Waterways Assets and Resources Survey Master Plan for Dredging and Beach Nourishment
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Final Waterways Assets and Resources Survey Master Plan for Dredging and Beach Nourishment For Town of Dennis, Massachusetts Prepared For: Town of Dennis Dennis Town Hall P.O. Box 2060 485 Main Street Dennis, MA 02660 Prepared By: Woods Hole Group, Inc. 81 Technology Park Drive East Falmouth, MA 02536 This page intentionally left blank FINAL WATERWAYS ASSETS AND RESOURCES SURVEY MASTER PLAN FOR DREDGING AND BEACH NOURISHMENT Town of Dennis, Massachusetts November 2010 Prepared for: Town of Dennis Dennis Town Hall P.O. Box 2060 485 Main Street South Dennis, MA 02660 Prepared by: Woods Hole Group, Inc. 81 Technology Park Drive East Falmouth MA 02536 (508) 540-8080 This page intentionally left blank Woods Hole Group TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................. 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 5 3.0 MAINTENANCE OF WATERWAYS RESOURCES ...................................... 7 3.1 SESUIT HARBOR ...................................................................................................... 8 3.2 SWAN POND RIVER ................................................................................................ 14 3.3 BASS RIVER ........................................................................................................... 21 3.4 CHASE GARDEN CREEK .......................................................................................... 30 4.0 PUBLIC BEACH RESOURCES ....................................................................... 35 4.1 CHAPIN MEMORIAL BEACH .................................................................................... 38 4.1.1 Natural Features and Coastal Processes .................................................... 38 4.1.2 Anthropogenic Features ............................................................................ 44 4.2 COLD STORAGE BEACH .......................................................................................... 44 4.2.1 Natural Features and Coastal Processes .................................................... 44 4.2.2 Anthropogenic Features ............................................................................ 48 4.3 WEST DENNIS BEACH ............................................................................................. 50 4.3.1 Natural Features and Coastal Processes .................................................... 50 4.3.2 Anthropogenic Features ............................................................................ 54 4.4 SOUTH VILLAGE BEACH ......................................................................................... 56 4.4.1 Natural Features and Coastal Processes .................................................... 56 4.4.2 Anthropogenic Features ............................................................................ 59 4.5 HAIGIS BEACH ....................................................................................................... 61 4.5.1 Natural Features and Coastal Processes .................................................... 61 4.5.2 Anthropogenic Features ............................................................................ 65 4.6 GLENDON RD. BEACH ............................................................................................ 67 4.6.1 Natural Features and Coastal Processes .................................................... 67 4.6.2 Anthropogenic Features ............................................................................ 69 4.7 SEA STREET BEACH ............................................................................................... 72 4.7.1 Natural Features and Coastal Processes .................................................... 72 4.7.2 Anthropogenic Features ............................................................................ 74 4.8 SEA VIEW BEACH ................................................................................................... 77 Final Waterways Assets and Resources i November 2010 Survey Master Plan for Dredging and Beach Town of Dennis Nourishment 2009-093 Woods Hole Group 4.8.1 Natural Features and Coastal Processes .................................................... 77 4.8.2 Anthropogenic Features ............................................................................ 77 5.0 DREDGING AND BEACH NOURISHMENT MASTER PLAN .................. 81 5.1 FINDINGS .............................................................................................................. 81 5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 85 6.0 REFERENCES CITED ...................................................................................... 89 APPENDIX A – GRAIN SIZE ANALYSES .............................................................. A-1 Final Waterways Assets and Resources ii November 2010 Survey Master Plan for Dredging and Beach Town of Dennis Nourishment 2009-093 Woods Hole Group LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1. Extent of Dennis coastline bordering Cape Cod Bay to the North and Nantucket Sound to the South...................................................................5 Figure 3-1. Distribution of Town of Dennis waterways resources. .............................7 Figure 3-2. Historical aerial photographs of Sesuit Harbor from 1971 to 2009 showing shoaling patterns. ......................................................................................9 Figure 3-3. Sesuit Harbor dredging and placement activities....................................11 Figure 3-4. Sesuit Harbor shellfish resources. ...........................................................13 Figure 3-5. Historical aerial photographs of Swan Pond River from 1961 to 2009 showing sediment transport patterns around the entrance to the river. ...15 Figure 3-6. Swan Pond River dredging and placement activities. .............................17 Figure 3-7. Swan Pond River shellfish resources. .....................................................18 Figure 3-8. Swan Pond River eelgrass resources.......................................................19 Figure 3-9. Swan Pond River NHESP estimated and priority habitat sites. ..............20 Figure 3-10. Historical aerial photographs of Bass River from 1978 to 2009 showing sediment transport patterns around the entrance. ....................................22 Figure 3-11. Bass River dredging and placement activities. .......................................24 Figure 3-12. Bass River dredging and placement activities. .......................................25 Figure 3-13. Bass River dredging and placement activities. .......................................25 Figure 3-14. Bass River shellfish resources. ...............................................................27 Figure 3-15. Bass River eelgrass resources. ................................................................28 Figure 3-16. Bass River NHESP estimated and priority habitat sites. ........................29 Figure 3-17. Historical aerial photographs of Chase Garden Creek from 1978 to 2009 showing sediment transport patterns around the entrance to the creek. .30 Figure 3-18. Chase Garden Creek shellfish resources. ................................................32 Figure 3-19. Chase Garden Creek NHESP estimated and priority habitat sites. .........33 Figure 4-1. Distribution of public beach sites throughout the Town of Dennis (yellow stars – sites included in this study; blue triangles – other public beach sites). .......................................................................................................36 Figure 4-2. Existing conditions map of Chapin Memorial Beach. ............................39 Figure 4-3. View of Chapin Memorial Beach showing the Coastal Beach resources looking to the southwest and northeast (top photos), as well the extensive Coastal Dune resources (bottom photos). ...............................................40 Figure 4-4. Beach profile data for Chapin Memorial Beach (profile locations shown in Figure 4-2). .............................................................................................41 Final Waterways Assets and Resources iii November 2010 Survey Master Plan for Dredging and Beach Town of Dennis Nourishment 2009-093 Woods Hole Group Figure 4-5. Historical shoreline change from 1934 to 2009 for the Chapin Memorial Beach area. ..............................................................................................43 Figure 4-6. Areas of coastal armoring near the end of the road (left photo) and at the northeast boundary of Chapin Memorial Beach (right photo). ...............44 Figure 4-7. Existing conditions map of Cold Storage Beach. ...................................45 Figure 4-8. View of Cold Storage Beach showing narrow beach with cobble covered cusps; wide, well vegetated coastal dunes; paved parking area; and Sesuit Harbor jetty with mid-section that has collapsed allowing erosion of the dunes (bottom right). ...............................................................................46 Figure 4-9. Beach profile data for Cold Storage Beach (profile locations shown in Figure 4-7). .............................................................................................47 Figure 4-10. Historical shoreline change from 1951 to 2009 for the Cold Storage Beach area. .........................................................................................................49 Figure 4-11. Existing