Category: Conservation: water quality and pollution

What makes oysters happy?

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UCONN researcher studies oyster reefs in Quinnipiac River and Morris Creek

The creek was said to be dead. Industrialization and decades of pollution took its toll on many Connecticut rivers and tributaries, including Morris Creek which empties into New Haven harbor in Lighthouse Park. But when UCONN researcher Dr. Zofia Baumann visited the area in June 2016 to scout locations for mercury testing in fish and oysters, she discovered vibrant life normally hidden beneath the current. Clusters of thin, sharp oblong shells rose from the muddy creek bed. Zofia had read about such oyster reefs and seen them in environmental shows, but had never encountered them in nature. 

 

 

Dr. Zofia Baumann found inspiration in the Morris Creek oyster reefs

The scene captivated Zofia and inspired her to learn more about eastern oysters, their history along the Connecticut coastline, and the parameters that help them thrive. With support from the Quinnipiac River Fund, Zofia launched a project to track to measure oyster size, reef density, as well as the water quality variations in oyster habitats, focusing specifically on Morris Creek and the Quinnipiac River.

“By studying where we know oysters are happy, we can help restoration efforts and hopefully continue to see a resurgence in the population of oysters and other marine life,” explained Zofia.

Zofia chose Morris Creek based on its ecology and current use. As a tidal creek, Morris Creek offers a welcome environment for oyster reef formation, including a mix of salt and fresh water; a muddy bottom, shelter from large waves and adjacent salt marshes which provide added protection and filtration. Additionally, the Creek offers protection from human disturbance because both commercial and recreational harvesting is prohibited by the Bureau of Aquaculture.

With more tributary rivers per linear coastline mile than any other region in the country, Connecticut offers an ideal environment for oysters to flourish. And indeed they have for centuries. Both abundant and accessible, oysters became a staple in the diet of shoreline indigenous people, and later a valuable source of food and trade for the European settlers in the area. As Connecticut oysters made their way to tables all over the world — including the plates of England’s royalty — their renown grew rapidly. 

Consumed and harvested in great quantities, overfishing began depleting oyster beds and spurred the creation of laws regulating their taking. In 1762 New Haven made it illegal to take oysters during their summer spawning months and then, in 1766, the town outlawed dredging. 

Increasing demand and dwindling oyster beds inspired a new era of oyster cultivation. In the 1820s, Connecticut oystermen began gathering free-swimming larvae and planting them on artificial beds made of oyster shells where, in 18 – 24 months, they grew into maturity. 

By the end of the century, oyster farming in Connecticut peaked with more than 15 million bushels in a single year, but soon faced bigger challenges. As industry and shoreline development increased, heavy metals and raw sewage drained into the waterways at unregulated and alarming rates. 

As filter feeders, oysters consume phytoplankton or algae by filtering water in and over their gills. Some adult oysters can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, providing a valuable environmental service to their habitat. While most unwanted indigestibles leave the oysters in feces, if pollution levels are high, these hard-working shellfish can carry dangerous toxins that can be passed on to humans when eaten.

In 1892, after 29 college students became infected with Typhoid, investigation revealed that all had consumed oysters grown at the mouth of the Quinnipiac, in proximity to a house with two known cases of the fever, and sewage pipes that drained directly into the river. Later, in the mid 1920s, oysters took the blame for another Typhoid outbreak. The bad press, combined with economic depressions, had a quick and drastic impact on the oyster industry. Within a few decades, the oyster industry in Long Island Sound had declined more than 97 percent, producing a mere 40,000 bushels a year. 

In 1967, Connecticut’s Clean Water Act brought new hope for the bivalve mollusks. As sewage regulations began to restore water quality, oyster growers sought to revive oyster populations by depositing clean oyster shells on old oyster grounds in estuaries and rivers where oysters once thrived.

Decades later, such cultivation continues to contribute to oyster’s resurgence. Despite a drastic setback in the late 1990s, when a water temperature spike bloomed naturally occurring parasites that destroyed 80 – 90 percent of the state’s oysters, Connecticut is on its way to reclaim its former oyster fame, a benefit to the environment and foodies alike.

