toxic algae blooms are not natural and can be mitigated, if not prevented. Algae blooms are caused by storm water runoff that is rich in nutrients from fertilized lawns, paved surfaces and farms. Storm water can be filtered and cleaned before it enters the freshwater system and eventually runs into the ocean, polluting our coastal waters. There are a wide range of measures that can be taken to help mitigate this problem — from inexpensive bio-retention areas (or rain gardens), to large-scale sand filters and constructed wetlands, and even man-made floating wetland habitats.

On a recent tour of storm water management projects taking place on Aquidneck Island, I visited the site of a new filtration system for the parking lot runoff at Second Beach and the Kempenaar Valley project, which filters storm water running into Easton’s Pond. The Aquidneck Island Planning Commission (AIPC) has secured grants from the EPA to undertake several new storm water management projects on the island as part of their Island Waters initiative. One of their goals is to protect the drinking water supply for Aquidneck Island, which includes​ ​St. Mary's Pond, but they have identified projects that aim at protecting coastal waters as well, including a system at Sandy Point Beach in Portsmouth.

I would like to see the Town of Portsmouth take an active role in the implementation of the storm water management projects identified by AIPC's Island Waters initiative, and lead the charge in identifying new projects and expanding the program to include other family-friendly locations, like McCorrie Point, Melville Pond and Teddy's Beach. 

Storm water management can protect our ponds, streams and ​beaches​ and ensure our waters are clean enough for our children go fishing and swimming any time.

Daniela Abbott

52 Ladeira Ave.

Portsmouth

letter, opinion

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