M. Leslie Fields, CFM, M.S., B.S. Coastal Geologist/Marine Environmental Analyst
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A Survey of Anadromous Fish Passage in Coastal Massachusetts
Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Technical Report TR-16 A Survey of Anadromous Fish Passage in Coastal Massachusetts Part 2. Cape Cod and the Islands K. E. Reback, P. D. Brady, K. D. McLaughlin, and C. G. Milliken Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Department of Fish and Game Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Commonwealth of Massachusetts Technical Report Technical May 2004 Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Technical Report TR-16 A Survey of Anadromous Fish Passage in Coastal Massachusetts Part 2. Cape Cod and the Islands Kenneth E. Reback, Phillips D. Brady, Katherine D. McLauglin, and Cheryl G. Milliken Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Southshore Field Station 50A Portside Drive Pocasset, MA May 2004 Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Paul Diodati, Director Department of Fish and Game Dave Peters, Commissioner Executive Office of Environmental Affairs Ellen Roy-Herztfelder, Secretary Commonwealth of Massachusetts Mitt Romney, Governor TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 2: Cape Cod and the Islands Acknowledgements . iii Abstract . iv Introduction . 1 Materials and Methods . 1 Life Histories . 2 Management . 4 Cape Cod Watersheds . 6 Map of Towns and Streams . 6 Stream Survey . 8 Cape Cod Recommendations . 106 Martha’s Vineyard Watersheds . 107 Map of Towns and Streams . 107 Stream Survey . 108 Martha’s Vineyard Recommendations . 125 Nantucket Watersheds . 126 Map of Streams . 126 Stream Survey . 127 Nantucket Recommendations . 132 General Recommendations . 133 Alphabetical Index of Streams . 134 Alphabetical Index of Towns . .. 136 Appendix 1: List of Anadromous Species in MA . 138 Appendix 2: State River Herring Regulations . 139 Appendix 3: Fishway Designs and Examples . 140 Appendix 4: Abbreviations Used . 148 ii Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank the following people for their assistance in carrying out this survey and for sharing their knowledge of the anadromous fish resources of the Commonwealth: Brian Creedon, Tracy Curley, Jack Dixon, George Funnell, Steve Kennedy, Paul Montague, Don St. -
The Fishes Found in the Vicinity of Woods Hole
U. S. COMMISSION OF FISH AND FISHERIES. JOHN J. BRICE, Commissioner. THE FISHES FOUND IN THE VICINITY OF \VOODS HOLE. BY HUGH M. SMITH, Chief of Division of Scientific Inquiry, U. S. Fisk Commission. Ennwted li'OIII 0.8. FIsh CommiaslOD Bulletin for 1897. Article 3, Pages 86 to 11 .P1&te 3, and 1 ~ Spt Da~ of pnbliCl&t1ou, lunary 6,1898. UOf·1'1 WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING Oll'll'ICB. 1898. PLATE S. o , r A N .Dlgltized by Google LATE 3. 3.-THE FISHES FOUND IN THE ,vICINITY OF WOODS HOLE. BY HUGH M. SMITH, Ckief of Division of Scientific Inquiry, U. S. Fisk Ctmtmission. Since the establishment of the United States Commission of Fish and Fisheries in 1871, systematic fish collecting has boon carried on at Woods Hole, MlUlsachusetts, by Commission assistants. In the year named, l'rof. Spencer F. Baird studied the fish fauna of the region and later pnblished a list of the specIes then observed which has served as a valuable guide in subsequent investigation. For more than a quarter of a century almost daily observations, based on collec· tions, have been made and recorded, and it may be safely asserted that nowhere else iu the United States has such long-continued and comprehensive work of this char acter been done. The duty of collecting specimens and recordin~ information has fallen chiefly to the lot of :Mr. Vinal N. Edwards, of the Fish Commission, to whose assiduous labors the principal additions to the fish fauna are due. The collection of specimens hal'! been done chiefly with fine-meshed bag seines, about 150 feet long, hauled from the shore in harbors and coves and on the beaches in Vineyard Sound anrl Buzzards Bay. -
