Origins of the MVP Grant: High Salinity at Center Hill

Black Pond is an outlier between the three ponds. Not only does its levels drastically change compared to the other two, it is also a mixture/runoff zone of the two ponds. Usually its conductivity is higher than the other two ponds, but it's never abnormally high or at a dangerous level. Because the area that I test Black Ponds water is so close to the road I think the readings are much higher than the other ponds because of the effects of the cars going by. This could be because of the road salts and car fluids mixing with the water where I collect. The bank I collect my sample at is very fragile and makes it hard to obtain the water or reach out to the open pond. Another issue I encounter is that if I cannot reach a more open part of the pond. Overall Black Pond is very different from the other two, however the drastic readings could be attributed to the area of collection.

Despite the Center Hill Pond’s once being together their salinity levels are drastically different. Typically Center Hill South Pond experiences higher levels of conductivity, total dissolved solids, and salinity. This may be attributed to the way the ponds split, but it also might be because Center Hill South Pond has less of a sand dune protecting it from the sea water compared to the North pond. Another reason for the rise in levels might be because the amount of phragmites surrounding North pond is significantly more than the ones surrounding South pond, these plants could be acting as a natural wall and prohibit the sea spray from reaching the North pond than it is with the South pond. In addition the rise in levels could be attributed to the houses located on the edge of the south pond. The effects of humans could increase these levels because of the environmental impacts people have on ecosystems. There are many reasons for the differences of levels, but as the winter season gets colder and ice and snow begin to form on the roads we will see an increase in these levels due to the rock salts ending up in the water and melting.