Back to Home Page____________________________________________________ Beach Nourishment & Erosion
1. Federal Application Summary Page (this was the itemized checklist presented as first page of this grant proposal that was submitted, information is duplicated within this document, therefore, it is not presented here) Town of Harwich is requesting $4,800.00 to help fund a researcher to develop a background document and inventory of the existing conditions of the Town’s southern shoreline, identify needs, outline issues and problems, and study various alternatives to resolve coastal problems to maintain our beach areas. This person will study the gathered background information and will develop working relationships with the Army Corps of Engineer, consulting firms, scientists from local universities, and other communities with similar issues.
2. APPLICANT DESCRIPTION
The Town of Harwich is located in the Lower Cape area, approximately twenty-four (24) miles from the Cape Cod Canal and roughly twenty-seven (27) miles from Provincetown, the tip of Cape Cod. It shares borders with Dennis to the west, Brewster to the north, and Chatham to the east. A common boundary with Orleans (to the northeast) exists in Pleasant Bay.
The attached map shows Harwich’s location on Cape Cod.
Harwich encompasses 21.04 square miles of land area with 10.9 miles of tidal shoreline.
According to the Harwich Town Clerk’s/Registrar’s Office, the 1998 population of Harwich is about 10,451. Therefore, there are 496.7 people per square mile in Harwich.
According to the 1990 census, Harwich had 10,203 people, 568 whose status was determined to be below the poverty level. There were approximately 4,505 households in Harwich in 1990 with 2.27 persons per household. If the number of persons per household is divided into the number of persons below the poverty level, there would be approximately 250 households below the poverty level, or 4.4% of households.
The median household income in Harwich is approximately $28,259.00.
According to the 1990 census, the median value of an owner occupied home was $161,600.00.
Cape Cod is widely known as a resort area. Each year, an increasing number of people visit Cape Cod, especially in the summer. While the average length of stay by overnight visitors has diminished in recent years, the number of day trippers has increased. This is one factor which has contributed to the increase in traffic volume over the Cape Cod’s two (2) access bridges. Lodging, restaurants, gift shops, and recreational facilities have proliferated over the years to accommodate the ever-growing demand for such facilities by visitors.
The number of retirees on Cape Cod has grown considerably in the past decade. A clean and beautiful environment, relatively low property taxes and a generally slower pace of life are factors which continue to draw more and more retired residents.
Harwich has many different types of scenic landscapes, which include: almost eleven (11) miles of tidal shoreline along Nantucket Sound and Pleasant Bay; four (4) harbors, where Round Cove (at Pleasant Bay) is the only naturally occurring one and Wychmere, Allens, and Saquatucket were once pond and/or marsh areas, dredged out to the Sound to provide protection for sea vessels; many bogs which are scattered throughout Harwich providing yearround scenic enjoyment; twenty-two (22) freshwater ponds and two (2) reservoirs; two (2) scenic river corridors: Herring River and Muddy Creek; and over 320 acres of forests, water, and wetland in the Bells Neck Road/Salt Marsh/Reservoir area.
As the table below demonstrates, four (4) Town agencies are responsible for the almost fifty (50) acres of coastal land holdings by the Town of Harwich. The public can easily access all of these parcels, with all having frontage on public ways. Most of these areas have parking facilities and a few provide restrooms.
Increase in the frequency of beach replenishment would have a positive effect on holding a beach in this area. (photo credit Tom Leach)
| TOWN OF HARWICH SOUTHERN SHORELINE COASTAL LAND HOLDINGS (December 1998) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGENCY | FACILITY | AREA | PARKING | RESTROOMS | ACCESSIBLE | |
| Bd of Selectmen | Bank St Beach | 0.42 | 62 | Yes | Yes | |
| Rec. & Youth | Bank St Beach | 1.34 | same as above | |||
| Rec. & Youth | Bank St Beach | 0.16 | same as above | |||
| Cons Comm | Merkel Beach | 3.55 | 0 | No | No | |
| Harbormaster | Saquatucket Hbr | 20.3 | 222 | Yes | Yes | |
| Harbormaster | Wychmere Hbr | 0.48 | 29 | Yes | No | |
| Harbormaster | Allens Harbor | 0.10 | 34 | Yes | No | |
| Harbormaster | Allens Harbor | 0.45 | same as above | |||
| Rec. & Youth | Belmont Rd Beach | 0.04 | 0 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Pleasant Rd Beach | 1.60 | 75 | Yes | ||
| Rec. & Youth | Brooks Rd Beach | 1.60 | 10 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Earle Rd Beach | 0.30 | 58 | No | Yes | |
| Rec. & Youth | Earle Rd Beach | 0.13 | same as above | |||
| Rec. & Youth | Grey Neck Rd Bch | 0.30 | 11 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Wah Wah Taysee | 0.30 | 0 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Atlantic St Beach | 0.25 | 11 | No | Yes | |
| Rec. & Youth | Wyndemere Bluffs | 1.00 | 0 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Zylpha Rd Beach | 0.25 | 0 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Sea Street Beach | 0.30 | 0 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Neel Road Beach | 0.30 | 0 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Larsen Park | 1.12 | 4 | No | No | |
| Rec. & Youth | Red River Beach | 8.40 | 210 | Yes | Yes | |
| Rec. & Youth | Red River Beach | 1.00 | same as above | |||
| Rec. & Youth | Red River Beach | 0.39 | same as above | |||
| Rec. & Youth | Red River Beach | 0.14 | same as above | |||
| Total 49.33 acres | 722 parking spaces | |||||
Acheivements Along Shoreline
Over the last twenty-five (25) years, Harwich has successfully completed the following along the southern shoreline: renourished Wah-wah Tayshee Road, Atlantic Avenue, Wyndemere Bluffs, Saquatucket Bluffs and Neil Road beaches with dredging materials; constructed a bulkhead at Red River Beach to maintain the beach and protect the parking area; planted beach grass at various locations; installed snow fencing to protect dunes; paved some parking areas and provided accessible spaces; constructed accessible restrooms at several locations; created holding tanks at the beach restrooms because of concern with water quality; installed portable restrooms where permanent structures could not be located; nourished beaches from dredging materials from the channels to the harbors (approximately $50,000.00 to $60,000.00 a year); constructed portable boardwalks at beaches to improve accessibility to general public and disabled; and purchased a beach chair to enable wheelchair bound beach patrons to access the beach.
