Initiatives
The Block Island Maritime Center
The Block Island Maritime Center is a new facility proposed for New Harbor. The CGSP worked with the Town of New Shoreham and funded a major engagement with NCA – The Newport Collaborative Group – to design and plan for a maritime center on the Sam P Meadow land recently acquired by the Town and Land Trust.
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Water Quality Testing
The purpose of the CGPS monitoring program is to ascertain the water quality in the Great Salt Pond by gathering information to determine the distribution and concentrations of contaminants in the water that are of concern. The results are used to track where the pollution is occurring and find ways to remedy it, as well as how to plan for the future. The results are also used to track changes in the water body over a span of time. Contaminants come from many different sources. On the pond, pollution comes from boats in the form of black water (raw sewage), grey water (water from washing boats, showers, dishes etc), and fuel leakage. From upland areas, sources include agriculture, failed septic and sewer systems, runoff from yards, and wildlife.
Water Quality
Visit the links below for Watershed Watch Data
Dunes & Buffer Protection
Since 2016, the CGSP has worked to improve and enhance the pond’s buffers in highly vulnerable places like Beane Point and at the south end of Corn Neck Road near the Beachead. Supporting and replenishing these buffers is critical to the health of the pond. Since super storm Sandy in 2012, the dunes in this area have been severely impaired, due in part to poor re-vegetation when the road was rebuilt. The CGSP is concerned about a possible breach the next time there is another large storm. To strengthen the dunes & buffers for the pond, the CGSP completed a very successful campaign to build the walkovers and to improve brush and grass planting.
Andy’s Way Beach Access
Over the years, Andy’s Way has continued to provide access to the pond and is a great family beach as well as beautiful stocked clamming flats. In 2015 the Town formed a Shoreline Access Working Group that was charged to review all public beach access points and make recommendations for improvements. One of the top recommendations was to improve the access to the beach at Andy’s Way as storm water run-off had eroded the path making it tough for many to navigate.
Walkovers
The sand dunes are Block Island’s most important protective barrier against storms and sea level rise and dune protection is high on the list of the Committee’s priorities. The Committee has been instrumental in getting dune protection legislation enacted so people and vehicles do not disturb them, and the next logical step is to provide specially designed walkways to provide safe beach access over the dunes. The Committee designed and constructed three of these structures on Crescent Beach off of Corn Neck Road, just north of the Old Harbor Village. The design allows removal and storage during the off season. The CGSP made a significant contribution to the Access Way supported by the Jon Emsbo memorial fund.
Kiosks
The Committee has placed informative kiosks at three public access points to the Great Salt Pond which include the beach at the Coast Guard Station, Mosquito Beach on Corn Neck Road, and at Andy’s Way. These provide information on the Pond’s natural wonders, tides, shell and fin fish regulations and updates on the Committee’s initiatives to protect the fragile environment of the Great Salt Pond.
Non-Point Source Water Pollution
Based on our water-testing findings and those of many other island conservancy groups, it has become clear that non-point pollution has become one of the most challenging issues we face today. Non-point pollution is where there is not a major single pollution source but a collection of numerous smaller sources that amount to a large one. For example, typical non-point sources range from septic field leaching to fertilizers. As you can imagine, this requires a significant amount of work to track the pollution “up stream” in order to address and correct the “issues.” This will be a large and growing focus in order to further improve the water quality in the pond.