Weather Conditions and Currents in Vineyard Sound for the Sonar Worlds
Weather Conditions and Currents in Vineyard Sound for the Sonar Worlds by Rocky Geyer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. and Falmouth Y.C. Cape Cod is famous for moderate temperatures, strong sea breezes and strong tidal currents. The sea breeze is due to the southward orientation of the shoreline, which means that the thermally induced sea breeze is nearly aligned with the prevailing southwesterly gradient wind. This pattern is most common in July and August, when the Bermuda High is strongest. In September, the sea breeze still occurs, but the differential between air and water temperatures is diminished and the Bermuda High is sometimes displaced by weak frontal systems. Southwesterlies are still the most common winds, but they are not typically as strong as mid-summer conditions. Here are the statistics on the wind conditions at Vineyard Haven, several miles from the race course: Average high air temp: 70-72 F (20-22 C) Average low air temp: 54-62 F (12-17 C) Average water temp: 68 F (20 C) Winds: 50% daily peak wind speeds >15 mph (13 kts) 12% daily peak wind speeds >20 mph (17 kts) 50% SSW-W 25% WNW-N 25% N-E The southwesterlies are the steadiest, as they are relatively unobstructed by land and tend to be associated with stable atmospheric conditions. Northwesterlies are puffy and shifty, just like most of the East Coast. Easterlies are also shifty, for reasons that I do not understand. Tidal currents are strong in Vineyard Sound, and particular attention should be paid to the times of slack and maximum currents, as they will have a major infuence on the positions of laylines. -
TOWN of MASHPEE BLUE PAGES a Citizens’ Guide to Protecting Cape Cod Waters
TOWN OF MASHPEE BLUE PAGES A Citizens’ Guide to Protecting Cape Cod Waters Shannon Cushing, Grade 11 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements This information is reprinted from the Island Blue Pages, courtesy of the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group and the WampanoagThis information Tribe ofis Aquinnah.reprinted from For the a complete Island Blue version Pages of, courtesy the Island of theBlue Martha’s Pages, visit Vineyard the website Shellfish www.islandbluepages.org Group and the . or contactWampanoag tbe Martha’s Tribe Vineyardof Aquinnah. Shellfish For a Groupcomplete at 508version-693-0391. of the TheIsland Island Blue BluePages Pages, visit isthe an website adaptation, www.islandbluepages.org with permission, of the. or Pugetcontact Soundbook tbe Martha’s, a game Vineyard plan for Shellfish maintaining Group the at health508-693-0391. of our sister The Island estuary Blue on Pagesthe West is an Coast. adaptation, To learn with more permission, about the of the Puget Soundbook, a game plan for maintaining the health of our sister estuary on the West Coast. To learn more about the original project and the inspiration for the Blue Pages, visit www.forsea.org/pugetsoundbook/ original project and the inspiration for the Blue Pages, visit www.forsea.org/pugetsoundbook/ Thanks to Jim Kolb and Diane Bressler, the creators of the Puget Soundbook, which continues to inspire us with its words and Thanks to Jim Kolb and Diane Bressler, the creators of the Puget Soundbook, which continues to inspire us with its words and illustrations. illustrations. The Town of Mashpee, with permission, undertook the task of adapting the Orleans Blue Pages to reflect conditions specific to The Town of Mashpee, with permission, undertook the task of adapting the Orleans Blue Pages to reflect conditions specific to Mashpee. -
Coastal Resources Element 2.2