Leading the charge in New Haven and Fairfield County is Copps Island Oysters, a fourth-generation, family-owned shellfish farm. Copps Island leases rights to acclaimed oyster grounds throughout Long Island Sound, as well as many historically oyster rich rivers, such as the Quinnipiac. Committed to protecting Connecticut’s waters and helping once defunct oyster habitats thrive, Copps Island proactively invests in areas where harvesting is still prohibited such as Morris Creek. In July 2012, the company laid clean shells in the Creek, which catalyzed the reef’s re-propagation. 

Though oysters are now plentiful in Morris Creek, harvesting there remains prohibited due to the unavailability of current sanitary surveys or the potential of pollution sources that could cause a public health risk.

Lynn Bonnett and Aaron Goode of the New Haven Bioregional group assess quantity and sizes of living and dead oysters in Quinnipiac’s intertidal zone

Zofia knew that successfully monitoring Morris Creek oyster health was not a one-woman job. She enlisted the support of many collaborators including Dr. Mary Beth Decker, research scientist from Yale School of the Environment; Lynne Bonnett from New Haven Bioregional Group; and Richard Harris, retired scientist with Copps Island Oysters.

Zofia installed water quality data loggers in both Morris Creek and the Quinnipiac to obtain continual measurement of water salinity, oxygen, pH, temperature and water levels. With this data, she is creating a metrics table to document what the oysters experience.

In addition to monitoring, another of Zofia’s project goals was to create public awareness and involvement. To do this, she invited local community members, volunteers and students to Morris Creek — where the oysters are more accessible — to participate in measuring and tracking oyster density, mortality and the presence of juvenile oysters, called spat, in the reef. 

On a beautiful Thursday afternoon in October, 16 helpers joined Zofia at the creekside. Donning waders and calipers, they counted and recorded oyster quantity, location and size. The volunteers included 11 students from Sound School’s after school environmental justice program, environmentally-minded citizens, and local neighbors like Barry and Debbie Flynn, who live nearby the creek and came out to lend a hand.

“When our kids were young, we did field trips and a lot of exploring in this area,” Debbie said. “Now our daughter is a marine biologist.”

Debbie Flynn measures Morris Creek oyster density with calipers and Quadra

In November, more volunteers joined Zofia for monitoring and measuring on the banks of the Quinnipiac.  And for Zofia, the sight of all these intrepid collaborators, trekking through the mud at Morris Creek or gathering on the banks of the Quinnipiac, is perhaps as thrilling as the sight of the reef’s themselves.

Dr. Mary Beth Decker from Yale reviews oyster data sheets at the Quinnipiac River boat launch on Clifton Street.

 

Richard Harris and Christine Griffith from Copps Island Oysters work with Jessica Li, a student from Weston High School, to monitor water quality on the Quinnipiac River.

“To improve environmental issues anywhere, you can’t just rely on the scientific community. We are a limited workforce. We need everyone’s engagement,” Zofia explained. “Once you start doing this work, you feel more connected, you begin caring about the place, and become a better more powerful advocate.” 

Leveraging the support of Quinnipiac River Fund, Zofia plans to continue and expand her research with additional grants and partnerships.

Click here for more information on regulations for oyster harvesting and other shellfish.

https://shellfish.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/62/2022/06/CTSRG_June9.pdf

No swimming in the rain

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River testing reveals big difference in bacteria levels after rainfall

It was a cold and windy day in mid-October. Bundled in winter coats, a dozen people gathered at Wharton Brook State Park. Swimming wasn’t on the agenda, but it was in mind, as they had come to hear the results of the River Advocates recent tests for bacteria levels in the local rivers and streams, indicating how fit they are for recreation.

State Rep. Mary Mushinsky, executive director of River Advocates, shared their findings. High levels of bacteria impaired water quality at nearly all 20 testing sites following rainfall. However, during dry conditions, the results were dramatically different, with bacteria levels at many of the sites low enough to make the water suitable for public use, including swimming. 

