Dear Commissioners,

I am writing today on behalf of Great Pond Foundation and our constituents to share scientific data about the current health of Edgartown Great Pond and to document the detrimental impacts this proposed development would have on the future health of the Pond’s ecosystem.

Nutrient pollution (nitrogen & phosphorus) is the greatest driver of impairment in the Island’s great ponds. The excess nitrogen that is pushing Edgartown Great Pond past its tipping point is from three main sources 1) wastewater, 2) fertilizers/farm animals, and 3) atmospheric deposition. In 2022, with then current levels of development, the nitrogen flowing into the Pond via groundwater exceeded the 0.5 mg/L total nitrogen (TN) limit and hundreds of acres of precious eelgrass meadows were lost….

Please raise your voice for the Great Pond.

If you have submitted a comment before or would like to submit one now, email Rich Saltzberg saltzberg@mvcommission.org before Thursday, May 28th!