Coastal Resources Element 2.2 Inventory The Coastal Resources inventory identifies and summarizes a variety of Falmouth’s beaches, coastal banks, shellfish beds, commercial waterfronts, harbors, access points and coastal facilities. Detailed and specific coastal resource information, such as the Shellfish Management Plan and The Future of Falmouth’s South Shore, are found in various Town Hall departments. Shellfish Beds & Habitat Areas The majority of Falmouth’s tidal ponds and rivers are seasonally approved for the harvest of shellfish from November thru April on an annual basis, with each water-body having various quantities of quality shellfish habitat. Areas open for year-round harvest vary from year to year and are more limited in scope, but typically consist of locations in Waquoit Bay, Bournes Pond, Little Harbor (Woods Hole), Great Harbor (Woods Hole), Quissett Harbor and Megansett Harbor. Shellfish resource habitat maps highlight these water-bodies and are available at the Town of Falmouth Shellfish Department and the Conservation Commission office. The significant shellfish habitat areas are as follows: The Megansett Harbor area (1,049 acres) has significant populations of seeded quahogs, clams and oysters as well as occasional populations of bay scallops. West Falmouth Harbor (201 acres) is a significant resource for quahogs, soft-shell clams, oysters and scallops. The scallop population has been recently improved due to a local scallop program executed by the Shellfish Constable. Great Sippewissett Marsh (29 acres) has pockets of clams and quahogs, but has been experiencing degradation in water quality from runoff and septic systems, which has led to a prohibition on shellfishing. -
Swan Pond River Swan Pond River Swan Pond River Stage Harbor Provincetown Harbor Provincetown Harbor
Bourne Falmouth Sandwich Mashpee Barnstable Yarmouth Dennis Harwich Brewster Chatham Orleans Eastham Wellfleet Truro Provincetown WAQUOIT BAY WAQUOIT BAY WAQUOIT BAY PARKERS RIVER PARKERS RIVER SWAN POND RIVER SWAN POND RIVER SWAN POND RIVER STAGE HARBOR PROVINCETOWN HARBOR PROVINCETOWN HARBOR Childs River | 71% Childs River | 5% Childs River | 24% Lewis Pond | 100% Swan Pond River | 96% Swan Pond River | 1% Swan Pond River | 3% Little Mill Pond | 100% Provincetown Harbor | 7% Provincetown Harbor | 93% Quashnet River | 22% Quashnet River | 17% Quashnet River | 61% Lower Parkers River | 100% Swan Pond River North | 100% Mill Pond | 100% Eel Pond West | 95% Eel Pond West | 4% Eel Pond West | 1% Seine Pond | 100% Swan Pond River South | 100% Mitchell River | 100% Hamblin Pond & Red Brook | 31% Hamblin Pond & Red Brook | 69% Upper Parkers River | <1% Upper Parkers River | >99% Oyster Pond | 100% Waquoit Bay | 82% Waquoit Bay | 18% Oyster River | 100% WELLFLEET HARBOR WELLFLEET HARBOR WELLFLEET HARBOR Eel Pond East | 100% RUSHY MARSH BASS RIVER BASS RIVER BASS RIVER Stage Harbor | 100% Wellfleet Harbor | 11% Wellfleet Harbor | 88% Wellfleet Harbor | 2% Eel Pond South | 100% Rushy Marsh Pond | 100% Bass River Lower | 59% Bass River Lower | 41% Jehu Pond Great River | 100% Bass River Middle | 67% Bass River Middle | 33% Bass River Middle | <1% SULFUR SPRINGS ROCK HARBOR ROCK HARBOR PAMET RIVER Little River | 100% Dinah’s Pond | 100% Bucks Creek | 100% Rock Harbor | 79% Rock Harbor | 21% Pamet River | 100% Sage Lot Pond | 100% Follins Pond | -
E. Fisheries and Wildlife
E. Fisheries and Wildlife Until recent decades, the vast majority of Mashpee’s territory was the domain not of man, but of beast. Our woods were only occasionally broken by a roadway, or a few homes, or a farmer’s fields. The hunting was good. Our clear lakes were famous for their fishing. Our streams flowed clean to pristine coastal bays teeming with fish and shellfish that helped feed and support many families. Much has changed with the explosive development of the last fifty years, and much of our wildlife has disappeared along with the natural habitat that supported it. However, much remains for our enjoyment and safekeeping. In this section we will look at Mashpee’s fish and shellfish, its mammals, birds and insects, important wildlife movement corridors and those species living in our town which are among the last of their kind. 1. Finfish Mashpee hosts four types of fin fisheries: fresh water ponds, rivers and streams, estuaries and coastal ponds and the open ocean. Our four large ponds provide some of the best fishing in the state. 203-acre Ashumet Pond, 317- acre Johns Pond and 729-acre Mashpee-Wakeby Pond are all cold water fisheries stocked with brown, brook and rainbow trout. In the last century, such famous anglers as Daniel Webster, President Grover Cleveland and the famous actor Joseph Jefferson looked forward to their fishing expeditions to Mashpee, while local residents looked forward to the income provided serving as guides to those and other wealthy gentlemen. Ashumet and Johns Ponds are also noted for their smallmouth bass, while Mashpee-Wakeby provides not only the smallmouth, but also chain pickerel, white perch and yellow perch. -