Testing was conducted at multiple locations along the Mill, West and Quinnipiac Rivers on two different days in September: one dry day without previous rainfall, and one wet day, following more than an inch of rainfall. Testing sites spanned Wallingford, Cheshire, North Haven, Hamden and New Haven.

Volunteers collected samples and then delivered them to two labs to analyze for the bacteria that indicates sewage or animal waste contamination: e-Coli in freshwater and Enterococcus in brackish water (the mixture of saltwater and freshwater).

On the dry day, the results proved surprisingly good. Although the four brackish water sites in New Haven had unacceptably high bacteria levels, the remainder had levels low enough for recreational activity, with eleven of them even meeting the standard for designated swimming areas.

In contrast, on the wet day, 19 of the 20 testing areas failed to meet any recreational standards “in a big way,” emphasized Mushinsky, most of them with bacteria counts so high they exceeded the mathematical limits of the test.

So why such extreme differences in the wet vs. dry results, and what can be done to reduce the dangerously high bacteria loads on rainy days?

E-coli and enterococcus indicate the presence of human and animal waste. In developed areas, with lots of pavement, parking lots and pipes, rainfall easily carries this waste into the rivers, from dog poop to lawn fertilizer. 

In older cities like New Haven the problem is exasperated by combined sewer systems where industrial wastewater, domestic sewage and stormwater all share the same pipes. Under normal conditions, the pipes transport the wastewater to a sewage treatment plant, where it is treated and then discharged into the nearest waterbody. However, in heavy rainfall, the water volume can exceed the capacity of the pipes or treatment plant, resulting in overflows of untreated waste flowing directly into the watershed.

Such overflows are a priority water pollution concern in municipalities across the U.S.In New Haven, the work has begun, but the expense of the project makes the timelines slow.  In the meantime, other efforts are required to reduce the bacteria load. “Towns and cities must clean up runoff, both for their own residents and for downstream populations,” read the River Advocates statement, which also provided the following recommendations. Towns can create natural buffers to hold and purify water and promote the use of natural landscaping with plants, trees and soil, rather than paved surfaces. Residents can pick up after their dogs, create rain gardens to capture water, and ensure septic systems are properly maintained.

The testing project was made possible by the Quinnipiac River Fund and the Greater New Haven Green Fund. Looking ahead, the River Advocates hope that further testing will be able to pinpoint sources of contamination in order to improve segments of the rivers and tributaries. With the hope that someday, whether rain or shine, the waters in south central Connecticut will run clean and be all clear for swimming and summer fun. 

 

No to Residential Waste Along the Quinnipiac

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Quinnipiac River Fund member testifies against trash hauler’s application to accept household garbage

A proposal by Murphy Road Recycling, located adjacent to the Quinnipiac River at 19 Wheeler Street, to accept “wet” garbage from suburban households is meeting with strong community opposition. On behalf of The Quinnipiac River Fund, advisory committee member Nancy Alderman joined with other public intervenors to question the applicant at the Nov. 19 New Haven City Plan public hearing. Alderman also submitted written testimony in opposition to the application.

Testimony-from-Nancy-Alderman-concerning-the-Wheeler-St

Read Murphy Road Application

Murphy Road Recycling is seeking a permission to allow up to 500 tons a day of wet garbage, including diapers, into the Annex neighborhood facility. During the November 19th City Plan meeting, conducted via zoom, city officials and environmental activists questioned Murphy’s claims “that this will not adversely affect the neighborhood,” claims Murphy attempted to verify with letters from satisfied neighbors living near their facilities in other towns. Independent consultants, hired by the city, debunked this evidence by demonstrating that these other sites have at least a quarter mile buffer between the plant and residential properties. At Wheeler Street, the nearest houses are a mere 350 feet away from the plant, and less than 100 from the dumpsters of All American Carting, which shares the property, and is expected to be a part of the proposed expansion.

With such close proximity, the impact of Murphy’s operation is already problematic to the neighbors who cite noise, traffic, vermin and noxious odors.