3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Many coastal communities have experienced what the Town of Harwich is seeing with its shoreline: erosion of dunes and loss of beach areas.
As summarized on the cover page, the Town of Harwich is requesting $4,800.00 to help fund a researcher to develop a background document and inventory of the existing conditions of the Town’s southern shoreline, identify needs, outline issues and problems, and study various alternatives to resolve coastal problems to maintain our beach areas. This person will study the gathered background information and will develop working relationships with the Army Corps of Engineer, consulting firms, scientists from local universities, and other communities with similar issues.
The finished product will be the background document for developing a shoreline management plan for the Town of Harwich (a much larger project).
Tasks
Complete inventory of existing conditions of shoreline and beaches (study aerial photographs and maps, review available wind and current information, etc.) (see attached map of Town of Harwich with project area highlighted and aerial photographs of shoreline) Identify needs, issues, problems with these areas (erosion in some areas, accretion in other areas, etc.) Explore possible courses of action on how to best maintain Harwich beaches (study alternatives such as: - the feasibility of relocating sand from offshore bars the costs of dune restoration and beach grass planting - researching the successes and failures of past projects in other communities whether the local environmental parameters (wind and wave direction, historical erosion/accretion patterns, etc.) warrant coastal engineered structures such as groins and jetties.) Work with volunteer retired engineers to inventory and collect survey data on existing coastal engineered structures (height and length of groins and jetties – how connected to coastal bank dune; height/slope of rock revetments and vertical bulkheads.
Goal
To produce a base/background study of the existing conditions of Harwich’ southern shoreline, identify needs, issues, and problems, and address alternative courses of action to resolve these problems. The results of this study will be used in the development of a shoreline management plan which will produce designs of the best courses of action, will endorse comprehensive recommendations, and will, hopefully, maintain, if not increase, the amount of shoreline we have.
As summarized on the application summary page, the proposed project’s beneficiaries will definitely include the general public. This study, which will lend itself to the development of a shoreline management plan, will lead to the maintenance, restoration, and possible renourishment of Harwich beaches, hopefully, increasing the beach areas and providing more land for residents and visitors to enjoy.
This project will not adversely impact the shoreline’s ecology. If anything, it will study various alternatives to maintaining and/or improving the fragile ecology that now exists.
It is hoped that this project will have various Town departments, communities, and organizations work together to develop the base information needed as well as look at the alternatives to managing the shoreline. This should serve as a model for other communities in developing the background information and needs assessment regarding shoreline issues. It will work toward implementing a portion of the 1993 Town of Harwich Local Comprehensive Plan as well as the 1998 Open Space and Recreation Plan.
This study may also begin to analyze a variety of ways to handle the issue of ensuring public access across publicly-held land as well as privately held land. The shoreline management plan which will follow should recommend the mechanism by which to accomplish this, possibly through creation of a policy or agreement with neighbors.
5. TIMELINE
6. BUDGET
Full dollar amount requested. $4,800.00
Itemized list of grant-funded expenses (e.g. estimated project personnel time and cost per hour, costs of necessary materials, travel mileage, etc.)
See attached itemized beach restoration project proposed budget.
Source and amount of any matching funds and in-kind services (while matching funds are not required, they are strongly encouraged and can significantly demonstrate community support and a more compelling project).
Volunteer retired engineers will collect survey data on existing coastal engineering structures (jetties, groins, revetments) to include in inventory of existing conditions. Maps will be contributed from the Planning Departments and Engineering Departments. Aerial photographs will be contributed from the Conservation Commission. (September, 1998 fly-over of the subject shoreline)
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
TOWN OF HARWICH
SOUTHERN SHORELINE
BEACH RESTORATION
PROJECT
PREPARED BY:
Town of Harwich
732 Main Street
Harwich, MA 02645
PREPARED FOR:
The 1999
Coastal Access Grants Program
Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs
Department of Environmental Management
December 1, 1998