COURTESY OF THE BUZZARDS BAY COALITION
BOSTON – The EPA has awarded more than $1.2 million to protect and enhance the health of two estuaries which extend into Cape Cod.
The Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program received $632,000 and the Massachusetts Bays National Estuary Program, or MassBays, received more than $622,000 under the federal Clean Water Act.
Both programs, which are based in the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management in the state’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, are part the EPA’s National Estuary Program to protect and restore the chemical, physical and biological integrity of estuaries of national significance.
Funds will be used to support efforts to protect and restore habitats, improve coastal watershed resilience and restore water quality.
“Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay are critical estuarine resources and their protection is vital in the Commonwealth’s efforts to preserve and restore water quality and critical habitat,” said Matthew Beaton, the energy and environmental affairs secretary.
“The funding awarded through the National Estuary Program will allow the Baker-Polito Administration to continue collaborating with local and federal partners on protecting and enhancing natural resources within Buzzards Bay and Massachusetts Bay.”
The MassBays region is one of the largest estuaries in the country and covers more than 1,000 miles of coastline from the tip of Cape Cod to the New Hampshire border.
The watershed area around Buzzards Bay is 435 square miles and includes portions of 21 cities and towns and about 250,000 residents. The bay has 350 miles of coastline and 13 miles of public beaches.
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