“It smells most of the time, especially at night,” said a Fairmount Avenue neighbor. “And the noise. It starts like 3:30, 4:00 in the morning, banging dumpsters around. It’s awful.”

“Our exterminator bill is higher than our mortgage” declared another neighbor.

With prevailing westward winds pointing the stench directly at nearby homes, and organic waste offering a gourmet feast for pests, Murphy’s proposed expansion would further plummet both quality of life and property values in the area. According to independent reviews, the allowance of putrescible waste in Murphy’s current plans “likely will violate city zoning laws around outdoor storage of waste in proximity to current residential properties.” (Green, New Haven Independent)

City consultants also revealed a disturbing environmental concern. Even now, “a large portion of the northern parking lot does not drain into the site’s existing catch basins, but rather discharges untreated runoff to an adjacent property, which in turn sends that runoff into the river.” If applications are approved, “adding wet trash to the allowable mix of materials processed at the transfer plant could result in contaminated runoff.” (Green, New Haven Independent)

With long and heated discussion, public testimony was delayed until the December meeting. However, a half dozen concerned community members, called “intervenors,” were able to share their concerns and questions. Among them, Nancy Alderman from the Quinnipiac River Fund, who in light of the existing run-off issue, inquired whether the trash would go on the ground, and, if so, would their be liners. Murphy’s answer, no liners, and yes to garbage on the ground, but only when inside the transfer building. Alderman’s written testimony also highlighted the probability of increased asthma rates from the air pollution of diesel exhaust and open trash heaps.

Testimony-from-Nancy-Alderman-concerning-the-Wheeler-St
Read about the article by Thomas Green in the New Haven Independent.
Hear recorded testimony from Wheeler Street neighbors. https://www.wevideo.com/view/1927715823

PLASTIC POLLUTION: The hidden invasion

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We’ve seen the images and heard the stories: turtles caught and choked in the plastic rings from six packs; sixty pounds of plastic and other debris discovered in a deceased whale; massive islands of garbage floating in the ocean, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, estimated to be twice the size of Texas.

Plastic waste invades our planet, and the problem goes way beyond what meets the eye.

Our rivers and seas are teeming with microplastics — tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in length. They come from cosmetics, synthetic clothes, degraded plastics, and have been found in virtually every part of our planet, from tropical sand and coastal waters, to Alpine soil and arctic ice.

Microplastics’ diminutive size makes them less noticeable than larger plastic debris, but potentially more deadly. Once ingested or inhaled, the plastic particles — and the chemicals they may carry — can accumulate up the for chain, causing adverse health problems and impacting entire ecosystems.

Quinnipiac River Fund supports numerous projects focused on understanding microplastics in the Quinnipiac watershed, including a Southern Connecticut State University study of the seasonal variation of these microplastics at waste water treatment facilities in North Haven and Meriden, conducted by Anthony Vignola and Vincent Breslin of the Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies.

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as one of the primary sources of microplastic contamination. Vignola’s study notes that though many WWTPs, including North Haven and Meriden, may have high efficiency rates for removing contamination, these systems are not specifically designed to remove microplastics. Plastic particles, and the problems they create, are quite literally falling, or rather flowing, through the cracks. Furthermore, because of the tremendous volume of micro plastics introduced into these WWTP systems, even small percentages of unfiltered plastics can still have significant environmental consequences.

Within the 11.6 million gallons of wastewater treated each day in Meriden, 746,000 microplastics are discharged, leading to an annual impact of more than 272 million microplastics. In North Haven, only 3.1 million gallons are treated daily, and with it a release of 200,000 microplastics, and an annual total of 72 million.

That’s nearly 350 million microplastics deposited into the Quinnipiac River each year from these two facilities alone. There are three additional WWTP’s discharging into the Quinnipiac, which means many hundreds of millions of microplastics polluting her water.

Unfiltered microplastics are only part of the problem, Vignola explains. Even the filtered microplastics can become problematic. These particles get trapped and accumulate in biosolid sludge that is regularly removed from the facilities and often used as fertilizer for farms or forests. If this waste is spread in a watershed, the accumulated plastics have the potential to directly reenter the waterways.

