Harwich Shellfish & Marine Water Quality Committee

Program Administration
Chairman	Paul Donovan	Staff:	0
Volunteer Trainers/Lab:	Tom Leach, Heinz Proft	Active Volunteers:	12
Volunteer Base:	SMWQC members, Skinequit Pond Association, Harwich High School Marine Lab Summer Program, CCCC science /technology interns	Active Volunteers:	12
Affiliated Program:	Phytoplankton Monitoring Program, Harwich Natural Resources Department, Harwich Health Department, Harwich Shellfish Laboratory	Year Founded:	1996

Sampling
Waterbodies	Type	# of Sites	Towns
Pleasant Bay; Allen, Saquatucket, Wychmere Harbors, Round Cove, Herring, Red Rivers, Muddy Creek	Estuary Marine	32 stations 15 active	Harwich
Skinequit Pond	Fresh Herring brook	3	So.Harwich
John Joseph, Bucks, Long Pond	Lake	5	Harwich
Sampling Season:	June-September
Frequency of Sampling:	once/2 weeks
Time of Sampling:	ebb-low
Reason for Time:	Characterize worst case bacteria or dissolved oxygen conditions

Data Management
Computer	PC (3 linked system)
Software:	Lotus 123, Excel
Data Entry/Analysis:	Harwich High School Marine Science Students
Data Products:	Standard statistical, analysis models, annual reports,, data posted on WWW

Quality Assurance
QAPP	Barnstable County Health Laboratory
Methods Manual:	Yes
Lab:	Barnstable County Health Laboratory
Volunteer Retraining:	Annually

Reasons for Sampling
Provide Harwich with baseline of nutrient levels and associated water quality. Develop and evaluate potential environmental management options for the shellfish areas estuaries and coastal ponds. Provide a view point of impacts of human and natural alterations of water quality. Propose management schemes for control and improvement. Create public awareness of human impacts on water quality. Highlight conditions of diminished water quality where it comes to shellfish habitat. Make recommendations for improvements to control, limit, eliminate threats to the environment.

Reasons for Sampling

Provide Harwich with baseline of nutrient levels and associated water quality.

Develop and evaluate potential environmental management options for the shellfish areas estuaries and coastal ponds.

Provide a view point of impacts of human and natural alterations of water quality.

Propose management schemes for control and improvement.

Create public awareness of human impacts on water quality.

Highlight conditions of diminished water quality where it comes to shellfish habitat.

Make recommendations for improvements to control, limit, eliminate threats to the environment.

Data Users
Data Users	Data Use
Mass Div.Marine Fisheries	Highlight scheduling shellfish and sanitary surveys to allow shellfish bed openings
Town of Harwich	Research, problem identification, education
Harwich Conservation Land Trust	Education