Dear Ms.

Bamberger,
I am writing to you as a concerned student, regarding the deplorable water quality and
treatment of Mashapaug Pond in your own city of Providence.
We are who we are based on the land1. This phrase, while short and sweet, is essential
to understanding why nutrient loading abatement; commercial, industrial and agricultural
pollution abatement; and watershed ecosystem restoration2 from the 2014 and 2016 Green
Bond are essential and must be used efficiently and effectively. Simply, through the use of
environmental techniques, like rain gardens, the water quality of Mashapaug watersheds (which
also includes the Roger Williams Park Pond system located upstream) can be drastically
improved.
Currently, the poor water quality of the Mashapaug watershed is attributed to
eutrophication, or the excess of nitrogen (nitrates) and phosphorous (phosphates). This excess is
mainly contributed to by surface runoff, containing fertilizer, leaves, and animal waste, which
often come from the neighborhoods bordering water sources, like the neighborhoods surrounding
Mashapaug Pond such as the Reservoir Triangle. To explain, materials carried within surface
runoff (like leaves and feces), once decomposed by anaerobic and aerobic bacteria, release
massive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous into the water system, creating algae blooms.
Often times these blooms have a distinct odor, and cause the decimation of an aquatic ecosystem.
During the process of aerobic bacteria breaking down runoff materials, oxygen is depleted as
aerobic bacteria use oxygen in the process of decomposition. Over time, algae blooms no longer
have the necessary nutrients to sustain themselves, and begin to decompose, consuming
additional oxygen.3
An easy solution to this problem that benefits both the community and the water source is
to use the 2016 Green Bond money to create rain gardens on the properties of homes surrounding
Mashapaug. These rain gardens provide a resting place of sorts for surface runoff, allowing the
nutrients that would originally flow into the pond to be taken in by plants. Eventually, these
gardens will flourish, based on the added nutrients, and allow the afflicted water source to
recover. These beautiful and useful gardens beautify an often forgotten neighborhood, which
currently is mainly populated by minorities, specifically Cambodian immigrants4. However, if
one were to travel back in time 60 years, a similar situation was present on the banks of
Mashapaug Pond. In fact, the thriving and lively neighborhood of West Elmwood once stood in
what is now the massive Huntington Expressway Industrial Park, full of impermeable surfaces
that further add to nutrient pollution in the watershed. This dramatic transition was due to urban
renewal of the area, as it was thought to have little to no value if it was not industrially
developed5. Perhaps rain gardens can even been added at this industrial park to combat the
effects of impermeable surfaces on nutrient pollution. Understanding the history of this location
will keep such a debilitating environmental setback from reoccurring. Although the Upper
Narragansett Bay Regional Stormwater Utility Feasibility Study6 has partially addressed the
nutrient pollution issue at hand, in the words of Lorn Spears, you cant save the bay if you
dont save the ponds.1
With this in mind, I call on you to educate the public on this community, because without
an outcry, there will be no solution. Mashapaug Pond will continue to degrade as a result of
nutrient pollution, and the once thriving community will continue to suffer. Please, kickstart this
effort so in years to come, Mashapaug will be a place of enjoyment and a symbol of
environmental rehabilitation spearheaded by the community. Your unique position allows you to
convince both the people and politicians. More than this, everything is interrelated1, even our
human activities, so one small improvement can make a monumental change. Just as you hope
for Providence as a whole, you can make Mashapaug Pond a more environmentally friendly and
healthy place to live, work and play7 with the use of the 2014 and 2016 Green Bond money.

Sincerely,
Ella Culton
Student at The Greene School
The Greene School- EL Certified and Green Ribbon School
http://www.tgsri.org/
94 Potter Hill Road Unit #3
West Greenwich, RI 02817
Telephone Number (401) 397-8600
Fax (401) 397-8700
The Greene School explores the interdependence of human and natural systems. Through
pre-college curriculum, we develop citizens and leaders engaged in finding peaceful and
sustainable solutions to local and global challenges.
Work Cited
1. Lorn, Spears. Tomaquag Museum Executive Director. Personal interview. 13 Jan. 2017
2. Vote Smart. "The Voter's Self Defense System." Project Vote Smart. Rhode Island Ballot
Measure, 6 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
3. Chislock, Michael F., Enrique Doster, Rachel A. Zitomer, and Alan E. Wilson.
"Eutrophication: Causes, Consequences, and Controls in Aquatic Ecosystems."
Nature.com. Macmillan Publishers, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2017.
4. Ewald, Holly. Artist of UPP RI. Personal interview. 13 Jan. 2017
5. Grabowski, Amelia. "Where Did West Elmwood Go?" Rhode Tour. Omeka and
Curatescape, n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2017.
6. Providence Office of Sustainability. "Protecting Our Water Resources." Office of
Sustainability | Water |. N.p., 2017. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
7. Proft, Kevin. "New Sustainability Director Has Plan for Providence." EcoRI News.
EcoRI, 24 June 2015. Web. 25 Jan. 2017.
8. Whittle, Caitlyn, Karen Simpson, and Ray Cody. "Providence Green Infrastructure
Project." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 10 Jan. 2017. Web. 24 Jan. 201