Microplastics come in four main forms: films, fibers, fragments or beads. However, Vignola reports that 74% of all plastics found during his study were microfibers, which “supports the growing body of evidence that mechanical laundering of synthetic clothing is releasing many contaminant fibers.”

“Estimates have shown that a single article of synthetic clothing has the potential to release more than 1,900 fibers per wash (Browne et al., 2011) and a 5 kg load of household laundry may release more than 6,000,000 fibers in one wash cycle (De Falco et al., 2018).”

Vignola and Breslin conducted four seasonal samplings (May, July, November, February) of the wastewater discharge at each site during the course of 2019 – 2020. Microplastics were then extracted, identified, categorized and calculated using a variety of factors, including wastewater flow rate, seasonal temperature, as well as particle type, size and color.

The results at both sites revealed a trend between microplastic concentration and seasonal temperature. Though the trend was statistically significant in Meriden and slighter in North Haven, both showed increased concentrations during the winter and spring season — when fleece and other cozy synthetic favorites abound — supporting the hypothesis that the variation could be related to outerwear choices and laundering. However, Vignola noted, other international studies have produced contradictory results, with concentrations higher during warmer months, prompting consideration of the impact of other geographical factors — such as precipitation, evaporation, and flow rates.

Regardless of the extent of seasonal variations, microplastics, specifically fibers, are a growing problem. The annual production of synthetic fibers grew from 1.9 million tonnes in 1950 to 45.3 million tonnes in 2010 and the industry is still expanding. This study affirms the need for “increased accountability placed on apparel manufacturers who are responsible for using synthetic materials during production.”

As with other areas of plastic consumption, consumer knowledge and choices are also paramount to reducing microplastic contamination. Small changes, implemented by many, can add up to make a big difference. The SCSU study provides some guidance, including:

Using cold water and fast wash cycles to reduce water volume
Washing synthetic clothes less often
Using products designed to capture microfibers while laundering, such as Cora Ball or Lint Luv-R, which were 26% and 87% effective respectively and removing microfibers
Purchasing products made from non-synthetic materials
“Results of this study confirm that treated municipal wastewater is a significant source of microplastics to the Quinnipiac River, and ultimately, Long Island Sound. Financial support provided by the Quinnipiac River Fund was critical for the conduct of this research and will lead to management actions to improve the water quality and reduce microplastic impacts to regional waterways.” – Vincent Breslin, co-coordinator of the Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies

North Haven WWTF
Meriden WWTF
Wet Peroxide Oxidation procedure to isolate micro plastics in the wastewater discharge.

Examples of the different types of microplastics identified in the SCSU study: microfibers, films, fragments, and beads.
Examples of the different types of microplastics identified in the SCSU study: microfibers, films, fragments, and beads.
Examples of the different types of microplastics identified in the SCSU study: microfibers, films, fragments, and beads.
Examples of the different types of microplastics identified in the SCSU study: microfibers, films, fragments, and beads.

Keeping Up With the Garbagians

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Source to Sound clean-up clears more than a ton of trash from Q River watershed

For more than four years, Bob Diamond has been grabbing gloves and garbage bags and joining QRWA for its semiannual Source to Sound clean up along the Quinnipiac River. He calls himself “the bobsessive de-litterer.” His task at hand, “keeping up with the garbagians.”

For the Quinnipiac River watershed and other natural resources in highly-developed areas, the so-called “garbagians” come in many forms, from the heedless litterer hocking candy wrappers and soda cans out car window to the illegal dumper depositing old tires, radiators or couches in the woods.

For nearly 40 years, QRWA cleanups have helped remove the flood of rubbish that besets the Quinnipiac River and its tributaries. This year, the event spanned five locations in five towns — Meriden, New Haven, Cheshire, Wallingford and Plainville — where more than 100 volunteers pulled, picked and dragged more than 3000 pounds of garbage from bushes, banks, trails and beaches.

Volunteers included local families from each town, dozens of students from Plainville High School, as well as community businesses and organizations such as the Quinnipiac River Marina, the Meriden Motorcycle Club and Jovek Manufacturing, with the latter two contributing ATVS to transport the garbage from the trails.