There Is Only One Cape Cod in All the World. Cape Cod. Warm Sea Breezes, 559.6 Miles (900 Km) of Unspoiled Coastline and Breathtaking Scenic Vistas
There is only one Cape Cod in all the world. Cape Cod. Warm sea breezes, 559.6 miles (900 km) of unspoiled coastline and breathtaking scenic vistas. Generations of families return year after year to reclaim memories of sandcastles, flip flops and fried clams. Others come for the world’s finest beaches or to explore a region steeped in history, arts and culture. Enjoy 15 distinctive towns, exquisite gardens, quaint shops, New England’s best golf, fine dining, superior accommodations and an array of land & sea activities. Location & History Cape Cod is situated less than 2 hours from Boston in Southern New England, at the southeast corner of Massachusetts, stretching approximately 70 miles (112 km) from the Cape Cod Canal to Provincetown’s Race Point. The Cape is 20 miles (32 km) at its widest point and completely surrounded by water. Countless historic sites and landmarks tell the proud role that Cape Cod has played in American history, beginning with the indigenous Wampanoag people and the landfall of the Mayflower in Provincetown in 1620, to the Camelot Days of JFK, as celebrated at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum. The homes of long-ago sea captains dot the Old King’s Highway, the largest contiguous historic district in the United States. Historic lighthouses have lined Cape shorelines for centuries. The John F. Kennedy Museum in Hyannis celebrates the life and times of President Kennedy and his family on Cape Cod. And, at the tip of the Cape, Provincetown proclaims its living history as an artist’s colony and fishing village, including the renown Provincetown Art Association and Museum. -
Waterways Assets and Resources Survey Master Plan for Dredging and Beach Nourishment
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 ...................................................................... -
Favorite Cruising Spots in Buzzard's Bay and Vineyard Sound Cuttyhunk Island—Typically a 1.5 Hour Sail on a Close Reach; A
Favorite Cruising spots in Buzzard’s Bay and Vineyard Sound Cuttyhunk Island—typically a 1.5 hour sail on a close reach; a tiny island and crowded anchorage but a fun and very popular place to stop and walk around, stop for lunch or stay overnight. Inner Harbor is well-protected with both moorings and small anchorage available. Moorings also available along beach outside of breakwater between harbor and Nashawena, and good holding ground for anchoring outside of breakwater if anchorage is full. Lovely view of Elizabeth Island chain from top of hill. There is a market on the way up the hill from the main dock on your left. Also a store with Cuttyhunk “stuff” on the right after the dock. Also a tiny shack to the left which has AMAZING clothing and jewelry—bring cash! Fun local pizza called SOPRANO’s (“pizza to die for”). The best kept secret is “Cuttyhunk Fishing Club” which serves THE BEST breakfast al fresco on their porch on a hill overlooking the Elizabeth Islands and Martha’s Vineyard. Quick’s Hole—The safest passage between Buzzard’s Bay and Vineyard Sound. Quicks is nestled between Pasque and Nashawena Islands (two more Elizabeth Islands) and as such is normally protected from wind and seas. There’s a lovely white sand beach with dunes and lots of good anchorage fairly close up. Great lunch spot. The beach can be closed at random by the owners of Naushon Island however. Lambert’s Cove on North side of Martha’s Vineyard on Vineyard Sound side. Nice beach with dunes for a swim and picnic lunch in normal SW wind. -
