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Full of glacial deposits, kettle ponds, a sole-source aquifer, and important coastal ecosystems, the region serves as both an uncommon hydrologic system of study and a beautiful backdrop for science communication.

Many visitor groups from government agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and local communities have learned about our groundwater and surface water research in southeastern Massachusetts. To demonstrate Cape Cod hydrology, our staff has presented our work on a wide range of topics, including nutrient loading, PFAS contamination, saltwater intrusion, coastal flooding, wetland restoration and more.

USGS Research Hydrologist Emeritus Denis Leblanc has been a pillar in Cape Cod water science outreach throughout his entire career. Denis’ research focuses on the flow and quality of the island’s groundwater; he notably carried out groundwater tracer experiments at a wastewater treatment site on Cape Cod as a part of the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program. In 2016, he was awarded the Department of Interior’s Distinguished Service Award, the DOI’s highest honor. 

As influential as his work has been for Cape Cod residents by informing contaminated groundwater management, Denis makes it a point to dedicate time to outreach. He has led innumerable field trips discussing science to both small and large groups of stakeholders, students, and the general public. In 2020, Denis was presented with the Shoemaker Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes scientists who effectively communicate complex scientific work to non-scientists and impart enthusiasm and excitement. 

Despite his retirement in 2023 from USGS, as an Emeritus scientist Denis continues to relay his decades of experience studying groundwater chemical transport from wastewater treatment, chemical spills, and other sources of contamination from Joint Base Cape Cod to visiting groups.