“It’s a way for people to get their hands on the problem, which keeps it on their mind,” says David James, QRWA president. But, he explains, the problem itself is much bigger than what can be bagged and hauled out. Quinnipiac’s water quality continues to be an issue. While there have been strides made in reducing point source pollution from active industrial discharge, the watershed still suffers degradation from non-point sources like impervious surfaces (pavement), agricultural runoff, lawns and storm systems.

“Nature longs to heal itself and will in time,” David says.  “And with some human TLC that day can be hastened.” To hasten the day, David adds that policies and public education are essential. “People need to realize that it is critical that our environment is healthy. This should be headline news. Unless we start to make some progress in regards to ethics, we’ll still be doing this in 50 years.”

In line with the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972, the long-term goal is to see the Quinnipiac more capable of supporting more recreation and measured consumption, but in the meantime, QRWA and a revolving army of concerned citizens will continue to fight the garbagians. Ongoing efforts include these semi-annual cleanups and other initiatives of the newly-formed Quinnipiac River Cleanup committee led by husband and wife team Shianne and Tim Cutler, both of whom serve on the QRWA board. In addition to coordinating the multi-town reach of the clean up events, the committee is ready in any season to don boots or waders and respond to reports of trash in the river.

“We’ve gone out for everything from a playground slide to bunches of bottles in the water,” Shianne explains. The Cutlers live in Meriden but are committed to responding to issues anywhere on the river.  To report a clean up concern, e-mail qrivercleanup@att.net.

Few Connecticut polluters penalized for toxic wastewater violations, EPA data shows

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Nearly half of the 60 companies that are allowed to discharge wastewater directly into Connecticut’s rivers, brooks and other bodies of water exceeded the amounts of toxic metals or other pollutants that their permits allowed over the last three years, a C-HIT analysis of federal data shows.

Despite the violations, the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection fined only two of the 29 companies found to be in noncompliance with their permits—a record that state environmental advocates called alarming, but that the agency said is justified.

The 29 companies discharged excessive amounts of pollutants during at least one three-month period from October 2013 to September 2016. At least 19 companies exceeded by more than 100 percent the amounts they were allowed to discharge, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.

The data also show 23 of the 60 companies were found in noncompliance with terms of their permits for at least half of the three years—for reasons ranging from excessive discharges to submitting late discharge reports. Thirteen companies were found in significant noncompliance—the most serious level of violation—for three months or more.

While DEEP has the authority to fine or take court action against polluters, EPA records show it more commonly issues notices of violation or noncompliance or warning notices, opting to work with violators for months or years to correct the problems. Continue reading.

Editorial: DEEP must do a better job protecting water from pollutants — and fining companies that illegally dump

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CT INSIDER — Connecticut residents sure have a lot to be worried about these days. Budget deficits, unequal education funding, an opioid crisis, a state in continued economic decline and possible new taxes and fees on the way, are just a few of the challenges ahead.

 

Mud Minnow Is Safe — For Now

Posted on by Carolyn Christmann

NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT — It lives in a river with a history of abuse and pollution. It swims in waters filled with hard-to-filter chemicals. Despite that discouraging environment, an expert told a riverine gathering, the male mummichog is in OK shape, for the time being.

Wallingford company reaches agreement with Quinnipiac River advocates

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WALLINGFORD — A local river advocacy group rescinded a request to hold a public hearing on a discharge permit sought by chemical production company Allnex after working with state officials and company representatives on an agreement over the discharge of a previously unregulated chemical into the Quinnipiac River watershed.

Earlier this year, River Advocates of South Central Connecticut expressed concern that Allnex, 528 S. Cherry St., would be discharging tetrahydrofuran into the Quinnpiac River without regulation given the company’s past discharge violations.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s discharge permit would only require the company to monitor the levels of the discharge, without a standard set to regulate its concentration in the watershed.

The advocacy group, helmed by state Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford, obtained enough signatures to request a public hearing before a new permit could be issued by the state. Continue reading.