Eastbayri.com

A report that is expected to focus on nitrogen overloading in the Westport River and its tributaries is due to be released shortly.

 The Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP) report for the Westport River watershed will be made available on the MEP website: http://www.oceanscience.net/estuaries/.

Additionally, on March 8, there will be a public presentation of the report results given by the Dr. Brian Howes, MEP project director at UMass Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST). This presentation will be from 7-9 p.m. at the Alice Macomber Primary School, 154 Gifford Road, Westport.

Preliminary results of the study show that the Westport River is experiencing a level of nitrogen pollution that is threatening the health of the river and its ecosystem, says Betsy White, Westport River Watershed Alliance advocacy director.

“This is important information because the river is a critical component of not only the town of Westport, but of the region as well. As the river lives, so does the culture, economy, ecology, history, and community of Westport,” she said.

The river’s health affects even those who seldom fish, boat or swim there. The waters, marshes, and wetlands of the iver provide sediment and flood control, water filtration, tourism, commercial fishing, recreation, economic and education opportunities, ecological diversity, and esthetic value.

The report is the result of a collaborative effort between many groups, principally UMass Dartmouth and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). This project was developed to help guide towns in their assessment and management of their coastal rivers and bays, which is required by the federal Clean Water Act.

 For most of its existence, the river has been able to deal with the amount of nitrogen entering its waters while experiencing few negative impacts, Ms. White said. “Unfortunately, this is no longer true. The loss of eelgrass from areas of the river where it was once healthy is a key indicator of declining water quality, as are the summer algal blooms and periodic fish kills.”

 It will next be up to the town to determine how best to restore the river to healthy conditions, the Watershed Alliance said.

“The involvement of the community, through support, participation, interest, and awareness will go a long way towards achieving solutions to the pollution. Our efforts will benefit not only the river and its watershed, but the residents and visitors of this area as well.

 There will be numerous opportunities in the coming months to learn about and/or get involved in the nutrient management planning process. The Westport Estuaries Project Committee has been working on behalf of the town to monitor and assist in the project as it progresses, and will speak about some of the initiatives that are being discussed to address nitrogen management in the watershed.