ECOLOGY OF BUZZARDS BAY An Estuarine Profile 81 



leachate production and now serves as a waste 

 transfer station. 



Wareham. Located near the southern end of 

 the Cape Cod Canal, Wareham contains significant 

 areas of tidal wetlands through which three rivers, 

 the Weweantic, Agawam, and Wareham. enter the 

 bay. Wareham supports a large tourist industry with 

 substantial commercial and retail activity. Intensive 

 cranberry agriculture along the Weweantic River has 

 historically resulted in problems with pesticide pol- 

 lution. The river is often stagnant and occasionally 

 experiences problems with low oxygen conditions; 

 however, overall water quality conditions appear 

 to be relatively good. Occasional fuel oil spills have 

 occurred from business in Wareham Center. But- 

 termilk Bay, although receiving no known major 

 point source discharges, is affected by nonpoint 

 source discharge of nutrients from several nearby 

 residential developments and historically has suf- 

 fered from periodic eutrophication. Buttermilk Bay 

 also experiences some oil pollution from the large 

 number of boats that frequent this area. Onset Bay, 

 immediately southwest of Buttermilk Bay, experi- 

 ences much the same inputs from the substantial 

 surrounding development. Cranberry growing is also 

 prevalent in these areas, but studies of bog and bay 

 exchanges indicate pollutant inputs from this source 

 are small (Gill 1 988; Howes and Teal 1 992). 



Bourne. Three-quarters of the population of 

 Bourne resides within the Buzzards Bay watershed. 

 The majority of developed land is residential with 

 historic summer cottages now year-round homes. 

 The town borders on Buttermilk Bay, an important 

 source of soft-shelled clams that has been repeat- 

 edly closed to shellfishing since 1 984 due to high 

 levels of coliform bacteria. These waters also have 

 provided an important area for scallop harvesting. 

 Some areas, such as Barlow*s Landing in the vil- 

 lage of Pocassett and areas around Toby's Island, 

 are also frequently closed to shellfishing because of 

 high coliform bacteria numbers. 



Falmouth. Primarily a residential community, the 

 population of Falmouth increases from 27,000 in 

 the winter to 63,000 in the summer. Tourism is a 

 major economic resource, with tax revenues from 



tourist accommodations more than twice that of all 

 the other towns within the Buzzards Bay watershed 

 combined. Although some of this activity is located 

 along the southern shore of the town, which is out- 

 side the bay's watershed, about one-third of this 

 seasonal population increase is located within the 

 watershed. West Falmouth Harbor has long been 

 known for its high water quality and scallop fisher- 

 ies; however, it is an area of future concern be- 

 cause it lies in the path of the groundwater nutrient 

 plume generated by the Falmouth Wastewater 

 Treatment Facility. The village of Woods Hole also 

 lies within the Falmouth portion of the Buzzards Bay 

 watershed. 



Gosnold. The town of Gosnold actually repre- 

 sents the Elizabeth Islands made up ofNonamessett, 

 Naushon, Pasque, Nashawena, Cuttyhunk, and 

 Penikese islands. The 1990 census identified a 

 population for Gosnold of 98 people, but even with 

 the limited accessibility of the islands, the popula- 

 tion does increase in summer with a small influx of 

 tourists. Gosnold maintains no real manufacturing 

 or industry, with the exception of a handful of small 

 businesses serving the few residents. 

 Noncoastal: 



Fall River. Fall River represents a major indus- 

 trial city in the region, with a significant manufactur- 

 ing center. Although locally important, only a small 

 portion of the city resides within the Buzzards Bay 

 watershed. The northeast corner of Fall River lies 

 in the Westport River basin, and drains into the bay, 

 with most of the city's discharge entering the Taunton 

 River basin. 



Freetown. Primarily a residential community, 

 Freetown is situated between Fall River and New 

 Bedford. Within the town's boundaries lies a 1,214- 

 ha state forest, which has substantially contributed 

 to the relatively undeveloped nature of this commu- 

 nity. Its resultant nutrient input to Buzzards Bay 

 waters is likely to be correspondingly small. 



Lakeville. Lakeville is a small but growing town 

 that has seen recent increases in residential devel- 

 opment. The town includes several large ponds that 

 provide fresh water for New Bedford and surround- 

 ing towns. Interest in maintaining high levels of 



