Boaters leaving Padanaram Harbor may notice some new additions to the water: yellow buoys.

Along with creating some pops of color, the markers allow the Buzzards Bay Coalition to monitor water quality in Apponagansett Bay as part of its Buttonwood-Bay Project that began this past spring.

The project, which is estimated to last five years, tackles water quality issues in Padanaram Harbor and its major tributary, the Buttonwood Brook. Work is funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast New England Program, which focuses on local watersheds including Buzzards Bay.

Phase one of the project kicked off in April with sampling at 14 sites along Buttonwood Brook — something the coalition said will continue through spring of 2023. 

Phase two is focused on the highly impacted waters of inner Apponagansett Bay and utilizes an array of sensors to collect data related to water quality with the hope of developing a strategy to reduce any pollution and runoffs from the brook.

According to the coalition, degraded water quality in Apponagansett Bay “impacts local communities in a variety of ways.” This includes beach and fishery closures, harmful algae blooms, reduced tourism potential, and loss of wildlife habitat.

There are a total of three sensor arrays deployed in the bay, with each device containing multiple sensors to measure indicators such as dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, salinity, conductivity, temperature, and pH levels.  

Data from the sensors will be retrieved from the coalition every few weeks between July and October, according to the coalition.

“If you see one please steer clear and let it do its work,” the coalition said in a statement.

For more information on the project, visit www.savebuzzardsbay.org/buttonwood-to-bay/.