The History of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge
HOW WE GOT HERE: The History of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge By the Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge The Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge encompasses nearly 6,000 acres that protects important natural areas and a great diversity of wildlife habitat. Established in 1995, this unique refuge is owned by federal, state, town, and private conservation groups who share a common goal of conserving nature for the continued benefit of wildlife and people. PREFACE National Wildlife Refuges are valuable assets in a variety • Located in the towns of Mashpee and Falmouth, of ways. They provide a window into past cultures and with 6000 acres, it is the Cape’s second largest open, untouched landscapes while preserving these resources accessible conservation land, behind only the National well into the future, furthering the continuum. Refuges Seashore. sustain necessary wildlife habitats and resources critical in their seasonal needs for foraging, raising young, • It was named after the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, and avoiding predators to live yet another day. These “the people of the first light.” preserved landscapes purify water and air providing yet another valuable service. Likewise, for humans, refuges • It is unique within the National Wildlife Refuge offer solitude in our daily lives and, as the name implies, System in that it is the ONLY refuge that is managed are a great place to view wildlife too. cooperatively by eight conservation landowners and the Friends organization: a consortium of federal, state, I grew up in Minnesota, where we often headed to a tribal, private, & nonprofit. It’s the model for future local refuge in the spring to witness one of the most refuges. -
Massachusetts Estuaries Project
Massachusetts Estuaries Project Linked Watershed-Embayment Model to Determine Critical Nitrogen Loading Thresholds for Popponesset Bay, Mashpee and Barnstable, Massachusetts University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Massachusetts Department of School of Marine Science and Technology Environmental Protection FINAL REPORT – SEPTEMBER 2004 Massachusetts Estuaries Project Linked Watershed-Embayment Model to Determine Critical Nitrogen Loading Thresholds for Popponesset Bay, Mashpee and Barnstable, Massachusetts FINAL REPORT – SEPTEMBER 2004 Brian Howes Roland Samimy David Schlezinger Sean Kelley John Ramsey Jon Wood Ed Eichner Contributors: US Geological Survey Don Walters, and John Masterson Applied Coastal Research and Engineering, Inc. Elizabeth Hunt and Trey Ruthven Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Charles Costello and Brian Dudley (DEP project manager) SMAST Coastal Systems Program Paul Henderson, George Hampson, and Sara Sampieri Cape Cod Commission Brian DuPont Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Massachusetts Estuaries Project Linked Watershed-Embayment Model to Determine Critical Nitrogen Loading Thresholds for Popponesset Bay, Mashpee and Barnstable, Massachusetts Executive Summary 1. Background This report presents the results generated from the implementation of the Massachusetts Estuaries Project’s Linked Watershed-Embayment Approach to the Popponesset Bay System a coastal embayment within the Towns of Mashpee and Barnstable, Massachusetts. Analyses of the Popponesset Bay System was performed to assist the Towns with up-coming nitrogen management decisions associated with the Towns’ current and future wastewater planning efforts, as well as wetland restoration, anadromous fish runs, shell fishery, open-space, and harbor maintenance programs. As part of the MEP approach, habitat assessment was conducted on the embayment based upon available water quality monitoring data, historical changes in eelgrass distribution, time-series water column oxygen measurements, and benthic community structure.