Date of Award
2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Marine Affairs
Department
Marine Affairs
First Advisor
Richard Burroughs
Abstract
Stormwater runoff from municipalities bordering Greenwich Bay degrades the water quality and potentially the health of stakeholders. Monitoring bay water and effluent from sewage treatment plants is used to identify where management efforts need to be directed. Hypoxic water conditions and high concentrations of fecal coliform are the most pressing issues within Greenwich Bay. Observed concentrations of fecal coliform in shallow embayment’s within the northern reaches of Greenwich Bay are often unsafe for the consumption of shellfish and unsafe for primary contact through swimming. Regional precipitation and discharge from a major river through statistical analysis suggest that the likelihood of hypoxic conditions in the bay is related to nutrients supplied during periods of high precipitation. These findings indicate that future management efforts should be directed toward incentivizing the tie-in of personal septic systems into municipal wastewater infrastructure, and the management of coastal land to prevent nutrient flux through stormwater runoff.
Recommended Citation
Deingeniis, Vincent, "STORMWATER MANAGEMENT WITHIN GREENWICH BAY RHODE ISLAND" (2024). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 2493.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/2493